Using a spiral mixer is a game-changer for pizza dough, especially for those aiming for consistent, high-quality results. Let’s dive into why a spiral mixer is essential, the best practices for its use, and a foolproof recipe to get you started.
Why a Spiral Mixer?
Spiral mixers are designed to handle dough gently and efficiently, mimicking the motion of hand kneading. This ensures even mixing and gluten development without overheating the dough. Unlike planetary mixers, spiral mixers keep the dough cool, preventing yeast over-activation and maintaining dough integrity.
What is the ideal Capacity and Hydration?
Capacity: Choose a spiral mixer that fits your baking volume. For home use or small-scale operations, a 5-10 kg capacity is sufficient. For larger batches, consider a 20-30 kg capacity spiral mixer.
Hydration: Spiral mixers excel with high-hydration doughs (above 65%), making them perfect for achieving airy, light pizza crusts. They handle the stickiness of high-hydration doughs well, ensuring thorough mixing without additional flour.
How to manage Dough Temperature
One challenge with mixing dough is avoiding overheating, which can cause premature fermentation. Here’s how to keep your dough cool:
- Cold Water: Start with cold water to offset any heat generated during mixing.
- Short Mix Times: Use shorter mix times with intermittent rests to prevent the dough from heating up too much from the mixer
- Cool Environment: If possible, mix your dough in a cooler environment or add some ice cubes especially during warmer months.
Recipe: 72% Hydration Dough (20 Dough Balls of 290g with Poolish)
Ingredients:
- Poolish:
- 300g Molino Dallagiovanna flour (15% of total flour)
- 300g water (equal to the weight of flour in poolish)
- 6g Caputo dry yeast (2% of total flour)
- Final Dough:
- 1700g Molino Dallagiovanna flour
- 1320g water (72% hydration for total dough weight)
- 54g sea salt (2.5% of total flour weight)
- 4g Caputo Dry yeast
Instructions:
Prepare the Poolish:
- Mix 300g of Molino Dallagiovanna flour with 300g of water and 6g of Caputo dry yeast.
- Cover and let it ferment at room temperature for about 12-16 hours, or until bubbly and doubled in size.
Mix the Final Dough:
- In the spiral mixer, combine the remaining 1700g of flour with 1020g of water (hold back 300g of water for later).
- Mix on low speed until just combined, then let it rest for 20 minutes (autolyse).
- Add the poolish, 54g of salt, and the remaining 300g of water gradually while mixing on low speed.
- Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 6-8 minutes).
Fermentation:
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container and cover it.
- Let it ferment at room temperature for about 1 hour, then perform a stretch and fold. Repeat this process twice more over the next 2 hours.
Dividing and Shaping:
- Divide the ferment dough into 20 equal portions (about 290g each) after the last folding
- Shape each portion into a tight ball and place on a lightly floured surface.
- Cover and let them rest for another 2 hours at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 24 hours for a cold ferment.
Final Proofing and Baking:
- If refrigerated, let the dough balls come to room temperature before shaping.
- Preheat your oven to the highest setting with a pizza stone or steel inside.
- Shape each dough ball into a pizza, top with your favorite ingredients, and bake until the crust is golden and leopard-spotted (about 7-10 minutes).
To make the perfect dough, we recommend using Molino Dallagiovanna flour and Caputo dry yeast, available in our shop. These high-quality ingredients ensure consistent results and superior flavor.
By mastering the use of a spiral mixer and following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating pizza dough that rivals the best pizzerias. Happy baking!
