A Departure From Tradition - Testing Jim Lahey's "No-Knead" Pizza Dough
Is it worth the hype? 🤨
Welcome to Behind The Crust - Good to have you here..!
This week, I put a viral pizza dough recipe to the test: the no-knead pizza dough that has been making waves in the pizza-making community. It's supposed to be a dream come true for those who prefer to put in little effort while enjoying maximum flavor.
Back in 2006, Jim Lahey, a renowned baker and founder of Sullivan Street Bakery, decided kneading was overrated. He popularized the no-knead dough in his book "My Bread," and let’s say… the pizza-making world hasn’t been the same since.
Instead of kneading your dough like it's a workout, Lahey showed us that time and a bit of patience could do the work for you. Promising to give us mere mortals a chance to create pizzeria quality pies without breaking a sweat.
But is it any good? Let's find out! 🧐
The Method
Simply combine all ingredients and give them a quick stir. (It's going to look like a shaggy mess, but that's cool.) Cover and let it sit for 12-18 hours while you binge-watch your favorite show or something. When you're ready, shape and bake it.
Easy right?
The Science
The secret behind this dough is time. Instead of kneading the dough, Lahey's method relies on extended fermentation to develop gluten; this lets enzymes do the heavy lifting. Over those long, lazy hours, the flour absorbs water, and the gluten forms on its own.
As the enzymes break down the complex proteins in the flour, they also help develop flavor, giving the dough a rich, nuanced taste. This extended fermentation not only creates a beautifully extensible dough but also helps with digestibility, making the final pizza crust easier on your stomach.
The Next Morning
I checked on the dough (definitely alive..), and it looked bubbly and well-fermented, with a surface full of small air pockets. A sure sign the fermentation had done its job.. 💪🏻
The dough had the distinct aroma of well-developed yeast. A bit tangy and full of promise for great flavor. The consistency was stickier than a toddler's hands after eating a lollipop (which is to be expected with a hydration of 70%).
This is where the stretch-and-fold technique comes in handy. Stretching and folding pizza dough is a simple but effective technique for building gluten strength without kneading.
Start by grabbing one edge of the dough and gently stretching it upwards, then fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl by 90 degrees and repeat the process on the remaining 3 sides of the dough. Place it seam side down in the bowl, cover, and let it rest for 15-30 minutes before repeating the process for 3-4 rounds.
This technique not only strengthens the gluten network, making the dough more elastic and easier to handle, but also helps to trap air, giving your final pizza crust a light and airy texture.
I did three rounds of stretch and fold with a rest of 30 minutes in between each round, and now look at those balls..🤭
Time to get your hands dirty..!
The Recipe
Here’s what you’ll need to make enough dough for 4 medium pizzas:
500 grams of flour (plus more for shaping the dough)
1 gram of active dry yeast
16 grams of fine sea salt
350 grams water
Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Don’t worry if it’s messy.. that’s the beauty of it.
Cover the bowl, and let it rest for 18 hours or until it has more than doubled. It will take longer in a chilly room and less in a warm one.
Dust a work surface with flour and transfer the dough onto it. If the dough is too sticky, perform some rounds of stretch and folds as described above, till the dough feels less sticky and firmer.
Cut the dough into four equal portions and shape each piece into a ball. Let the dough balls rest at room temperature until they have doubled in size and your are ready to go. 💪🏻
Pizza Wisdom
Use high-quality flour if you can. It really makes a difference. I recommend Caputo flour (type 'Pizzeria' or 'Nuvola') for best results.
If your dough seems too wet or dry, adjust with a touch more flour or water (start with about 10-15 grams). Trust your instincts.
Be gentle when shaping; you don’t want to bully your dough. Let it keep some air bubbles for a beautiful crust.
To achieve the best baking results, use a pizza oven like the Ooni Koda, it takes your pizza game to a whole new level! If that isn’t available, a pizza stone or steel works great too. If you’re in a pinch, place your pizza on a wire rack lined with parchment paper on the lowest position in your oven for a surprisingly good crust.
The Verdict
After putting this dough through its paces, here's the lowdown:
Ease of preparation: It's easier than convincing your drunk friends they don't need another slice.
Texture and Handling: With a few rounds of stretch and fold, it's smoother than a Barry White song and a dream to work with.
Baking results: Holy mother of pizza! The crust is soft, crunchy, and airy - it's the holy trinity of pizza crusts.
Final Slice
Jim Lahey's no-knead pizza dough is like the slacker genius of the pizza world. It's lazy, it's brilliant, and it produces results that'll make you question everything you thought you knew about pizza-making.
So, yes absolutely worth the hype..!
Next time you're craving a slice, give this method a shot. Just remember, patience is key. If all else fails, my quick and easy weeknight pizza dough recipe can save the day.. 😉
Now, if you'll excuse me, all this pizza talk has made me hungry.. I'm off to start a batch of dough for tomorrow's dinner.. or maybe breakfast..🤔🍕 Who says pizza can't be a breakfast food?
So get that oven on and bake something tasty!
Stay cheesy,
Filippo
🍕What other topics are you interested in? Drop me a line to let me know!