Pizza dough with sand paper texture?
Every time I have had a really good pizza (usually in Italy for some reason) there's one thing that stand out more than anything else and that's the crust. What I have noticed about those really good pizzas is that the crust have a very rough texture, almost like sand paper. I have tried to find a picture of this but it's hard to find any. This was the best I could find now:
You see all those white spots? (They are all over the pizza, not only on the bottom like in this picture) What are they and why do only a few pizzas have them? Is it a special kind of flour in the dough? Is it some other secret ingredient? Every time I see a pizza with this texture I know it will be a good one. Note: It's not just dusted with flour. It seem to be embedded and part of the dough.
Best Answer
Oftentimes, semolina is spread on the peel so that the pizza will slide off (known as launching). That could cause this phenomenon.
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What is the grainy stuff on pizza?
That's cornmeal, hands down. The main reason you sprinkle cornmeal or flour onto the bottom of your pizza tray or pizza stone is so that it will stick to the bottom of the pizza dough. This way when it cooks it won't stick to the pan.What should the texture of pizza dough be?
Your dough will be shaggy and lumpy to begin with, but once you've kneaded it for a while it should be smooth and slightly tacky to touch. If your dough holds it shape and doesn't ooze or sag when you hold it up, that's another good sign that your dough is well kneaded.What is sand on pizza?
That's semolina or cornmeal, and it's used to help the pizza slide off the peel.What is the secret to a chewy pizza crust?
Bread flour helps to give pizza that pleasing chewy texture, and instant yeast lets you skip the step you find in many recipes for proofing the yeast in water ahead of time. I strongly recommend applying your toppings with a light hand.How To Make Pizza Dough At Home - 63% Hydration - Secrets Revealed
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Answer 2
That's semolina or cornmeal, and it's used to help the pizza slide off the peel. However, there's a bit of a correlation/causation issue here. The semolina/cornmeal doesn't add much to the flavor, but it's presence indicates the pizza was likely cooked in a hot brick oven or on a hot baking stone. When pizza is cooked in a pan, a think layer of oil is generally used to avoid sticking.
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Images: Jess Loiterton, Pierre-Antoine Caisso, RODNAE Productions, Edward Eyer