Dough tears when stretching
Affects qualityMost often a temperature problem (dough shaped too cold), not a fundamentally flawed dough.
Ask yourself
- Has the dough rested at room temperature after coming out of the fridge?
- Is the dough under-fermented or over-worked?
Likely causes
- #1
Dough shaped cold, straight from the refrigerator
Strongly supportedCold dough is tight and inextensible; resting at room temperature relaxes gluten enough to stretch without tearing.
- #2
Under-fermented dough with weak gas structure
Generally acceptedA dough that hasn't fermented long enough lacks the gas-filled structure that helps it stretch evenly.
- #3
Thin spots stretched unevenly
Generally acceptedConcentrating stretching force on one area rather than working evenly around the disc creates weak points.
Rescue it now
Let the dough rest 20-40 minutes at room temperature before trying again, and patch small tears by pinching the dough back together
Prevent it next time
Always temper cold dough before shaping, and stretch evenly, working around the whole circumference