Refrigerated pizza dough: how long should it rest on the counter before baking?

[TdeV]

Some time ago I had trouble with a pizza and the consensus was that the long-ferment dough should be taken out of the fridge earlier. Sorry I'm so foggy, but that's all I remember.

 

My usual rule has been the dough comes out of the fridge 2 hours before baking. My kitchen is about 70°F.

Oven is a GE Electric whose highest setting is 550°F but which does not "keep" the temperature that high. But, this is partly ameliorated by turning on Broil-High an hour before the pizza goes in.

Usually the pizza is cooked 7 minutes or so.

 

The "trouble" is

the dough is stiff to pull into shape (I don't use a rolling pin)

the dough immediately under the topping often seems gummy.

 

Pizza is on the menu for tonight . . .

[weinoo]

I have problems with long ferment pizza doughs. I don't know if the amount of time the dough is on the counter will counter those problems, which tend to be with taste, and as you mention, gumminess. Or even the different chew/texture that a long ferment pizza dough attains. It certainly isn't the pizza I grew up with, or go out for when I go out for pizza.

[blue_dolphin]

In Mastering Pizza, Marc Vetri says 1-4 hours or until the dough has relaxed and is easy to shape. 

Usually, when I see it start to rise, I find it ready to shape.   My kitchen could be anywhere between 62° - 82°F and a dough ball on a big heavy cold plate is going to take a lot longer than one that I've nudged off onto a room temp plate so I go more by the feel of the dough than a specific time. 

I have a warming pad that heats to ~ 100°F and will put the plate on that, covered with an upended box to move things along if I'm short on time hungry. 

 

 

 

[ElsieD]

I am making Flammenkuchen tonight and whenever I have made it, I have had trouble with the dough.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  It's been in the fridge for a couple of days, I'll take it out 3 hours before I plan to make it and see if that helps me to shape it.  I have never tried to let it sit out for that long before.

[TdeV]

Well, I'm going to try 3.25 hours @ElsieD, maybe 3.5 hours. Let's report back!

[ElsieD]

7 minutes ago, TdeV said:

Well, I'm going to try 3.25 hours @ElsieD, maybe 3.5 hours. Let's report back!

 

Will do.

[AlaMoi]

... making Flammenkuchen tonight

 

if it's an unleavened dough, the time is much less critical.

unleavened is a hallmark of Flammkuchen - - - -

 

personally I don't do in in advance - unleavened, mix,  give it a hour - covered, room temp - to hydrate, commence the build....

 

done with yeast, if it starts rising you wind up squishing all the bubbles out when shaping....

so warm-up time would be more critical.

[IndyRob]

I use a 72 hour cold ferment and do find that 2 hours is not often long enough.  That said, it's not a problem as long as you're willing to be patient with the dough.

 

Ideally, you'll take the dough out of the fridge and re-ball it.  Then allow it to rest - covered - for at least 2 hours.

 

Then flour the ball and start to work it - starting by pressing the middle outwards and avoiding touching the edges at all costs.

 

If, at any point, the dough doesn't want to cooperate, just walk away for five minutes.  Then come back and continue stretching.  It's possible that after a little progress, the dough still won't want to cooperate.  Just walk away again.

 

Forcing the dough is the worst thing you can do.  But it's often amazing what a 5 minute rest can do.

[heidih]

37 minutes ago, IndyRob said:

I use a 72 hour cold ferment and do find that 2 hours is not often long enough.  That said, it's not a problem as long as you're willing to be patient with the dough.

 

Ideally, you'll take the dough out of the fridge and re-ball it.  Then allow it to rest - covered - for at least 2 hours.

 

Then flour the ball and start to work it - starting by pressing the middle outwards and avoiding touching the edges at all costs.

 

If, at any point, the dough doesn't want to cooperate, just walk away for five minutes.  Then come back and continue stretching.  It's possible that after a little progress, the dough still won't want to cooperate.  Just walk away again.

 

Forcing the dough is the worst thing you can do.  But it's often amazing what a 5 minute rest can do.

Right - no pounding into submission. I like to use heel of hand just to release the ball, rest as you noted covered with an overturned bowl, and then work not top down but with closed hands (that knuckle thing) from the underside. And then let the stretching begin. If it resists - give it another rest. It is a relationship

[scott123]

On 6/4/2021 at 8:01 PM, IndyRob said:

Ideally, you'll take the dough out of the fridge and re-ball it.  Then allow it to rest - covered - for at least 2 hours.

 

Balling dough activates a gargantuan amount of gluten- so much so that the dough will never fully relax in 2 hours.  Every dough is different, but, in general, you never want to re-ball dough within 6 hours of stretching it- and, even then, you don't want to re-ball cold dough, since cold dough loses its tackiness, which risks a pinch-shut that doesn't completely hold.

And, although rests can help stubborn dough, dough that's just barely rested enough to stretch won't give you the same oven spring as a more relaxed/extensible dough that was only balled once- prior to putting it in the fridge.

[scott123]

On 6/4/2021 at 11:22 AM, TdeV said:

Well, I'm going to try 3.25 hours @ElsieD, maybe 3.5 hours. Let's report back!

I'm assuming, from the radio silence, 3.25-3.5 hours was a success.  This being said... dough that fights you after a 2 hour warm up could indicate other issues beyond too short of a warm up.  Could you share your recipe?

[TdeV]

My original emergency dough produced this pizza. Then I was reminded of remarks received reacting to my more modern dough balls, which is what led to the questions on this thread.

 

I made a regular batch of dough, then refrigerated it for 3 full days, the first pizza was prepared last Friday (4 June) and the second last night (8 June).

 

June 4 the dough came out of the fridge to a plate on the counter after 2:30 p.m. The dough was  very soft and quite willing to be poked and shaped. I painted the shell with olive oil, including the edges, and then dusted that surface with garlic. The pizza was cooked at 6:15 ish for about 6-7 minutes. This gave the pizza very pleasing, crunchy edges. The toppings were poblano pepper, green onion, sliced pea pods, diced garlic scapes and sliced cilantro, with mozzarella, parmesan reggiano, and smoked gouda.

 

This was about as good as my pizzas get (below).

 

 

 

June 8 the dough came out of the fridge to a plate on the counter about 1:45 p.m. The dough was  much softer than it has been with a shorter rest time (out of the fridge). Again, I painted the shell with olive oil, including the edges, and then dusted that surface with garlic. This gave the pizza very pleasing, crunchy edges. I sprinkled a little parmesan on top of the shell, then laid all over with fresh dill spikes. This was topped with a little grated gruyère. Then toppings were poblano pepper, red bell pepper, green onion, sliced pea pods, diced garlic scapes, fresh goat cheese, and a bit more parmesan. The pizza was cooked at 6:15 ish for about 7-8 minutes.

 

Short of having a few too many vegetables on top, this was about as good as my pizzas get (below).

 

 

 

 

And the scrumptious dessert is over in the Dinner thread

 

 

Edited June 9, 2021 by TdeV
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