One secret to unlocking a perfectly crunchy, but also airy pizza dough? It's in the water. In the world of pizza-making, water is far from being just a mundane ingredient. It is a critical component that affects the dough's hydration, gluten development, flavor and fermentation.
Achieving the perfect balance of water in your pizza dough recipe can make a significant difference in the quality of your homemade pizza. Mountain Valley has a perfectly-balanced pH and purity that makes for a great dough, check out one of our favorite pizza recipes below.
Amanda Paa at Heartbeet Kitchen knows all about the importance of water in crafting the perfect pizza dough and uses Mountain Valley Spring Water in her recipe for Gluten-Free Detroit Style Pizza. She starts by activating the instant yeast with our premium spring water to give the crust the right amount of hydration for its magically crisp bottom and light, airy crumb. Amanda says she loves Mountain Valley Spring Water specifically for yeasted recipes because it ensures that the water is clean with a perfectly-balanced pH that guarantees success.
Gluten-Free Detroit Style Pizza
Ingredients:
- 205 grams Mountain Valley Spring Water, warmed to 110 to 115 degrees F
- 3/4 teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 230 grams Caputo gluten-free pizza flour
- 20 grams oat flour
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese
- Pizza sauce & Pepperoni
Directions:
- In a bowl, stir together the water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes. It will activate the yeast, turning a bit foamy and smelling yeasty.
- In another large bowl, mix together the pizza flour, oat flour, salt, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Pour in the yeast and water mixture, and stir with a spatula. Then knead with your hands for a minute or two and bring together into a ball and dough is smooth. It will feel slightly wet, and that's okay. Coat the sides of the bowl with a little olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 70-90 minutes (a little longer if it is colder in your home).
- Once the dough has risen, oil a metal baking dish about 9x9 or 8x10 (this is what I use) and place the dough inside. Pat dough out with hands, until even and all the way to sides. Cover with plastic wrap and preheat oven to 475 degrees F. While oven is preheating, let dough dough rise for another 35 minutes. Dimple dough with finger tips, going down to the bottom of the pan.
- Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, and then cheese, distributing all the way to edges of pan. Then top with diagonal lines of marinara sauce and pepperoni slices.
- Bake for 15 minutes on the bottom rack, then put on middle rack for another 10 to 15 minutes, until reaching golden brown bliss on top and bubbling sides with cheese.
- Remove from the oven, and run a knife along the edges to loosen the pizza from the pan. Use a spatula to help remove the pizza, then use a sharp knife to slice into 6 squares. Enjoy immediately.
Want more recipes featuring your favorite spring water? Check out our recipes section HERE.
