How to Toss Pizza Dough

Tossing pizza dough isn't just a way to show off your culinary skills. When you toss pizza dough instead of rolling it, you create a crust that is both more tender and more crisp. Also, the irregular nature of a hand-tossed pizza dough will make each bite a slightly different experience.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Prepare the pizza dough. You can toss any yeast-raised pizza dough made from white flour, so make your favorite recipe or purchase prepared dough. Allow the dough to rise according to the recipe. If it is frozen dough, defrost in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours or at room temperature for 2 hours.

2. Flour your work surface and shape the pizza dough. Place the ball of dough on the floured surface and dust with additional flour. Using your fingers and the heel of your hand, press out from the center of the dough to create a round 1/2-inch thick.

3. Lift your pizza dough and place it on the back of one hand. Shape your other hand into a gentle fist and place it right next to the first one.

4. Move your hands gently away from each other in a circular manner to stretch the dough. As you move them away from each other, rotate the dough.

5. Spin your pizza dough more quickly as the dough becomes thinner. Once the dough is about 1/4-inch thick, move your fists more quickly away from each other and your dough will flare out and spin.

6. Toss your dough in the air once you master spinning. Use the same method as for spinning, but use an upward movement to send the crust a few inches above your hands. Catch the dough gently with the backs of your open hands and continue spinning so the pizza dough does not rip or fall.

7. Set the dough down carefully on a prepared pizza stone or other baking pan. Top and bake.

Tips & Warnings

• Use approximately 2 cups of dough for each pizza crust, which makes a manageable crust to toss.
• It may be easier to toss the crust with one hand rather than both hands. Practice both ways to see which works for you.
• Whole-wheat crusts are likely to tear because they don't have enough gluten to make the dough stretchy. Try adding 1/8 to 1/4 cup gluten flour to your wheat crust for better results.

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