Eggs can improve browning in your pizza crust, but does the cost outweigh the benefits? Although adding egg whites can yield a crispier crust, simply baking the pizza for a minute or so longer will usually give you the same results.
Antonino Esposito’s Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
500 cc water 2 lb strong flour 1 oz carry-over dough (a piece of dough preserved from a previously-made pizza dough) 1 ½ tbsp salt ½ tsp brewers yeast Half an egg Half teaspoon sugar One teaspoon lard
For the pizza dough
Dissolve the carry-over dough in a bowl with the brewers yeast, a little water and sugar.
Add ¼ of the flour, stir and then add salt.
Add ¼ more of the flour followed by the egg and lard then the rest of the flour, alternating with water. Stir until dough comes off the bowl.
Pour the dough on a lightly floured pastry board in the shape of a rectangle and fold it over itself a couple of times.
Form a brick with the dough and cover with a bowl. Let rest for 15 minutes.
Knead the dough again with your hands for about ten seconds, then fold it a couple of times and let it rest covered for another 15 minutes. Repeat this process two more times.
Divide the dough into five parts and form loaves. Place loaves a couple of cm apart and cover with a cloth.
Let rise overnight in a warm or temperature controlled place away from open air.
The trick for this stage? Use freshly greased plastic containers that allow the loaves to rise “vertically.”
After seven hours, transfer the loaves to the fridge or to a cool place.
Take them out one hour before using.
Shaping the dough with a bowl
Take a section of dough and work it with your fingers until you create a disc.
Take a large bowl (preferably a metal one) and turn it upside down.
Flour and place the dough on top of the bowl.
Start rolling out the dough by pushing it from the center to the outside of the bowl so that the disc widens.
Once you reach the desired width, transfer the dough back to the pastry board.
The right baking sheet for pizza
Made in the oven at home is the best. Esposito suggests a light non-stick pan so you don’t need oil and for quick and even distribution of heat. Its a perfect trick for a home oven that can’t reach the high temperatures of a wood-burning oven. Spread the dough in the pizza pan and let rest until doubled in volume.
Prick with a fork and transfer to the oven.
The rule for tomatoes: peeled only! The tomato you use must be peeled and the sauce must be prepared the day before.
The best choice is peeled San Marzano tomatoes because they have the right balance between water, pulp and seeds.
You must also crush them with your hands and season with oil, salt, crushed poached garlic and whole basil. Then let rest all night in the refrigerator.
You mean you don’t use tomato sauce? “The sauce is a meal in itself. Pizza is serious stuff!”
Cooking and seasoning the pizza Bake the pizza until it turns just golden-brown and then season with tomatoes.
Bake again. Three minutes from the end, remove it again and add the finely chopped mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese. When it comes out of the oven, remove the pizza from the pan and put it on a grill with extra-virgin olive oil and fresh basil.
Lastly, there is a major safety concern that must be addressed if you elect to use fresh eggs—the danger of salmonella poisoning. Even eggs with clean, uncracked shells can contain bacteria that lead to foodborne illness. It is much safer to use pasteurized, frozen egg products, but even then, precautions should be followed to prevent contamination.
A Pizza makers have been adding eggs, either whole eggs or egg whites, to their doughs for many years—and for different reasons. Whole eggs can provide better browning characteristics and, to some extent, even deliver a richer flavor. Egg whites have been added to improve the crispiness of the baked crust. In this regard, both perform well, but there are some drawbacks to their use that you’ll want to consider before running out and buying a case of eggs.
It is true that the addition of six large whole eggs (about 13.5 ounces) to 40 to 50 pounds of flour will improve the color of the baked pizzas to some extent, and the same can be said for the flavor. You’ll get a slightly richer taste, but that will be lost in baking due to the overpowering flavors of other common pizza ingredients. All things being equal, the crust color will be a little darker, but with the high cost of eggs, it is difficult to justify the expense when sugar and whey can be bought for much less.
Adding eggs to your dough can, indeed, help you get a crispier crust, but again, it carries with it a pretty hefty cost. Typically, 2% egg white is added to the dough to improve crispiness. This equates to one pound of egg white per 50 pounds of flour in the dough. But that added expense isn’t really necessary. In most cases, we have found that the overall crispiness of a crust can be improved by simply allowing the pizza to bake a minute or so longer—a very low-cost option!
This is How Eggs Affect Bread Dough | How to Use Eggs in Breadmaking
FAQ
What does egg yolk do to pizza dough?
What does adding egg to dough do?
Does egg taste good on pizza?
Can you put raw egg on pizza?
Do you add eggs to pizza dough?
A: Eggs, as either whole eggs or as egg whites, have been added to pizza dough for many years and for different reasons. Whole eggs can be added to the dough to provide better browning characteristics to the dough. To some extent, they also provide a richer flavor. Egg whites have been added to improve the crispiness of the baked crust.
Does pizza dough contain eggs?
While some pizzas do contain eggs, most pizza dough does not. In fact, the traditional ingredients for neapolitan pizza dough are simply flour, water, yeast, and salt. So why do some pizzas contain eggs? It turns out that eggs can provide a richer flavor and a smoother texture. However, they are not essential for making delicious pizza dough.
Do you add egg white to pizza dough?
Typically, 2 percent egg white has been added to the dough to improve crispiness. This equates to one-pound per 50 pounds of flour in the dough. In most cases, we have found that the overall crispiness of a crust can be improved upon by simply allowing the pizza to bake a minute or so longer (a very low-cost option).
Why do you add egg to bread?
Also, dries dough out; egg-rich doughs usually have a lot of sugar, which retains water to counteract the drying effect. The use depends on the recipe, but adding one egg to a typical loaf of bread adds enrichment without requiring the added sugar. Garlic: In small amounts, helps the yeast, and make dough easier to roll.