Dough – they’re made with flour and water, almost always with yeast, and salt – so what makes bread dough different from pizza dough? Let’s take a look at what separates bread dough vs. pizza dough!
Similarities between Pizza Dough vs Bread Dough
Ingredients
Although there are many variations that change ratios and/or add other ingredients, all pizzas and breads generally include flour, water, and yeast (sometimes wild yeast). Other than bread from Tuscany, you can generally expect them all to have salt as well.
Cooking
No surprise here – all of them are baked. Again, there are differences is methods (temperature in particular), but it’s universal. In fact, Daniele Uditi (Pizzana), author of Ricettario Vol. 1, said that when he grew up working in his parents kitchen, they would make pizza to make sure that the oven was at the right temperature for making bread!
Dough Hydration
It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that bread and pizza doughs can have varying levels of hydration. That’s essentially the ratio of water to flour – how moist the dough is.
The reason to increase the hydration is that the dough will get more stretchy and extensible. It also gets softer. And, one of the biggest reasons for high-hydration dough is because it will make the dough rise more and rise more quickly (the water gives the yeast a helping hand).
Firmer doughs of both types come from lower levels of hydration – generally about 60% water to flour (3 parts water to 5 parts flour by weight (that’s important). Super-fluffy doughs can be 100% – meaning equal parts water to flour – again by weight.
You’ll generally find thinner pizza crusts (like Neapolitan) made with lower hydration levels and poofy, pan pizzas made with higher hydration doughs (like Roman pizza, which is about 75%).
Bread dough, especially for artisanal loaves, tends to have higher hydration levels. This means the dough can be quite wet and sticky. High hydration levels results in an open crumb with large air pockets.
Dough Starters (Pre-Ferment)
Both pizza and bread can start from a starter. Sourdough is the most commonly known starter for breads. It is known for using wild yeast, rather than added yeast. There are other starters that use added yeast: Poolish, Biga, and Sponge.
Sourdough, Poolish, and Biga can all be used in both breads and pizzas to accelerate fermentation and thereby further develop flavor.
Starters are a world unto their own – for now, just know that they are used for both pizzas and breads.
Differences between Bread Dough vs. Pizza Dough
Differences in the Ingredients
As mentioned, the main ingredients in both bread dough and pizza dough are typically flour, water, yeast, and salt.
Yeast
One common difference between pizza dough and bread is in the amount of yeast. Generally, bread doughs will have more yeast in order to accelerate the fermentation because they are mostly made the same day as the dough is made. On the other hand, many pizza dough recipes will ferment for a day or more and therefore often use less yeast.
Flour Type & Protein Content
The type of flour used can significantly impact the texture and structure of the final product. Although both bread and pizza are often made with bread flour, pizzas are more commonly made with Type 00 (ultra fine) flour. Breads can be made with a variety of flours and it’s far more likely to find a whole wheat bread than a whole wheat pizza – although those exist too!
- Bread Dough: Typically, bread recipes call for bread flour, which has a higher protein content (around 12-14%). The increased protein helps form a strong gluten network, leading to a chewier texture and a loftier rise. This is ideal for bread that needs a good structure and volume.
- Pizza Dough: While many pizza recipes also use bread flour for a chewy crust, others might use all-purpose flour, which has a moderate protein content (around 10-12%). The choice depends on whether a crisp or chewy crust is desired. Some traditional pizza types, like Neapolitan, even have specific flour requirements.
Water (Hydration Level)
As discussed above, hydration, or the amount of water in the dough, plays a crucial role in the dough’s handling and the final product’s texture.
Sugar
Sugar is an ingredient that is very commonly used in bread to accelerate fermentation but sometimes for flavor or to promote browning. But some breads, like baguettes or ciabatta have no added sugar.
Pizza doughs will generally use sugar when they are being baked the same day again to accelerate fermentation. But a lot of pizza doughs ferment for a day or more and these generally do not include sugar.
Additional Ingredients
Other differences are found when additional ingredients are added.
Both pizza and bread may have oil added, which makes both styles of dough softer and more pliable. Same goes with seasonings. But breads can go quite a bit further with the addition of eggs, butter, seeds, corn, banana, nuts, cheese, olives….
And although you can certainly top bread, it’s a staple of pizza to have toppings baked on top!
Dough Kneading
Both bread and pizza doughs are kneaded in order to mix the ingredients but generally speaking, pizzas are done in shorter time for both stages than bread. Longer kneading times for pizza dough can result in the dough becoming more bread-like.
Bread kneading can also use special techniques like folding which affects the structure.
Stretching pizza dough is generally better done more gently to preserve bubbles in the dough, which is why many pizza chefs rebel against using a rolling pin.
Dough Rising/Proofing Time
Although recipes for both pizza and dough vary here, in general you’ll find more pizza recipes with proofing times of 24 hours or longer when compared to breads.
Bread recipes tend to favor baking the same day as they are prepared.
Conclusion:
While bread dough and pizza dough share foundational ingredients, the subtleties in their composition and preparation lead to distinct textures, flavors, and purposes. Understanding these differences can be helpful to ensure that you get the perfect bite in your morning toast and the ideal crunch in your evening pizza!
Bread dough vs. pizza dough!
Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.