Dough

[Gilbert_Van_Norman]

Sometimes I read posts on here, then want to post. After I write up the post, I get afraid that I will be bashed. But, then I decided to write this one, in hopes that I may be. I know that sounds like I’m into some type of weird practice. But, I feel that it may be the only way that I will find out what I am doing wrong.

Here goes!

My dough is made up of a mixture of water, flour, yeast, salt. I noticed that many of you put oil in. My question is what does the oil do, and how much should I add?

 

[Rick_G]

Here is a brochure I downloaded a couple of years ago from general mills discussing dough recipes. There is a great deal of info on the sites of the people that want us to buy their flour.

 

[rgjujitsu]

I think as long as you have done some research and aren’t asking people questions you could easily find the answers to alone that you should have the confidence to ask whatever you want. It’s the internet who cares who bashes you? Find the confidence!

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Gilbert;
No bashing done here. We’ve all been there at one time or another before and we’re all more than glad to helin any way possible. Oil is a functional ingredient in pizza dough for the following reasons:

1. It helps to entrap some of the flavors released during baking to provide a more rounded, complex flavored finished pizza.
2. It helps to improve the extensibility of the dough making it easier to shape into a pizza skin without having it tear.
3. It provides both mouthfeel and richness to the finished crust.
4. It plays to our “fat gene”, by this I mean that things with fat have a greater consumer preference than products made without fat.
5. It can also provide a level of tenderness to the finished crust thus reducing some of the tough, chewy characteristics common to certain types of pizza crusts.
6. Depending upon the type of oil added, it can contribute flavor to the finished crust.
7. It helps to coat the gas cells in the dough allowing for better gas retention and dough expansion properties so you can end up getting a more pronounced raised edge on the finished pizzas.
8. To some extent it might also improve the finished crust color too, by adding some depth to the color, getting away from that chalky color associated with very lean formulated crusts.
   As for the amount to use, many formulas will contain about 1 or 2% oil, but some will be found with 3 to 5% too. Many commercial crusts that are made for frozen pizzas have been found to contain as much as 16% oil/fat.
   Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor