Top Secret #3

The third top secret will make pressing out your dough so EASY that you’ll want to make pizza EVERY DAY!

And the third top secret is… BRING YOUR DOUGH UP TO ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE YOU PRESS IT OUT INTO PIZZA SHAPE.

If you take the dough out of the refrigerator and try to press it out when it’s cold, the dough will be too “tight” and very difficult, if not impossible, to press out.

But if you wait until the dough is at room temperature or close to it, it’ll be MUCH EASIER to press out.

Generally, this means taking the dough out of the fridge at least 2 or 3 hours before you need to press it out. If it’s in the freezer, take it out first thing in the morning if you need to press it out for supper pizza.

Caution Number 1: Don’t “work the dough too much, because it can become “tight” and tough to work again, even at room temperature.  When you work the dough too much, the gluten starts to develop tighter bonds.  It can take HOURS to loosen up again!

Caution Number 2: Do NOT use a rolling pin to roll out the dough.  Rolling out the dough squeezes all the air out of the dough and results in an inferior crust.

This is the easiest way:  Just press the dough out into whatever shape you want.  Mine usually begin as circles and wind up in the shape of Texas,

Ohio, Massachusetts, or some other state.

Floured surface vs oiled surface. In these photos I used a floured surface, which is easier for 2 reasons.  First, the floured surface keeps the dough from sticking, but doesn’t make it so slippery that it keeps shrinking back.  Second, the floured surface is easier to clean up.

If you prefer an oiled surface, or you want to make the floured surface even easier to clean up, I recommend using a pizza pan.