How To Stretch Neapolitan Pizza Dough | Easy Way To Shape Pizza ...

Stretching pizza dough

The shaping of a pizza is basically done by stretching the dough into a thin, round shape by hand. There are a many different ways to stretch pizza dough but in this article I’m going to show you a really easy way.

Not only is this way of stretching pizza dough really easy, it also makes an Authentic Neapolitan pizza. The shaping is arguably the most difficult part of the pizza making process and makes such a huge difference to the quality of the pizza.

The shaping affects the way in which the pizza cooks, as well as providing an excellent texture to the pizza. Contrary to what many people believe, shaping the pizza doesn’t just make it look nice!

In case you missed the other parts of this series, feel free to check them out below:

• Part 1 on mixing the dough by hand
• Part 2 on kneading the dough by hand
• Part 3 on using the windowpane method to test the dough
• Part 4 on shaping the dough balls
• Part 5 on preparing the toppings

Once we’ve got our dough ready, we’re ready for the final part before cooking – stretching the pizza!

Keep reading to find out all about stretching. I think it’s possibly the most important step and one of the most overlooked. Don’t miss the details!

If you do want to skip ahead, you can use the page contents below. Also, you can come back to the page contents at any time by pressing the green button at the top right of the screen.

Page Contents

• The video – stretching pizza
• Is it better to roll or stretch pizza dough?
• Shaping Neapolitan pizza
• How to stretch pizza dough evenly
• How to stretch pizza dough without breaking
• How to fix pizza dough that won’t stretch
  • Take more time to stretch the dough carefully
  • Settle for a slightly thicker pizza
  • Quickly move the shaped pizza into the oven
  • Shape the pizza on the peel
• The Recipe
• Comments

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How to shape pizza dough by hand video

In the video below I show you an easy and authentic way to shape pizza by hand. There are a few keys to this method and the quality of the pizza depends largely on the attention to detail. It may seem difficult to start with but it becomes really easy once you’ve done it a few times.

When you get the hang of this technique you should be able to shape a pizza in about 30 secoonds or less! If you’re ready to go, feel free to click here to jump to the recipe .

Is it better to roll or stretch pizza dough?

In general, pizza should be stretched rather than rolled. Unlike pasta dough, pizza dough contains yeast (a leavened dough) which allows air pockets to develop in the dough.

These air pockets are what makes for the wonderfully light texture to the pizza. As the pizza cooks, especially at high temperatures, the air pockets expand.

Rolling pizza dough removes a lot of the air that developed during proofing. There are some pizza styles which require rolling but the vast majority of pizzas are hand stretched without a rolling pin.

Shaping Neapolitan pizza

Being the most traditional pizza, Neapolitan pizza is shaped by hand. The classic shape is round, very thin in the middle, with quite thick crusts. The crusts are light and airy due to the long prove and delicate shaping.

The key to achieving the classic Neapolitan pizza shape is to move as much air as possible from the middle of the dough to the edge (the crust). This forms the crust. Once the crust is formed, the pizza can be gently stretched until it is thin in the middle.

The easiest way to form the crust is by using the finger tips. Overlap the index fingers to achieve the shape shown below:

From there, you don’t need to move your fingers or wrists at all. Simply use your arms to press the air to the outside of your pizza dough.

Turn the dough regularly, repeating the process. This should set up the perfect Neapolitan pizza shape.

How to stretch pizza dough evenly

Once a nice round shape has been established and the crust has been formed, we can move onto stretching the pizza dough.

The most authentic, and in my view, easiest way is called the “slap” technique.

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With one hand, hold the pizza down to the counter. With the other hand, stretch gently outwards.

Using the same hand, flip the dough onto your other hand.

In one motion, rotate the dough 90 degree whilst flipping the dough back over.

Repeat this process until you have achieved the desired thickness (quite thin). Stretching very gently and turning often ensures that we stretch the dough evely.

Try not to remove any air from the crusts during shaping but don’t worry if they shrink a little. They will expand as they cook in the oven.

How to stretch pizza dough without breaking

Pizza dough breaking easily during stretching could be a sign of an underdeveloped dough. If your dough hasn’t been kneaded well enough, it will lack gluten development.

It is the gluten that gives pizza dough most of it’s strength, preventing it from breaking. However, if your pizza dough passed the windowpane test then this is unlikely to be the issue.

It is also possible that your dough is overproofed. A properly proofed dough should have doubled in size and be full of little bubbles. It should be soft and easy to stretch, but equally quite strong.

However, dough does lose some strength as it proves. A dough that is overproved will have contracted and will be difficult to stretch. If it does stretch, it will have a tendancy to break.

It is important to develop a feel for the dough, which will happen over time. Be careful when stretching to avoid your dough breaking. Try to work quickly but with soft hands.

How to fix pizza dough that won’t stretch

Of course, the best way to avoid shaping issues is to start off with a perfect dough. But most of the time, we might notice there is an issue when it’s too late. But don’t worry, good results can still be achieved with less than great dough.

At this stage, it is generally too late to fix the problem. So rather than trying to fix the pizza dough, I recommend the following steps during shaping:

Take more time to stretch the dough carefully

If it feels like your dough is difficult to work with, take more time during stretching. You may be able to patch up a small tear but in general, once a pizza breaks it is no good.

Don’t be tempted to load a ripped pizza into the oven. Cheese will probably leak onto your stone, burning it, and possibly even breaking it!

Stretch the dough gently and turn it often. This should help to achieve a good shape without risking any tears. Once you get good at it you should be able to do it quickly yet gently.

Settle for a slightly thicker pizza

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve a thin pizza with weak dough. However, you can still make a nice pizza, even if it is a little thicker than ideal.

Make the pizza as thin as you think you can before it tips but don’t go too far. If you are unsure, then stop strecthing. A pizza that is slightly too thick is better than one that is ripped.

Quickly move the shaped pizza into the oven

Everytime you shape a pizza, you should add the toppings quickly and move it onto the peel as soon as possible. A stretched pizza left on the bench will stick after a short time. Once moved, this pizza will stretch again and may tear.

When working with weaker pizza dough, it is even more important to get your pizza on the peel and into the oven as soon as possible. The quicker we can get the pizza in, the less chance there is of it breaking.

Shape the pizza on the peel

If you are worried that your pizza may rip when transferring it onto the peel, don’t worry. One option is to shape the pizza on the peel itself. Whilst this method is not traditional, it is generally safer.

You will likely end up with a thicker pizza doing this. But as mentioned earlier, this is probably for the best anyway, given the weak dough.