I really love my biga pizza dough! It is flavorful and easy to work with plus my guests really love it. The prefermentation process also makes the dough a bit more easy on the body and digestive system. However, it does take forethought and planning. Sometimes we want pizza today or tomorrow. This is the dough for those occasions.
I have been working on this same day dough that combines some of the flavor enhancements of my regular dough without the long fermentation time. This is often called a direct dough since all of the ingredients are added at the same time. It is very flavorful but will not have the same flavor as the long ferment dough. It will also not have as large of a puffy crust around the edge. But it works well and is going to be better than anything you find in a pizzeria. This dough also works well in either a home oven and a high temp pizza oven. Just remember that lower temperatures provide more time for moisture evaperature resulting in a crisper crust. But also sets the exterior before it has time to fully rise.
Making the dough
Ingredients
Molasses: : The molasses will add a bit of color to the dough. It also gives the yeast a bit more fuel and adds a nice nutty flavor with a hint of sweet.
Active Dry Yeast: I use Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast. However, you can certainly use fresh yeast or instant yeast. For fresh yeast, double the amount.
00 Pizzeria Flour: I really love Caputo pizzeria flour (differentiated by a blue label). However, if you need to substitute, please use a high protein flour such as bread flour. You can also certainly use all-purpose flour, but it will be a bit more difficult to work with since it is a lower protein and will have a weaker gluten network.
Rye Flour: I add rye flour for flavor, but I like the little specks of color
Diastatic Malt Powder: Malt powder is a bit transformational to dough. It aids in flavor, texture, rise and color.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This is used when working with the dough during kneading and “stretch and folds”. I do not add it directly to the dough, but it will be consumed by the dough.
Instructions
Add molasses to the 90F - 100F water and stir until combined. Stir in the yeast and let it bloom and dissolve for 3-5 minutes. If you don’t have molasses, replace the amount with water.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flours, salt and malt powder. Whisk to combine. If you don’t have rye flour, replace it with the flour you have. If you do not have malt powder, skip it. It will still work, but will not be as tasty!
Add the water, yeast and molasses mix to the flour. Mix the dough by hand until a mass forms and the flour is a uniform color and all of the flour is absorbed. It will still look lumpy but will get more smooth as we move forward.
Cover the dough and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes. This will help th flour become more hydrated.
On an oiled counter, knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes. The dough is wet. Disregard your instincts to add flour. Re-oil the counter and your hands as necessary. It will still look a bit lumpy and will be sticky. Cover and allow to rest for about 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook.
On an oiled counter, perform a stretch and fold. Turn 90 degrees and perform another stretch and fold. Cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes. If you are not familiar with stretch and fold, view the stretch and fold video on my other dough post.
Repeat the stretch and fold step 1 more time. If the dough is still sticky and not smooth, repeat this step with a rest for 15 minutes in between stretches.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and let rest and rise for 1 -2 hours at room temperature. If your room is warm, less time will be needed. In addition to the rise, this will help develop flavor via fermentation while continuing to fully hydrate the flour.
Divide the dough into three pieces (approximately 278 grams each) and form into dough balls. For tips on making dough balls, watch the video labeled “Making dough balls” on my other dough post
Place the dough balls into your proofing container and cover. Let this ferment for an additional 2-6 hours at room temperature. The longer it sits, the more flavor it will develop. If your room is warm, you may need to park the dough balls in a refrigerator for 15 minute intervals to bring the temperature down. Otherwise they may over-proof. Make sure to oil the bottom and sides of your proofing container and to allow for significant growth.
You are now ready to make pizza. Looking for some sauce suggestions? Refer to this Pizza Sauce post.
About the Calzones
The calzones in the opening picture are simple and tasty. I am not going to provide a recipe, but some guidelines.
This is the one time I use a rolling pin on pizza dough. It is perfectly fine to push out the air.
I always use a ricotta filling. My favorite ricotta is Miceli's Whole Milk ricotta. It is dense and flavoful. I mix it with parmigianno reginao and shredded low moisture mozzarella. I use approximately equal amounts of ricotta and mozzarella and a touch of parm. I also add some dried italian herbs--typically basil and oregano. Plus season with salt and pepper.
I will layer on some meats, such as proscuitto, pepperoni and or sausage.
I use water around the edges to seal it.
Don't forget to make some small vents on the top of the calzone to allow steam to escape.
I like to brush on some olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt prior to cooking.
I cook on a pizza steel in my home oven at 550F. It takes no more than 10 minutes to cook.
Pizza sauce should be provided for dipping and never put inside the calzone. In this intance I make de a quick cooked sauce using Mutti passata cooked with a little garlic, salt, oregano, red pepper, olive oil and a parm rind. I also added a touch of agave to balance the acid.
Notes:
If you are not going to use the dough immediately, place in a refrigerator to slow down the proofing. Just remember to allow the dough to come to room temperature before using.
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