Pizza Troubleshooting

Symptoms

• •Dough sticks to hands and counter
• •Can't shape into balls
• •Tears when stretched

Likely Causes

• →Hydration too high for your flour
• →Under-kneaded (gluten not developed)
• →Too warm — warm dough is stickier

Solutions

• ✓Add flour 10g at a time while kneading (don't dump)
• ✓Knead longer — 10 min minimum for most styles
• ✓Wet your hands instead of adding flour
• ✓Refrigerate for 30 min to firm up, then try again

Symptoms

• •No volume change after hours
• •Dense, flat dough
• •No bubbles visible

Likely Causes

• →Dead yeast (expired or killed by hot water)
• →Kitchen too cold (below 65°F slows yeast significantly)
• →Too much salt touching yeast directly

Solutions

• ✓Test yeast: dissolve in warm water (100-110°F) with a pinch of sugar — should foam in 10 min
• ✓Move to warmer spot (top of fridge, inside oven with light on)
• ✓Proof longer — cold kitchens can double rise times
• ✓Don't let salt contact yeast directly when mixing

Symptoms

• •Rips instead of stretching thin
• •Holes appear immediately
• •Springs back aggressively

Likely Causes

• →Not enough gluten development (under-kneaded)
• →Dough too cold (tight gluten)
• →Not enough rest time after balling

Solutions

• ✓Let dough sit at room temp for 30+ min after balling
• ✓If it springs back, cover it and wait 15 min — then try again
• ✓Knead more next time (or do more stretch-and-folds for sourdough)
• ✓Higher hydration helps extensibility — try 65%+ next time

Symptoms

• •Crust is thick and bready
• •No air pockets or bubbles
• •Heavy mouthfeel

Likely Causes

• →Over-handling during shaping (degassed the dough)
• →Under-proofed (not enough rise time)
• →Rolled with rolling pin (pushes out all gas)

Solutions

• ✓Shape by hand — never use a rolling pin for Neapolitan or NY
• ✓Leave a thicker edge (cornicione) — don't press the rim flat
• ✓Proof longer before shaping
• ✓Handle dough gently — every touch pops bubbles

Symptoms

• •Dough is flat and doesn't hold shape
• •Extremely soft and jiggly
• •Smells sour or alcoholic

Likely Causes

• →Left too long at room temperature
• →Too much yeast for the fermentation time
• →Forgot about it (it happens)

Solutions

• ✓Reshape and give a short 20-30 min proof — sometimes recoverable
• ✓Next time, use less yeast OR do a cold ferment in the fridge
• ✓If it smells strongly of alcohol, it's too far gone — start over
• ✓Use our calculator to match yeast amount to your timeline

Symptoms

• •Bottom is black before toppings cook
• •Charred underside with raw cheese
• •Smoke from the bottom

Likely Causes

• →Stone/steel too hot relative to air temp
• →Pizza sat too long without rotating
• →Flour on peel burning on the stone

Solutions

• ✓Lower stone temperature — in a home oven, try a lower rack position
• ✓Use semolina instead of flour on the peel (higher burn point)
• ✓In a pizza oven, rotate every 20-30 seconds
• ✓For home ovens, move to a higher rack for the last 2 min to finish top

Symptoms

• •Edge is done but center is undercooked
• •Soggy middle
• •Dough in center looks wet

Likely Causes

• →Too many wet toppings (excess sauce, fresh mozzarella water)
• →Oven not hot enough
• →Pizza too thick in center

Solutions

• ✓Drain fresh mozzarella and pat dry before topping
• ✓Use less sauce — 2-3 tablespoons for a 12" pizza
• ✓Preheat stone/steel for at least 45-60 min in home oven
• ✓Stretch dough thinner in the center, thicker at edges

Symptoms

• •Crust is uniformly pale or golden
• •No charred spots
• •Looks like bread, not pizza

Likely Causes

• →Temperature too low (need 800°F+ for leopard spotting)
• →Dough needs longer fermentation (more sugars for browning)
• →Home oven can't reach needed temps

Solutions

• ✓Use a pizza oven (800°F+) — home ovens can't replicate this
• ✓Longer cold ferment (24-48h) develops more sugars for browning
• ✓In home oven: use broiler for last 2-3 min to char the top
• ✓A baking steel + max oven temp + broiler is the home oven workaround

Symptoms

• •Pizza is floppy and wet
• •Won't hold its shape when picked up
• •Pooling liquid on top

Likely Causes

• →Too much sauce or wet toppings
• →Fresh mozzarella not drained
• →Under-baked (pulled too early)

Solutions

• ✓Drain and pat dry all wet toppings (mozzarella, tomatoes, vegetables)
• ✓Pre-cook watery vegetables (mushrooms, peppers, spinach)
• ✓Add fresh ingredients like basil AFTER baking
• ✓Bake longer — a properly baked pizza should be rigid, not floppy

Symptoms

• •One half of pizza chars while other is pale
• •Hot spots and cold spots
• •Need to rotate constantly

Likely Causes

• →Single burner creates natural hot zone
• →Stone not preheated evenly
• →Oven not designed for even distribution

Solutions

• ✓Rotate pizza 90° every 20-30 seconds in a pizza oven
• ✓Preheat for full recommended time (stones absorb heat slowly)
• ✓In home oven, use convection fan if available
• ✓Consider a rotating stone accessory (available for some ovens)

Symptoms

• •Black smoke pouring from oven
• •Food tastes bitter/sooty
• •Neighbors complaining

Likely Causes

• →Leftover flour/food burning on the stone
• →Wood not dry enough (if wood-fired)
• →Grease dripping onto heating elements

Solutions

• ✓Run oven at max temp for 30 min to burn off residue (self-clean)
• ✓Use only kiln-dried hardwood — no softwood, no treated wood
• ✓Scrape stone with a brush between cooks
• ✓In electric ovens, ensure good ventilation (hood or open window)

Symptoms

• •Stone never seems to reach target temp
• •First pizza cooks unevenly
• •Second pizza cooks better than first

Likely Causes

• →Stone not getting enough time to saturate with heat
• →Wind cooling the oven (outdoor ovens)
• →Low fuel pressure (gas) or low pellet feed (pellet)

Solutions

• ✓Preheat 30-50% longer than the manual says (stone needs to saturate, not just air)
• ✓Use a wind guard or position oven out of direct wind
• ✓Check propane tank level — low tanks have reduced pressure
• ✓Get an infrared thermometer to measure actual stone temp, not air temp