Soft Pizza with Water Roux

Ingredients

The flour blend combines the strength of strong type 1 bread flour (expansive gluten network) with re-milled durum wheat semolina (crunch and colour), wholemeal rye flour (flavour and absorption) and a portion of legume flour (extra protein and structure). The water roux pre-gelatinises 7% of the total flour, allowing the dough to reach 78% effective hydration without stickiness.

Flours and liquids

Water Roux allocation (ratio 1:5)

Autolisi allocation

Water Roux (Tangzhong)

1. In a small saucepan, combine the strong flour and water listed in the Water Roux table. Whisk cold until lump-free.
2. Place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, scraping the bottom.
3. When the mixture reaches 65 °C (thick pudding consistency; lines drawn with the spatula hold their shape briefly), remove from heat immediately. Approximate time: 3-5 minutes.
4. Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface and cool completely at room temperature or in the fridge. Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Why 65 °C: at this temperature the starch granules in wheat flour absorb water irreversibly, swell and release amylose into the surrounding solution. The resulting gel retains roughly twice the water compared to raw flour. During baking, the pre-gelatinised starch does not compete with gluten for free water, ensuring a more elastic gluten network and a moister, softer crumb.

Autolisi

1. In a large bowl, combine all remaining flours (strong, semolina, rye, legume).
2. Add the remaining water and the completely cooled water roux. Mix roughly with a spatula until no dry flour is visible.
3. Cover with cling film and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Autolisi allows the flour to hydrate passively and gluten to begin forming without mechanical work.

Kneading

1. Dissolve the fresh yeast in a tablespoon of lukewarm water (25 °C). Add it to the autolisi along with the salt and diastatic malt.
2. Knead for 3 minutes (by hand: slap-and-fold technique on the worktop; by machine: dough hook at speed 1).
3. Drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while continuing to knead for another 3-4 minutes. The dough should reach full gluten development: it pulls away from the bowl and, when gently stretched, forms a thin, translucent membrane (windowpane test).
4. Shape into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover.

Stretch and fold

1. Perform 3-4 sets of stretch and fold at 30-minute intervals.
2. For each set: with wet hands, grab one side of the dough, pull it upward and fold it over the centre. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat for all 4 sides.
3. After the last fold, the dough should be smooth, elastic and slightly domed.

Cold maturation

1. Transfer the dough to a sealed, oiled container (at least 3 times the dough volume).
2. Refrigerate at 4-6 °C for 24-48 hours. Cold maturation develops complex flavours (organic acids and higher alcohols) and improves digestibility by breaking down complex sugars.

Shaping and second rise

1. Remove the dough from the fridge. Gently tip it into a well-oiled baking tray (30x40 cm for 500 g, two trays for 1 kg).
2. With wet fingertips, spread the dough gently from the centre outward. Do not use a rolling pin: it crushes the bubbles and compromises the open crumb structure.
3. If the dough resists, cover and wait 10 minutes, then try again.
4. Cover the tray with cling film or a damp cloth. Let it rise for 90 minutes at room temperature (24-26 °C) until doubled in volume.

Baking

1. Preheat the static oven to 240 °C (or fan oven to 220 °C) with an empty tray on the lowest shelf.
2. Top the pizza as desired. For white pizza: just extra-virgin olive oil, coarse salt and rosemary; add wet toppings after baking.
3. Place the tray on the middle shelf. Pour half a cup of hot water into the empty tray below to create steam (promotes initial oven spring). Remove the steam tray after 5 minutes.
4. Bake 8-12 minutes total until evenly golden. If needed, switch to the grill for the last 2 minutes to brown the surface.
5. Remove and cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack before cutting.

Technical Notes

• Starch gelatinisation: between 60-65 °C, wheat starch granules absorb water, swell irreversibly and release amylose (linear component) and amylopectin (branched component) into the aqueous phase. The resulting gel acts as a molecular sponge that retains moisture during and after baking. Unlike raw flour, gelatinised starch does not retrograde quickly, delaying staling by 2-3 days.
• Ratio 1:5 (flour:water): the high ratio ensures sufficient excess water to fully hydrate all starch granules. Lower ratios (1:3) produce a denser gel that is harder to incorporate and less effective at retaining moisture.
• Strong flour (W300+): flour with 13-14.5% protein and a P/L index between 0.5-0.7 ensures a gluten network capable of retaining fermentation gases during long leavening. Examples: Caputo Saccorosso, Polselli Vivace, Molino Grassi Manitoba Bio type 1.
• Semolina at 25%: above this threshold the crumb becomes dense and crumbly because durum wheat gluten (short-chain glutenins) does not form expansive networks like common wheat.
• Legume flour (max 10%): chickpea and yellow pea flours contribute extra protein (20-25%) and a more stable open crumb. Above 10% they can impart bitterness and reduce extensibility.
• Diastatic malt: contains active amylases that break starch into fermentable sugars. For maturations over 48 hours, reduce to 0.5% to avoid a gummy crumb (excess dextrins).
• Storage: do not refrigerate baked pizza (fridge temperature of 4 °C accelerates amylopectin retrogradation). Store at room temperature covered with a cloth for the next day, or freeze immediately in portions.