How to Stretch Pizza Dough: 4 Tips for Stretching Pizza Dough

Pizza dough is a leavened wheat-based dough rolled out thin and shaped into a disc or rectangle. The dough is then topped with ingredients, such as tomatoes, cheese, meats, and vegetables, and baked at a high temperature. Some pizza dough recipes call for bulk fermentation, which is when yeast cells consume carbohydrates and expel carbon dioxide gas, causing the dough to rise. The fermentation process creates air pockets in the dough, resulting in a textured, flavorful crust. After fermentation is complete, the dough is shaped then proofed, which refers to the final rise before baking.

Handling dough can be a temperamental artform. Here are some tips for facilitating the dough-stretching process:

1. 1. Bring the dough to room temperature. If you’re using frozen or refrigerated pizza dough, allow it to come to room temperature in a greased mixing bowl. Bringing the dough to room temperature before the shaping process makes it easier to stretch and less likely to tear. Skip this step if you’re making dough from scratch because it will already be at room temperature.
2. 2. Flatten the dough. Molding the dough into a thick disc is the easiest way to coax it into a much thinner, flatter shape. Use your palm to firmly pat down the dough ball a few times before you begin stretching.
   
3. 3. Prepare your surfaces. Pizza dough can be sticky, so coat your countertop or pizza peel with a thin layer of olive oil, sandy semolina flour, or even a sheet of parchment paper beforehand. Avoid using all-purpose or 00 flour because adding too much will make the dough tougher and harder to work. Learn more about the different types of flour here.
4. 4. Skip the rolling pin. Using a rolling pin to flatten pizza dough may appear easier than shaping it by hand, but it can knock out air bubbles and lead to tearing, stodgy texture, or make the dough shrink and refuse to take shape.

After your pizza dough has finished proofing, you can begin stretching it. Here is a step-by-step guide for stretching pizza dough:

1. 1. Pat and knead the dough. Pat the dough ball into a disc. Using your fingertips, begin lightly kneading from the center of the dough outwards. Rotate as you press to create an even circle and define the edge of the dough.
2. 2. Begin stretching. When the dough has grown in diameter but isn’t too thin, it’s time for the stretching process. Place one hand on the center of the disc, and use the other hand to gently guide the edge as you flip the palm holding the dough.
3. 3. Flip and repeat. You can either flip the dough back onto the work surface and repeat the stretching process or quickly transfer it back and forth between your hands—patting and guiding the shape. You can also stretch the dough by holding one edge and allowing it to hang down (work quickly when using this technique, as it can lead to tearing). When the dough looks to be about 12 inches in diameter, transfer it to a pan or pizza peel, and add the toppings of your choice.

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