Why Won't My Pizza Dough Stretch? And How to Fix It

Dough tearing, shrinking back, refusing to stretch? It's the question we get more than any other. Alex once spent a Friday night making his dough alongside a customer, just to walk her through every step.

Good news: it almost always comes down to the same four things. Here's what's going on, and how to fix them.

1. It hasn't rested long enough

This is the most common one. Right after kneading, the gluten is tight. Stretch too soon and the dough resists, then springs back.

What we do: let it rest at least 1 to 2 hours at room temperature, or ideally 24 hours in the fridge. A slow ferment also brings more flavour.

2. It's too cold

Dough straight from the fridge is stiff and tears easily.

What we do: take your dough balls out of the fridge 2 to 4 hours before you stretch them, so they come back to room temperature.

3. It's too dry

Hydration is the ratio of water to flour. Dough that's too dry is brittle and hard to work with.

What we do: aim for 60 to 70% hydration. Our dough calculator gives you the exact amounts.

4. The gluten is too weak, or overworked

Gluten is what lets dough stretch. Under-kneaded, it's fragile. Over-kneaded, it gets tense and pulls back.

What we do: knead until the dough is smooth and supple, and no further. To check, do the windowpane test: stretch a small piece between your fingers. If it gets thin enough to let light through without tearing, it's ready.

By hand, it's easy to do too much or too little. A spiral mixer like the Halo Core or Halo Pro gives you the same knead from one batch to the next. Kneading times are in our Halo guide.

In short

Dough that won't stretch almost always has one of these four problems: not enough rest, too cold, too dry, or gluten that isn't developed right.

A good pizza flour also makes a big difference. And if it's still giving you trouble, write to us and we'll help you figure out what's wrong.