Pizza is the kind of food that can bring a smile to your face in any situation, and when it is homemade, the feeling will be out of the world.
But what will happen if you are not a professional in baking a pizza? The main obstacle that will be in your way is the pizza dough, and its stickiness can ruin your mood within an instant. If you don’t handle it properly, you won’t be able to get the job done.
Now, you might wonder, why is my pizza dough so sticky?
Yes, this is indeed an excellent question, and to help you out with that, we have done some research and came up with this article.
Moreover, you will get other information that can benefit you in the long run. So, read on to find out more.
Why Is The Pizza Dough So Sticky?
Basically, the dough is made with different ingredients like yeast, sugar, salt, flour, oil, and water. When you have mixed all of them, but you are still stuck with the problem, you should check the mixture because this is the main source of the problem. Though you can make a delicious pizza with sticky dough, you should know all the reasons behind this issue.
Below are all of them. Keep reading.
- Using Too Much Water
If you use a huge amount of water, the dough will become too wet. This is because the dough will absorb more liquid than usual, creating an unusual mixture to the overall ingredient.
To tackle the problem, you should add a good amount of flour. Make sure you are not adding too much, or else you will create another problem.
- Not Mixing the Dough Properly
This might sound surprising, but it is a fact that the dough gets too sticky if you don’t mix it properly. So, it will be a good approach that you follow the right baking process in advance.
Always mix the dough properly so that you don’t have to restart the whole procedure.
- Mixing the Ingredients with Cold Water
Never mix the ingredients with cold water. Most professionals recommend that you should use warm water when making the dough.
Unfortunately, cold water directly targets the yeast. Hence, the dough gets sticky. So, use warm water and allow the gluten to stay intact instead of leaking out.
- Humidity
If your location is very humid, there is a possibility that the dough will absorb moisture from the air. This increases its hydration level to a new extent, which in turn creates a whole new problem.
On the other hand, you will have a good time if you make the dough in a dry environment.
How Can You Fix Sticky Dough?
Fortunately, there are various solutions to this problem. You can fix sticky dough if you follow the right process.
Here, you will find the secrets that have the power to solve the problem. Go through them one by one and take notes wherever you find something important.
- Add an Extra Amount of Flour
If you have accidentally used too much water, you have to add an extra amount of flour to neutralize the situation. Professionals say that if you take this approach, you can easily remove the stickiness from the dough.
When you add the flour, do it slowly and gently. Adding too much or too little can jeopardize the situation, so make sure you keep this in check.
- Knead the Dough Properly
If you think that unevenly mixing the ingredients will give you non-sticky dough, you will be surprised to know that you are wrong. To fix the issue, you should put the dough in the mixing bowl and blend the whole thing again.
When you start doing it, you will notice that the dough is getting spongy and smooth. Plus, it won’t be sticky anymore.
- Add Warm Water to the Overall Mixture
Avoid using cold water when you will make the pizza dough. This technique allows the yeast to be properly hydrated.
When you have successfully hydrated the yeast, the gluten will be released. Due to that, all the ingredients will stick to each other. If you have used cold water unintentionally, you have to do the mixture again, costing you time and effort.
Other Beneficial Information
Now, you know the answer to this article’s question, it is time to gain additional information to be a step ahead of the problem. So, let’s get started.
i. Take Your Time When You Knead the Dough
Before you start this task, make sure you have a good amount of time in hand to invest in this process. This is because you have to build enough amount of gluten in the dough to eliminate the stickiness problem.
Be confident throughout the whole time, and you will be happy with the outcome.
ii. Allow the Dough to Rest
After you have successfully finished the hard work, you should allow the dough to rest on your kitchen counter for some time. Before you do that, make sure you clean the counter. Plus, keep it dry to avoid uncertain problems that might pop out of the blue.
If you don’t put the dough to rest, there can be a possibility that the crust will break down. So, make sure you keep this aspect in mind all the time.
iii. Take the Dough and Stretch It
To ensure the dough texture is smooth and fine, you should evenly stretch it in different time periods. If you want to check its stickiness, you can easily do it by stretching it in the middle portion towards the end.
Meanwhile, if you are happy with its condition, you can proceed to the next task.
Also Check:
Conclusion
Now you can confidently help others if they ask, why is my pizza dough so sticky? Always follow the right baking procedure and use the correct ingredient without any hesitation. Consult with a professional if you still have confusion in some areas.
Share this article with your loved ones. Best of luck.