Note: This post may contain affiliate links to products or services. When you press on the link, you may be redirected to our partner’s sites. If you buy any of their products or services, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. For more info see our Advertiser Disclosure.
Find Common Pizza Problems
Probable Causes
Possible Solutions
Welcome to our pizza troubleshooting section!
Yes, we all have been there. Something goes wrong and you don’t know what caused the problem and don’t know how to fix it.
Don’t be discouraged if you have experienced any of the below pizza problems, we now tell you what are the probable causes of your result and what you can do to fix it and make sure it does not happen again.
If you experience any problems that we do not address here, don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know so we can help you and others who might experience the same pizza problem.
| Pizza Trouble | Probable Cause | Possible Remedy |
|---|---|---|
 My dough is shrinking | – Overworked dough – Stressed gluten | – Let it rest for 10 minutes. |
 My dough is ripping | – Gluten is not developed – You are using the wrong flour | – Use a High Protein Flour. – Knead your dough properly. – Knead your dough evenly. – Let your dough rest for 10 min. |
 Soggy Pizza | – Too much moisture – Too much sauce – Too much cheese | – Set it in the oven for an additional 2 minutes. |
 My pizza dough is too sticky | – Too much water | – Add a tablespoon of flour. – Knead it for 5 minutes. |
 My dough over proofed | – Too much yeast. – Too much fermenting time. – Hot fermenting temperature. | – Yeast should be less than 5% of the flour – Set a timer. – Proofing time should be 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. The best proofing temperature is 80 F. |
 My pizza is raw | – Not enough time in the oven. – The crust is too thick | – Set the pizza in the oven for another 3 minutes. |
 My pizza is sticking to peel | – Not enough flour on the working surface, peel, or stone. | – Add flour to the working surface. – Add coarse cornmeal to the pizza peel. – Add flour or cornmeal to the pizza stone. |
 My dough didn’t rise | – Yeast could be dead. – Not enough rising time. | -Let it rest for another 30 minutes, if it didn’t rise, the yeast is dead. – Start a new batch with fresh yeast. |
Additional Resources – Troubleshooting Series
Homemade Pizza FAQs
How to Start Making Pizza?
Making pizza at home is actually very simple and anyone can do it. If you don’t have a mixer you can still make the dough by hand.
Check our guide on How to Get Started to begin your pizza-making journey.
Do I need a pizza oven to make pizza at home?
No, you can make pizza in a regular kitchen oven, and these days you can even make pizza on your stove or your grill.
Check our Recommended Oven Section to find the oven that best suits your needs.
What is the best flour for pizza?
The best flour for pizza is flour that contains a high-protein content. Of course, it will depend on the kind of oven you have.
In terms of the brand, we’ve found that Caputo Chef’s Flour works best for home ovens while Caputo Pizzeria works best for high-temperature ovens.
To learn more about flour and why we think Caputo is best check the Best Flour for Pizza article.
How long should I bake pizza?
The time to cook your pizza will depend on the kind of pizza you are making and the kind of oven you have.
The lower the temperature the longer will take to cook your pizza. On average it will take 12 to 15 min to cook pizza in a 500F oven.
For details on specific cooking times and temperatures check the Guide to Oven Temperature and Cooking Time article.
What kind of yeast should I use for pizza?
To make pizza dough you can use any yeast you have available. You can use fresh, instant, or active dry yeast.
The amount of yeast to use will vary depending on which one you use.
We found that active dry yeast gives the best results, to find out why we think is best to check Yeast: Here is What You Need to Know article.
What is the best hydration percentage?
On average water should be 65% of the total weight of flour. For example, if your recipe calls for 500g of flour, you should add 325g of water (500 x .65 = 325).
Of course, the temperature of the oven will also have an impact on your final result.
Check our guidelines our Baker’s Percentage Charts for the best results.
For more pizza questions, check our Pizza FAQs Page or Contact Us.
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!
Related Posts
Check Out Our Pizza T-Shirts
-
Pizza T-Shirt – Pizzaiolo Red Underline$29.95 -
Pizza T-Shirt – I Love Pizza$29.95 -
Pizza T-Shirt – Pizzaiola$29.95
Check Out Our Preferred Vendors
Newsletter
Subscribe to our Recipe of the Week newsletter and receive the latest recipes, tips, and discount offers from our partners.
Keep in Touch!
