Pizza Dough Enhancers: Boost Your Pizza Dough Flavor!

By: the PROs

Pizza Dough Enhancers: Boost Your Pizza Dough Flavor!

Improve the Flavor and the Structure of your Pizza Crust

Pizza Dough Enhancers

If you’re on a quest to achieve that perfect, restaurant-quality homemade pizza, you’ve landed on the right post. Today, we’re going to delve into the world of pizza dough enhancers, secret ingredients that can elevate your pizza dough to the next level.

Whether you’re aiming for a crisp, thin crust, a fluffy, chewy Neapolitan-style dough, or a deep-dish style dough with an airy crumb, the right pizza dough enhancer can be a game-changer.

So, let’s put our aprons on, gather our ingredients, and explore how you can make your homemade pizza dough even more delicious.

We will provide a list of pizza additives and how you can use them to get the taste and the volume you want and impress your friend and family.

Let’s get started!

Key Takeaways

How to Choose Cheese for Pizza

Dough Enhancers Elevate Your Pizza Game: These secret ingredients can improve the texture, flavor, rise, and browning of your pizza dough, making a good pizza even better.

Yeast, Gluten, and More: Common pizza dough enhancers include yeast, vital wheat gluten, diastatic malt powder, ascorbic acid, fats like olive oil, and commercial dough conditioners. Each has a unique impact on your pizza dough.

Choose the Right Enhancer: The best dough enhancer depends on your pizza style, the type of flour you’re using, your desired crust color, and ease of handling. It may take some experimentation to find your perfect match.

Troubleshoot with Ease: If you encounter issues like sticky or dry dough, poor rise, inadequate browning, or difficulty in stretching, don’t worry! There are fixes for these common problems, and remember, practice makes perfect.

Understanding Dough Enhancers

A dough enhancer, also known as a bread improver, is an ingredient or combination of ingredients added to bread dough to strengthen its texture and enhance its overall quality. In the context of pizza, dough enhancers work to improve the taste, texture, crust, and rise of the dough. They help create the ideal base for your toppings, a base that’s just as delicious and critical to the pizza experience as the toppings themselves.

Types of Dough Enhancers

Pizza dough enhancers can be divided into two main categories: natural and commercial.

Natural Dough Enhancers

Natural enhancers include ingredients like yeast, fats (such as olive oil or butter), eggs, and dairy products like milk and buttermilk. These ingredients can directly influence the flavor and texture of your pizza dough, as well as its ability to rise.

Commercial Eough Enhancers

Commercial pizza dough enhancers, on the other hand, include ingredients like ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vital wheat gluten, and dough conditioners like L-cysteine. These enhancers are often used in commercial baking to extend shelf life, improve texture, and increase dough strength and elasticity. While home bakers may not need to worry about shelf life, these enhancers can still have a beneficial impact on the texture and rise of your homemade pizza dough.

Homemade or DIY Dough Enhancers

There’s also a third category we can consider: homemade or DIY dough enhancers. These might include preferments like poolish or biga (mixtures of flour, water, and yeast that are allowed to ferment before being added to the dough) and sourdough starters. They can add complexity to the flavor of your dough and can also improve its texture and rise.

It’s important to note that not every pizza dough requires enhancers. Some pizza styles, especially those with simple, thin crusts, might only need a basic mixture of flour, water, yeast, and salt. But for home bakers looking to experiment or achieve a specific texture or flavor, dough enhancers can be an excellent tool in your pizza-making arsenal.

Common Pizza Dough Enhancers

Let’s delve into the specifics of some common pizza dough enhancers that you might consider using in your pizza dough. Each enhancer brings its unique properties to the dough, influencing taste, texture, or the ability of the dough to rise effectively.

  1. Yeast: Yeast is a fundamental ingredient in most pizza dough recipes and acts as a natural dough enhancer. It ferments the sugars in the dough, producing carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. This gas gets trapped within the web of gluten strands in the dough, causing it to rise and creating that light, airy texture we love in pizza crust.
  2. Vital Wheat Gluten: This is the natural protein found in wheat, and adding extra Vital Wheat Gluten to your dough can increase its elasticity and rise. It’s especially helpful when working with whole-grain flours that naturally have less gluten.
  3. Diastatic Malt Powder: Made from barley, diastatic malt powder is rich in amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into sugar. This provides the yeast with more food to ferment, resulting in better rise and a beautifully browned crust.
  4. Ascorbic Acid: Also known as vitamin C, ascorbic acid is used in tiny amounts to strengthen the gluten network in the dough. This results in a dough that’s easier to handle and that rises better.
  5. Fats (like Olive Oil): Olive oil, or other fats like butter or lard, can tenderize your dough, making it easier to shape and adding richness to the flavor. They also help to crisp up the crust in the oven.
  6. Dough Conditioners: These are typically used in commercial baking but can be used at home as well. Examples include ingredients like L-cysteine, which relaxes the gluten in the dough, making it more stretchable and less likely to tear. Another conditioner is sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL), which can increase dough strength, mixing tolerance, and volume.

Remember, the use of these enhancers should be attuned to the kind of pizza you are aiming for. Pizza dough enhancers that work wonderfully for a thick, fluffy deep-dish pizza crust might not be the same ones you’d choose for a thin, crisp New York-style crust. Experimentation is key to finding the perfect enhancer for your favorite pizza style.

Effects of Pizza Dough Enhancers

Now that we’ve explored some of the common pizza dough enhancers, let’s look at the specific effects they can have on your pizza dough:

  1. Yeast: Yeast is responsible for the fermentation process that makes your dough rise. The resulting carbon dioxide gas bubbles are what give your pizza crust its airy, chewy texture. Yeast also contributes to the flavor of the dough, providing a subtle tanginess.
  2. Vital Wheat Gluten: Adding vital wheat gluten can enhance the strength and elasticity of your dough. It allows the dough to hold onto the carbon dioxide bubbles produced during fermentation, leading to a higher rise and a chewier texture.
  3. Diastatic Malt Powder: The enzymes in diastatic malt powder break down the starches in your dough into simpler sugars. These sugars not only provide more food for your yeast (leading to better rise) but also contribute to the Maillard reaction during baking, which results in a beautifully browned crust.
  4. Ascorbic Acid: A small amount of ascorbic acid can strengthen the gluten network in your dough, making it more resilient and better able to hold onto gas bubbles. This leads to a dough that rises better and has a more open crumb structure.
  5. Fats (like Olive Oil): Adding fats to your dough tenderizes it, making it easier to handle and shape. Fats also contribute to the flavor of your dough and can help to crisp up the crust during baking.
  6. Dough Conditioners: These can affect your dough in a variety of ways, depending on the specific conditioner used. For example, L-cysteine can relax the gluten in your dough, making it easier to stretch and shape, while sodium stearoyl lactylate can increase dough strength and volume.

How to Choose the Right Pizza Dough Enhancer

Choosing the right pizza dough enhancer ultimately depends on the type of pizza you’re aiming for and the flour you’re using. Here are a few factors to consider:

Pizza Style

If you’re making a thin, crisp Roman-style pizza, you might not need any enhancers beyond the basic yeast. But if you’re aiming for a thick, fluffy Neapolitan-style pizza, you might want to experiment with enhancers like vital wheat gluten or dough conditioners.

Flour Type

If you’re using high-protein bread flour, you may not need to add extra gluten. But if you’re using lower-protein flour (like all-purpose flour) or whole-grain flour, adding some vital wheat gluten can help to improve the structure and rise of your dough.

Desired Crust Color

If you want a beautifully browned crust, consider using an pizza dough enhancer like diastatic malt powder. The additional sugars provided by the malt powder contribute to the Maillard reaction, which is responsible for browning.

Ease of Handling

If you’re finding your dough difficult to stretch or shape, consider using a dough conditioner like L-cysteine. This can relax the gluten in your dough, making it more stretchable and less likely to tear.

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to pizza dough enhancers. It’s all about experimenting and finding what works best for you and your pizza.

Pizza Dough Flavor

While dough may be used in its simplest form without any added flavors, pizza dough may taste bland if it’s not left to rest for enough time.

The pizza dough flavor comes from allowing the yeast to ferment for 8 to 72 hours. The longer it rests, the stronger the flavor will be.

However, what if you don’t like the yeast’s “sour” flavor or don’t have time to let the dough rest for an extended period?

Then, seasoning pizza dough is the best way to go about it. Your pizza will turn out amazingly the best. People will love you for your pizza.

Pizza Dough Structure

The structure and the volume of your dough will depend on the yeast and the time it is allowed to rest. Kneading will also determine the formation of the gluten structure.

You will discover some additives that will help you either support and extend the gluten development from the yeast or additives you can use to substitute yeast in your recipe completely.

The best thing is that these additives can be used with homemade or store-bought dough for both savory and sweet doughs.

Dry out different flavors when you prepare a pizza to gain more experience.

What is Pizza Dough Flavor?

Pizza dough flavor is any additive added to a pizza dough recipe to improve or denote any particular taste.

How to Add Pizza Dough Flavor

Adding flavor to pizza dough depends on the level of taste you want. Pizza dough tastes bland, especially when the crust flavor is low. However, you can improve your crust’s taste by adding flavors such as spices or mixed herbs; the flavor will be generated from the topping.

When adding flavor to your pizza dough, add your flavors before adding water. Pizza flavors need to mix well without one flavor outdoing the other. It is up to you to add the flavors you want.

Why Do You Need Pizza Dough Additives?

Most people like their pizza recipes as natural as possible. However, adding some additives here and there to your dough to prevent it from tasting bland is no harm. Dough additives enhance the taste and structure of your pizza crust.

Dough Enhancer vs. Dough Conditioner

Dough enhancers and dough conditioners are both used to improve the quality of breads and pizza dough, but they serve different functions and are used in different contexts.

A dough enhancer is a broad term that covers any ingredient added to the dough to improve its strength, texture, flavor, or rise. This can include natural ingredients like yeast and olive oil, as well as commercial ingredients like ascorbic acid and vital wheat gluten.

On the other hand, a dough conditioner is a type of commercial dough enhancer, typically used in professional or industrial baking. Conditioners like L-cysteine and sodium stearoyl lactylate work to alter the dough’s gluten structure, making it easier to handle, increasing its volume and shelf-life, and sometimes improving its flavor. While not as commonly used in home baking, adventurous home pizza makers can certainly experiment with these conditioners to achieve specific dough characteristics.

Dough enhancers or dough conditioners (improvers) facilitate and sometimes accelerate the pizza-making process.

When it comes to taste, flavoring pizza dough can be accomplished by adding any baking ingredient that can improve the dough’s making, taste, and consistency.

The reactions during the dough-making process will depend on the ingredients you will use.

Any additions to your pizza dough apart from water, flour, and yeast can be called dough conditioners. Dough conditioners can be manufactured commercially.

Dough enhancers and dough conditioners are different, although they serve the same purpose.

They are all used to speed up the dough process and give consistent results. Dough conditioner is also referred to as a flour treatment agent or an improving agent.

Here is a list of several additives you can use when making your pizza dough recipe.

Pro Tip

When adding any additive or enhancer to pizza dough, always consider how it will affect your baker’s percentage ratio. When adding dry enhancers to the dough, always add them to the flour and consider the flour’s total weight, including the additive. Any additives should be added before adding the water or liquid.

Additives to Add Pizza Dough Flavor

Additives you can add to improve or enhance pizza crust flavor.

Press the Image for More Information:

Asiago or Parmesan Cheese

Parmigiano Reggiano parmesan cheese
Asiago or Parmesan Cheese

What Does Asiago or Parmesan Cheese Do to Pizza Dough?

Everything just tastes better with butter. Butter is used to give lubricate gluten and to increase the volume of your dough. At the same time, it provides the dough with distinct flakiness.

How to use it:

Add 1 tablespoon per pizza dough ball.

Beer

Beer
Beer

What Does Beer Do to Pizza Dough?

It sounds weird to use beer as a flavor, but it is very delicious. If you do not drink beer, be sure that beer’s malty and yeasty flavor will go very well in your pizza dough. Nowadays, there are many beers, so you can pick the beer of your choice depending on the flavor you want to add to your dough. There are also alcohol-free options if you don’t consume alcohol.

How to Use It:

Begin by replacing 25 percent of the water called for in the recipe with the beer you want.

Speaking of beer, check out our favorite beer club.

Butter

butter as pizza additive
Butter

What Does Butter Do to Pizza Dough?

Everything just tastes better with butter. Butter is used to lubricate the gluten and to increase the volume of your dough. At the same time, it provides the dough with distinct flakiness.

How to use it:

Add 20g of butter per 500g of flour or 4% of total flour weight.

Cardamom

cardamom
Cardamom

What Does Cardamon Do to Pizza Dough?

Cardamom will give your crust a middle eastern taste and increase yeast activity. Perfect for sweet pizza dough recipes. The amount you will use depend on the desired flavor.

How to use it:

You can use a teaspoon per pizza dough ball you make. Cardamon has a very strong flavor, don’t overuse it for pizza dough.

Cinnamon

cinnamon
Cinnamon

What Does Cinnamon Do to Pizza Dough?

Cinnamon is used to increase yeast activity as well. The amount of cinnamon will be determined by the amount of flavor you are using. It can also be used as cinnamon sugar instead of mixing it with your dough. This will require large amounts of cinnamon.

How to use it:

Use ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon up to a tablespoon per pizza dough ball.

Dry Mustard

dry mustard
Dry Mustard

What Does Dry Mustard Do to Pizza Dough?

Be careful with this one as It prevents yeast activity. It will give sourness to your dough. The amount of dry mustard you will use will depend on the amount of dough you are making.

How to use it:

Use ¼ to ½ teaspoon of dry mustard per 500g of pizza dough.

Garlic

garlic
Garlic

What does it do to pizza dough?

Garlic is a universal flavor that is used almost in everything people cook. If you love garlic, try adding some chopped garlic to your pizza recipe. When you use garlic as your flavor, it will make your dough and the yeast easy to roll. It is used as a preservative as well. However, adding roasted garlic is also an excellent way to incorporate a complex flavor into your dough.

How to use it:

Use one or two teaspoons of roasted or fresh garlic or even roasted garlic oil per 500g of pizza dough.

Ginger

ginger
Ginger

What does it do to pizza dough?

Ginger boosts the yeast and makes your pizza fresh for a longer time.

How to use it:

Use ¼ teaspoon in every pizza dough to affect the dough, although the flavor may not be noticeable.

Herbs

fresh herbs
Herbs

What does it do to pizza dough?

Herbs can be used to add flavor, whether dried or fresh. You can choose herbs such as rosemary, dill, or oregano because they are also cheap and easy to use.

How to use it:

Add one or two teaspoons of the herb of your choice to your pizza dough to add that flavor.

Honey

honey
Honey

What does it do to pizza dough?

Honey makes the crust golden and moist. However, it has some antibacterial effects that are used to retard mold.

How to use it:

Use a tablespoon of honey per pizza dough to replace the sugar. However, you must be careful because sometimes honey can kill the yeast.

Have you ever tried hot honey?

Check our article on Mike’s Hot Honey, you will not regret it! or just try it:

Our Top Pick
Mike's Hot Honey

Mike’s Hot Honey combines two of nature’s most unique and wonderful flavors: honey and chili peppers. The balance of sweetness and heat adds a perfect kick to just about any food, without overwhelming it. It’s not too mild or too wild, so you can taste the flavor, not just the fire.

Check it Out
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you!

King Arthur Pizza Dough Flavor

King Arthur pizza dough flavor
King Arthur Pizza Dough Flavor

What does it do to pizza dough?

This one is a definite dough flavor enhancer. For over-the-top flavor in your homemade pizza. Features cheese powder, garlic, and natural flavors.

How to use it:

Use approximately 1⅓ teaspoons per cup of flour in any pizza crust recipe.

Molasses

molasses
Molasses

What does it do to pizza dough?

Molasses can be used as a substitute for sugar or honey. It gives the pizza crust a unique flavor profile. The molasses caramelizes while baking, leading to a darker crust. It also helps in fermentation because it takes longer for the yeast to break down molasses than sugar. Consequently, be prepared to let your dough rest for more time than usual.

How to use it:

Add 20g of molasses per 500g of flour.

Diastatic Malt

Hoosier-Hill-Farm-Dry-Malt-Diastatic
Diastatic Malt

What does it do to pizza dough?

Diastatic malt adds flavor and sweetness to your dough. If you want to come up with a dough recipe that needs sugar, try using this instead. It adds some sweetness, and you might even see a small improvement when it comes to browning.

How to use it:

Use anywhere from a tablespoon to a teaspoon of barley malt syrup, depending on the size of your pizza dough.

Nutmeg

nutmeg
Nutmeg

What does it do to pizza dough?

Nutmeg is an intensely flavored spice that boosts yeast activity during dough-making.

How to use it:

Use about a ¼ teaspoon in every pizza dough you make.

Salt

salt
Salt

What does it do to pizza dough?

Salt is used to regulate yeast. It is also used to tighten and strengthen gluten. However, when you add salt in large amounts, it can kill the yeast. Since salt tightens gluten, it makes the dough hard to knead, so you can choose to add it after they are done kneading their pizza dough.

However, when you add salt after you knead the dough, it can be difficult to distribute it. It all depends on what you are comfortable with.

How to use it:

Salt should be to taste but not more than 5% of the total flour. Alternatively, you can add one teaspoon of salt per pizza dough you make.

Soft Cheeses

soft cheeses
Soft Cheeses

What does it do to pizza dough?

This is used to add flavor to the dough and make it moist.

How to use it:

Add about ½ a cup to every pizza dough.

Sugar

sugar
Sugar

What does it do to pizza dough?

Sugar helps pizza stay fresh for a longer time. It also feeds yeast as well as keeps the crumb softer. It also moisturizes the dough. When added in large amounts, it slows the growth of yeast.

How to use it:

Use .05% of total flour weight or one tablespoon of sugar in each pizza dough ball.

Pizza Pun

How do you add flavor to an algorithm?

Use a Boolean cube.

Ooni Promo

Additives to Improve Pizza Dough Structure

Additives you can add to improve or enhance pizza crust structure.

Press the Image for More Information

Ascorbic Acid

ascorbic acid
Ascorbic Acid

What does it do to pizza dough?

Ascorbic acid is also known as vitamin C. It is soluble in water and can be found naturally in some foods and added to others. When making pizza dough, ascorbic acid is used to oxidize the dough during mixing. It is also used to strengthen the gluten.

How to use it:

Use about a teaspoon of ascorbic acid per pizza dough. You can also measure it depending on the amount of flour you have.

Baking Powder

baking powder
Baking Powder

What does it do to pizza dough?

Some bakers use baking powder as the secondary leavening agent.

How to use it:

Use a teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour.

Bleach

bleached flour
Bleach Flour

What does it do to pizza dough?

This is used to bleach the flour to come up with a whiter dough. You can find it in the form of bleached flour. However, it is not very good for your health because a lot of chemicals are used in the bleaching process.

How to use it:

No need to add to your pizza dough; it’s already incorporated in bleached flour.

Olive Oil

olive oil
Olive Oil

What does it do to pizza dough?

Olive oil is used to lubricate gluten and increase your dough’s volume. However, your pizza dough will also have a softer crust. After you have completed kneading the dough, the gluten will soften when you add the oil. If added too early, it may end up coating the flour, and the gluten may not form.

Sometimes, it may lead to a compact loaf since the oil may over-tenderize your dough if added in large amounts.

How to use it:

Add .05% of the total weight of flour. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil per 500g of flour in the alternative.

Buttermilk

buttermilk
Buttermilk

What does it do to pizza dough?

Buttermilk is used to strengthen the dough.

How to use it:

You can also use it as the liquid to make your dough like beer.

Egg Whites

egg whites
Egg Whites

What does it do to pizza dough?

It is used to make the texture lighter and adds a crispy texture and brownish color to the crust when baked.

How to use it:

You can also use it to replace some liquid when making your dough. Use one or two whites per 500g of pizza dough.

Eggs, whole

whole eggs
Whole Eggs

What does it do to pizza dough?

It is used to enrich the dough. It dries the dough as well as retains water to avoid the drying effect.

How to use it:

Use one egg for every pizza dough you make to add enrichment without the need to add sugar.

Gelatin

gelatin
Gelatin

What does it do to pizza dough?

Gelatin helps to texture and moisture the pizza dough.

How to use it:

You can use one tablespoon of gelatin in every pizza dough.

Lecithin

Lecithin
Lecithin

What does it do to pizza dough?

Lecithin makes the pizza last for a longer period and preserves its flavor as well. Adding more lecithin also makes the crumb softer and makes the texture even finer. The crust also becomes tender.
Lecithin can be found naturally in an egg yolk. You can also buy it as granules or as a powder.

How to use it:

You should use it in small amounts because it is an add-in. Use a teaspoon per pizza dough.

Mashed Potatoes or Potato Flakes

potato flakes
Mashed Potatoes or Potato Flakes

What does it do to pizza dough?

If you are looking for a secret ingredient, look no further. Mashed potatoes will make your dough soft and fluffy. When buying it, ensure you look for one with the least ingredients to keep it as natural as possible.

How to use it:

Use ¼ cup in every pizza dough you make.

Milk (Dry, Powdered)

Dry Milk
Milk (Dry, Powdered)

What does it do to pizza dough?

Do you want your crust to be brown and moist?

How to use it:

Add ¼ cup of powdered milk to every pizza dough recipe.

Milk (Liquid)

milk
Milk

What does it do to pizza dough?

It is used to strengthen the gluten and help the crust to be brown. Milk has an enzyme that slows down the process of yeast growth. The enzyme also weakens the dough by breaking down the flour’s protein.

How to use it:

You can use liquid milk like the whole liquid, water the recipe calls, or supplement some of it when making your dough. Use the amount of milk depending on the amount of flour you use based on the hydration percentage.

Pectin

pectin
Pectin

What it does to pizza dough?

Pectin is used to provide moisture into your dough.

How to use it:

Use about one teaspoon of pectin per pizza dough.

Potato Water

potato water
Potato Water

What does it do to pizza dough?

If you want to make your pizza moist, potato water is the right thing for you.

How to use it:

You can also replace it with liquids such as water, beer, and milk when making the dough.

Sour Cream

sour cream
Sour Cream

What does it do to pizza dough?

You can use sour cream as a substitute for other liquids like water, beer, and others. Sour cream is used to tenderize the crumb as well as strengthen gluten.

How to use it:

Use a quarter of a cup for every 500g of pizza dough you make.

Vinegar

vinegar
Vinegar

What does it do to pizza dough?

Vinegar makes the dough rise higher. It also gives strength to gluten and can increase yeast activity. When added in large amounts, it slows down yeast activity.

How to use it:

Add one teaspoon or so, depending on the amount of flavor you want in each pizza dough.

Vital Wheat Gluten

vital wheat gluten
Vital Wheat Gluten

What does it do to pizza dough?

Vital wheat gluten is from the wheat plant. It is used to boost elasticity by increasing the gluten protein found in your dough mixture. Wheat gluten is mostly used when you are using whole wheat flour.

How to use it:

Use only if you are using All-Purpose Flour to make your pizza dough. If you are using Bread Flour or any other high-protein content flour this product is not necessary.

Add 4 teaspoons per 500g of all-purpose flour

How to Add Dough Enhancers to Pizza Dough

Incorporating Dough Enhancers into Your Pizza Dough Recipe

Once you’ve chosen your dough enhancer, the next step is knowing how to properly incorporate it into your recipe. Let’s go through this process step by step:

  1. Start with Your Basic Recipe: Begin with your go-to pizza dough recipe. If you don’t have one, a simple recipe usually includes flour, yeast, water, salt, and sometimes sugar and oil.
  2. Add the Dough Enhancer: Depending on what pizza dough enhancer you’ve chosen, you’ll want to add it at a particular stage of the recipe. For example, Yeast: This is typically added to warm water (along with a pinch of sugar) to activate it before being mixed with the other ingredients. Vital Wheat Gluten: This is added directly to the flour before any wet ingredients are incorporated. Diastatic Malt Powder: This can be mixed with flour as well. Ascorbic Acid: If you’re using it in powdered form, mix it with the flour. Fats (like Olive Oil): This is typically added after the yeast and before the flour. Dough Conditioners: The instructions for adding these can vary, so follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
  3. Mix Your Dough: Once you’ve added your pizza dough enhancer, mix your dough according to your recipe’s instructions.
  4. Note the Changes: As you’re mixing and kneading your dough, try to note any changes from your usual process. Does the dough feel different? Does it seem to be rising more?
  5. Bake as Usual: Once your dough has been mixed, kneaded, and has had a chance to rise, bake your pizza according to your usual method.
  6. Evaluate the Results: Once your pizza is baked, take the time to evaluate the results. Does the crust have a better texture? Does it taste different?

Remember, it might take a bit of trial and error to find the perfect pizza dough enhancer and quantity for your preferred style of pizza. Don’t be afraid to experiment and adjust until you get your perfect pizza dough!

Where to Buy Pizza Dough Enhancers

Are you wondering where to buy pizza dough flavor for seasoning pizza dough? You can get flavors from your nearest herbs and spice store.

However, you can get them online from online stores, which is the easiest because you can do it in your home’s comfort.  Your most convenient local supermarket should also have most of these products in stock or look for reliable baking supply companies and get these additives for pizza dough from them.

Here are Some of Our Favorite Pizza Dough Enhancers

Our Top Pick Store
The Spice House

For more than six decades, they’ve been searching the globe for the finest spices, herbs, and specialty salts. They grind and blend our spices and seasonings in the smallest batch size possible. When you cook with our spices, we want your food to be exceptionally delicious.

Go the Spice House
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you!
Milliard Citric Acid

The fine granular NON-GMO citric acid is a kitchen essential used in preserving, flavoring, and cleaning completely; preserves the Vitamin C content of a food product.


Check it Out
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you!
Diastatic Malt Powder by King Arthur Flour

Diastatic malt powder is the ingredient savvy bread bakers use to promote a strong rise, great texture, and lovely brown crust.

Check it Out
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you!
Our Top Pick
King Arthur Flour Pizza Dough Flavor (2-Pack)
$3,399.00

It can be used for over-the-top flavor in your homemade pizza or Italian bread dough and features cheese powder, garlic, and natural flavors.

Check it Out
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you!
03/27/2024 12:16 am GMT

Troubleshooting Common Issues with Pizza Dough Enhancers

Even with the best of ingredients, you may encounter a few issues while using pizza dough enhancers. Here are some common problems and tips on how to fix them:

  1. Dough Is Too Sticky or Too Dry: This could be due to adding too much or too little of a dough enhancer. For instance, too much vital wheat gluten can make your dough excessively sticky, while too much ascorbic acid could dry it out. If your dough is too sticky, try adding a bit more flour. If it’s too dry, add a bit more water.
  2. Dough Isn’t Rising Well: If your dough isn’t rising as much as you’d like, you might need to adjust the amount of yeast or diastatic malt powder. Alternatively, the issue might be with the proofing conditions. Ensure your dough is in a warm, draft-free area, and give it enough time to rise.
  3. Crust Isn’t Browning: If your crust isn’t browning nicely, try adding a bit of diastatic malt powder to your dough. This will increase the sugar available for the Maillard reaction, which is responsible for browning.
  4. Dough Is Difficult to Stretch: If you’re having trouble stretching your dough, you might want to consider adding a dough conditioner like L-cysteine, which can relax the gluten in the dough and make it more stretchable.

Remember, working with pizza dough enhancers is a bit of an art form. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get perfect results right away. It can take some time to learn how each enhancer affects your particular dough and how to adjust the quantities to get the results you want.

Practice makes perfect, so keep experimenting!

The Last Slice

What do you think about these additives for pizza dough?

What is your favorite pizza dough flavor, and how do you add it to your dough?

Express yourself and let us know your favorite additions to your pizza dough.

Also, tell us how to make pizza dough taste better your way and which pizza dough enhancer you are using. We would love to know!

Additional Resources on Dough Enhancers

How to Turn All-Purpose Flour into Pizza Flour

How to Instantly Turn All-Purpose Flour into Pizza Flour

the PROs

How to Turn All-Purpose Flour into Pizza Flour If you want to know how to turn all-purpose flour into pizza …

Oil in Pizza Dough

Unleash the Flavor: How to Use Oil in Pizza Dough

the PROs

This guide will dive a bit deeper into why oil will affect your pizza dough and how it can also enhance your pizza’s other attributes. Hopefully, you will be able to take advantage of these tips on oil on pizza dough in the end. So, let’s dive in.

Vital Wheat Gluten in Pizza Dough

Vital Wheat Gluten: The Magic Touch for Pizza Dough

the PROs

Is your homemade pizza dough missing something? Maybe it’s not rising enough, or it’s not holding its shape as you’d like it to, or it’s just too crumbly. Perhaps you want it to be softer on the inside or crispier on the outside, or you wish it were higher in protein. Don’t worry! All these factors and more can be addressed by adding extra gluten to your recipe. Here’s our guide to everything you need to know for using vital wheat gluten in pizza dough! So let’s get started!

Diastatic Malt

Diastatic Malt Powder: The Top Secret Ingredient Nobody is Using to Make the Best Pizza

the PROs

Master pizza bakers often praise diastatic malt powder as “the secret ingredient” in any good baking recipe. But what is it, and how can you incorporate it into making excellent pizza dough? There’s a lot to know about it, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Enjoy!

Not a PRO? Not a Problem!

Take a pizza class to bring your pizza skills to the next level,

so you can be a PRO!

Grill for Pizza

Best Grill for Pizza in 2024

the PROs

Best Grill for Pizza Picture this: a warm summer evening, the sun casting a golden glow as it sets, the …

how to cook pizza in air fryer

How to Cook Pizza in Air Fryer in 3 Easy Steps for the Perfect Crust!

the PROs

Do you want to learn how to cook pizza in an air fryer? Thanks to this fantastic hack for an …

What is uncured pepperoni

What is Uncured Pepperoni? Demystifying the Differences and Unveiling the Flavor Secret Behind Your Favorite Pizza!

the PROs

Editor’s Note: This article received its latest update on March 6, 2024, ensuring you have access to the most current …

let's make pizza image

Newsletter

Subscribe to our Recipe of the Week newsletter and receive our partners’ latest recipes, tips, and discount offers.

Keep in Touch!

info@homemadepizzapro.com

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.