Techniques
Purpose, method, risks, and alternatives for each technique — not just instructions.
Mixing and kneading
Autolyse
A pre-mix rest of flour and water that jump-starts gluten development before kneading begins in earnest.
Bassinage
A staged water-addition technique that lets very high-hydration doughs develop structure before taking on their final water content.
Kneading
The foundational manual or mechanical technique for developing dough structure through repeated stretching and folding.
Slap and fold
A vigorous hand-kneading technique suited to very wet doughs that are too sticky to knead on a floured board.
Fermentation management
Shaping
Balling
Dividing and shaping bulk dough into individual smooth-skinned balls ahead of their final fermentation.
Opening the dough
The hand-shaping technique that opens a dough ball into a disc while deliberately preserving an untouched rim for baking.
Hand stretching
A gravity-assisted stretching technique for enlarging dough evenly without a rolling pin, common to most hand-tossed round styles.
Rolling pin shaping
A pin-based shaping method giving even thickness and precise shape at the cost of some of the airiness hand-stretching preserves.
Docking
A perforation technique used to keep thin, cracker-like crusts flat rather than letting them puff unevenly.
Baking and launching
Par-baking
A two-stage bake that gives the base a structural head start before wetter or heavier toppings go on.
Launching (with a peel)
The peel technique for transferring an uncooked pizza into the oven, where sticking is the most common failure point.
Turning the pizza
Regular rotation during a short, high-heat bake to compensate for the uneven, directional heat typical of wood-fired ovens.