5 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Making Pizza

We’ve all made little mistakes in our cooking and, although they were annoying, most of the time, they weren’t really anything crucial to the dish. Lots of dishes are able to be slightly tweaked, or are forgiving by nature, and mistakes are simply something you’ll remember not to do next time you make the dish. Pizza, however, isn’t always so forgiving. While it’s one of the world’s most popular foods, pizza requires you to follow strict instructions for many parts of the pizza-making process. Today, the pizza champions at the Wood Fired Co outline 5 common mistakes to avoid when making pizza. These really could be a make-or-break moment!

1) Incorrectly proofing the dough

Once you’ve combined your dough ingredients (flour, water, yeast, salt and maybe some olive oil), you need to let your dough settle. This process is called proofing, in which your dough is left to rest, and the yeast ferments, causing the dough to leaven. Proofing the dough is important, as it allows air bubbles to form, making your crust and base the perfect texture. If you proof for too little a time, you’ll end up with a dough, chewy crust; if you proof for too long, the dough will fall apart. Proof your dough for 90 minutes, or until you can see small air pockets forming.

2) Incompatible flavours

We know how you’re feeling: you want to experiment with flavours and create a revolution in the pizza world, bringing fame and glory to your name. And although it’s not impossible, you should definitely start with a few classic recipes before you move on to experimentation. Learn the rules now, so you can break them later!

3) Too much or too little sauce

Pizza sauce is another one of those critical areas where you have to get the ratio just right. Too little sauce, and your pizza will turn out dry and bland: too much, and your base will be soggy. Aim for a nice, consistent yet thin lather of sauce.

4) Cooking on too low a heat

Pizzas need to be cooked at around 400 degrees Celsius. That’s why you simply can’t cook pizza in your conventional oven – the dough actually burns before it cooks through properly. Keep your eyes on the temperature gauge of your pizza oven, making sure it’s at a steady 380-400 degrees.

5) Cooking for too long or too little

At 400 degrees Celsius, pizza should only take about 90 seconds to cook properly. If you keep finding your pizza needs longer, then try a thinner base next time. And make sure you use a pizza stone too! Avoid these mistakes and cook like a pro thanks to the Wood Fired Co! The Wood Fired Co have been creating Australia’s best commercial and domestic fire ovens for over 10 years. Manufacturing top-quality ovens for daily use, the Wood Fired Co deliver affordable yet reliable ovens that you can depend on, day in, day out. Browse the range of domestic and commercial ovens from the Wood Fired Co and make an inquiry with a team member today.