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Stage 3 - The long ferment and maturation (Appretto)

Writer: Hand of DoughHand of Dough

If there is one secret to making Neapolitan Pizza it is the length of the fermentation phase - anywhere between 12 and 24 hours. This results in the proper maturation of the dough which, improves the digestibility and workability of the dough and when baked, at a high heat (for a short period of time), delivers the typical light and chewy crust of a Napoli style pizza.


So, make sure your dough (panetti) are covered, put them away at room temperature (around 22c-25c), and the only thing you need to do in this stage is be patient.


The next day, your dough will have risen but the amount of the rise will be very variable - depending upon flour properties, water temperature, room temperature, humidity, hydration %, and the amount and type of yeast. You are looking for dough that is clean looking and not a gummy consistency. You need to experiment to adjust for your local conditions and ingredients, make detailed notes of every batch of dough you make, and iterate.


This is a good reminder that even though the pizza takes just a couple of minutes to cook in the oven, it is as far from fast food as you can get!




 
 

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