Oil and Fat in Pizza Dough: Science, Effects, and Usage
Adding oil or fat to pizza dough is about more than just flavor – it’s a powerful tool for controlling the final texture of your crust. From softening the crumb to slowing down toughening, understanding how fat interacts with gluten is key to mastering different pizza styles. This article breaks down the science of fats, why they don’t actually make pizza crispier, and how to use them correctly
Oil and Fat in Dough: Introduction
Note that ‘fat’ refers to any type of fat – whether it’s oil (of any kind), butter, margarine, shortening, or similar. In terms of their effect on the dough beyond flavor, all fats have a similar impact.
While this article focuses on the role of oil and fat in pizza dough, the information applies to all dough types.
From a technical standpoint, adding fat to dough ‘oils’ and ‘lubricates’ the dough. Essentially, the gluten structure and starch grains in the dough become coated with fat.
First and foremost, fat acts as a dough softener. As we’ll explore, incorporating fat results in a pizza (or any baked product) with a softer texture – and this is often the main reason fat is included in dough. Fat or oil doesn’t promote crispness, contrary to what some may believe.
Fat’s role in dough affects several key areas, both directly and indirectly:
- Flavor
- Dough handling properties
- Baking and final texture
- Post-baking quality of the pizza
How Oil Affects the Crust: Flavor, Texture, Handling, and Shelf Life
Improving Flavor (Directly and Indirectly)
Fat influences the flavor of dough both directly and indirectly. The more fat used, the stronger its impact on flavor.
Directly: Fats with a distinct taste such as olive oil, butter, or animal fats like lard or schmaltz, alters the flavor profile of the final product, depending on the type of fat. On the other hand, neutral fats, like canola oil, won’t directly affect flavor.
Indirectly: Fat is lipophilic, meaning it has the ability to ‘capture’ and retain aromas during baking, that would otherwise dissipate.
This means any fat or oil added to the dough will enhance its flavor in subtle, positive ways.
If you leave a small cube of butter uncovered in the fridge, you’ll notice after a day that it has absorbed various flavors and odors from its surroundings (often not in a pleasant way). This is a great example of how fat ‘captures’ aromas from its environment.
Effects on Dough Handling: Increased Extensibility
Adding fat to dough alters its rheology (how the dough behaves and feels) by lubricating the flour particles.
Ultimately, this makes the dough more extensible.
Fat also ‘coats’ the gluten strands, limiting their ability to form longer, stronger bonds. The amount of fat used determines the extent of this effect, with higher fat content leading to a softer, more extensible dough.
Fat can also affect the dough’s perceived ‘wetness.’ Depending on how and when it’s added (we’ll cover this later), fat may coat the flour grains and gluten-forming proteins, reducing their ability to absorb water effectively. As a result, the dough may feel ‘wetter,’ since gluten’s reduced capacity to absorb water leaves more ‘free’ water in the dough.
In lower-hydration pizzas (45-55%) that are stretched with a rolling pin or dough sheeter (such as cracker-style pizzas or Tonda Romana), oil is especially important. These doughs are typically very elastic and stiff due to the low hydration, so oil significantly aids in rolling them out. Without oil, these doughs can become difficult to stretch and shape into a pizza base.
Effects on Baking and Final Texture: Creating a Softer and More Tender Crumb
Oil Creates a Softer Crumb
As mentioned earlier, fat’s primary effect on dough is ‘softening’ the gluten structure, which makes the dough more extensible. This results in a pizza with a softer, more tender, ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ texture.
Simply put: adding fat or oil to dough creates a softer, more tender, and less chewy crust, while also contributing to a richer, fuller mouthfeel. Even a small amount of fat, around 1-3%, can make a noticeable difference, especially when combined with proper dough kneading.
The type of fat can matter: solid fats (like butter or shortening) can be more effective than oils in creating a softer crumb, because they coat the starch molecules more thoroughly.
An ‘extreme’ example of fat’s effect on dough is brioche, one of the softest and most tender breads. Classic brioche typically contains between 30% and 50% fat, usually butter.
Another great example is challah, which is essentially a ‘kosher’ version of brioche. It has a relatively high fat content, around 10%, contributing to its soft and fluffy texture.
In the video below, you’ll see three Neapolitan pizzas, each made with different amounts of oil in the dough:
- 0% (the first one, the marinara without cheese)
- 3% (the second)
- 6% (the third)
All the doughs were prepared, fermented, and baked identically, with the only variable being the amount of oil used.
As you can clearly see:
- The pizza with 3% oil was noticeably softer than the one without any oil.
- The pizza with 6% oil was noticeably softer than 3% oil pizza.
Effects on Crumb Structure
Fat also affects the crumb structure of the baked product. The more fat present, the denser and less airy the internal structure may become. This happens because fat disrupts gluten development and reduces the dough’s ability to retain gas. Brioche and challah, for example, have a closed, dense crumb (that remains soft and fluffy despite the compact structure).
Don’t confuse ‘softness’ with ‘airiness’! A crumb can be closed or dense, while still being soft and tender, as seen in brioche or challah. Conversely, you can have an open, airy structure that’s tough and hard to chew. In pizza making, it’s a common mistake to assume ‘airy = soft,’ when in reality, these are distinct qualities that don’t necessarily reflect each other.
For example, marshmallows are soft but also dense and chewy. Gummy bears are similarly soft yet tough to chew. On the other hand, a properly cooked fish fillet may feel firm and springy but is tender and melts in your mouth when eaten.
Sourdough bread are another example. They will always have a chewier texture compared to yeast-based bread, even if both are made from the exact same dough formula (except for the leavening agent). Though both breads can be equally soft or airy, sourdough will always be chewier and less tender to the bite.
Effects on Moisture Retention and Migration
Because fat is hydrophobic (repelling water), it helps retain moisture during baking by “trapping” water inside the dough. This slows moisture loss and results in a more moist crumb.
Additionally, unlike water, oil does not evaporate during baking. Instead, it remains in the dough, further enhancing the perception of a moist, tender crumb.
Note that there’s no direct relationship between the moisture level of the crumb and its softness! A pizza or bread can have a “moist” crumb, yet still be tough or not soft, and vice versa.
I’ve encountered many people who believe that adding oil when baking pizza in a home oven “prevents the dough from drying out” – this is a misconception rooted in a misunderstanding of the baking process. As mentioned earlier, the primary reason for adding fat to dough is to achieve a softer texture – softness that isn’t related to how moist the crumb is after baking.
Additionally, with the small amounts of oil used in pizza dough (typically no more than 5%), its effect on moisture retention is minimal.
In pizza dough, fat can also help prevent moisture from toppings from migrating into the dough during baking, particularly from the sauce. This reduces the likelihood of forming an un-baked layer of dough, known as the ‘gum line,’ between the pizza base and the sauce.
Oil Increases Extensibility
Another benefit of fat is its lubricating effect, which adds extensibility to the dough. In lower amounts (0-3%), fat can improve oven spring and increase volume by making the gluten structure more extensible.
Effects on Post-Baking Quality of the Pizza
Fat also influences the dough after baking, particularly by slowing down starch retrogradation – the primary process responsible for staling in baked goods. By “coating” the starch granules, fat delays this process, and helps extend the shelf life of baked products.
In pizza dough specifically, adding fat helps the pizza retain its quality as it cools. Simply put, adding fat to your pizza dough will help slow down the transition to a tough, leathery texture once the pizza cools.
The “Crispiness” Myth: Why Oil Doesn’t Make Pizza Crispier
One common misconception worth highlighting again: fat doesn’t promote crispiness. In fact, it has the opposite effect. The confusion often arises from products like pie crusts or saltine crackers, which contain a relatively high amount of fat, yet are very crispy.
In these doughs, crispness comes not from the added fat, but from the dough-making and baking process, which usually involves low dough hydration and extended baking to thoroughly dry the dough.
In fact, fat in such doughs contributes to a crumbly, ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ texture. Without fat, these products would be extremely dry and brittle, making them less pleasant to eat.
Hydration Math: Does Oil Count as a Liquid?
The strict definition of ‘hydration’ refers to liquids that are absorbed by the flour and contribute to gluten development, primarily water. Since fat is not water and doesn’t absorb into the dough like water (and actually interferes with gluten development), fat cannot technically be considered part of the dough’s hydration. However, as mentioned earlier, fat does affect the dough’s rheology, making it more extensible, softer, and ‘wetter’ to the touch.
To summarize: it’s technically incorrect to count fat as part of the dough’s hydration (meaning you don’t need to reduce water to account for fat). However, it’s important to note that fat will influence how the dough handles, depending on the amount added.
Keep in mind that butter and margarine contain 16-20% water. So, when you add butter or margarine to the dough, you’re also introducing some water along with the fat.
For example, if we add 100 grams of butter, approximately 82% is fat and around 18% is water. In practice, we’re adding 82 grams of fat and 18 grams of water to the dough.
Mixing Technique: When and How to Add Fat to Your Dough
When liquid fat (such as any type of oil) comes into direct contact with flour, it ‘coats’ the flour grains, preventing them from absorbing water. As a result, these coated flour grains cannot participate in gluten development, as the oil inhibits the gluten-forming proteins from absorbing the necessary water.
Therefore, to avoid disrupting gluten formation, it’s best to add oil only after the flour has fully absorbed all the water.
It’s important to note that the ‘coating’ effect on flour applies only to liquid fats. Solid fats, like butter or various shortenings, do not coat the flour grains in the same manner as liquid fats. Therefore, solid fats can be added from the beginning along with the other dough ingredients, but they should remain in a solid state (for example, cut into small cubes) rather than being melted or dissolved. Alternatively, you can melt them and use them as any other liquid fat.
For relatively small amounts of oil (1-2%), the effect on gluten development is less significant, though still present. However, in fat-saturated doughs like challah, brioche, or various sweet pastries, it’s crucial to add the fat only after the flour has completely absorbed the water (usually about 2-3 minutes into mixing). Otherwise, a substantial portion of the flour will be unable to participate in gluten development, leading to a flat and dense final product.
In the context of pizza, certain styles require minimal gluten development, such as Chicago deep dish or various cracker style pizzas. For these doughs, it’s perfectly fine to add the oil directly to the flour and water at the beginning of mixing.
How Much Oil for Each Pizza Style?
For most styles of pizza, including many American pizzas and Italian pizzas, a recommended oil amount is 1-2% (in baker’s percentages). This oil amount will produce a softer, more tender crumb and reduce chewiness, without making the crumb overly soft.
For pizzas known for a crackery crust, such as Tonda Romana, Chicago deep dish, cracker-style pizzas, and some bar-style pizzas, a higher oil content of 5-10% can be used. This higher oil level creates the crumbly, crackery texture that defines these styles.
Key Takeaways
- Primary Effect:
Fat is a dough softener. It coats gluten strands and starch, resulting in a more tender, “melt-in-your-mouth”, less chewy crust. - The Crispiness Myth:
Contrary to popular belief, oil does not make pizza crispy. In fact, it softens the crust. Crispiness in high-fat doughs (like thin-and-crispy) comes from low hydration and long bake times, not the fat itself. - Better Shelf Life:
Fat slows down “staling” (starch retrogradation), preventing your pizza from getting tough as it cools. - Hydration Logic:
Fat is not hydration. It doesn’t help form gluten. You should not reduce your water amount to “account” for oil. - Addition Timing:
For best results, add liquid oil after the flour has fully absorbed the water (1–3 mins into mixing). Adding it too early coats the flour and prevents proper flour hydration and gluten development. - How Much:
Most pizzas styles use 1%–5% oil. Cracker-style or deep-dish pizzas use 5%–20% to achieve a “short” or crumbly texture.
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Great one as always, thanks!
I very informative. In depth , really fell like learned something about dough making.
🙏🏻
Is the above concerning olive oil in pizza dough true if baking pizza in an ooni gas oven?
Thank you
Hi Donna,
The effects of oil/fat on dough, as outlined in the article, apply to all baking methods and temperatures, as well as to all types of yeast-leavened dough.
Great post! I was just wondering whether there was a significance to using a fat above 85% fat content (like you need to in pastry) and when do you add the oil? I noticed that you specified not to add it directly to the flour, so should it be added when the dough has already been formed / during kneading? Thank you so much!
Hi Ayanti,
No, the type of fat or its fat content (butter, lard, shortening, etc.) doesn’t really matter in terms of how it affects [pizza] dough, though of course it can influence flavor. Just keep in mind the actual fat percentage when switching (oil, lard, beef tallow, and shortening are 100% fat, while butter is about 80%).
As explained in the article, liquid fats (oil or melted fats) are best added only after the flour has fully absorbed the water (usually 1–3 minutes into kneading). Just make sure there are no dry flour lumps/granules before adding the fat. The goal is to minimize the negative impact of fat on gluten development.
*Solid fats, on the other hand, can be added directly with the flour, since they don’t coat the flour granules the same way liquid fats do.
Cheers!
This is a really helpful article… good amount of science, but stated in a way that I can understand!
I got here because my dough doesn’t work well for dessert pizzas, even though I love the way it works for all the usual varieties. I’m usually baking at 550 in my home oven, on a stone, with 70 percent hydration, and only 3-5 minutes of kneading.
The usual ingredients of water-salt-yeast, then flour, make a really nice crust, but it’s impossibly chewy (very difficult to bite through) when I top it with pie filling (raspberry/blueberry/sugar/cleargel), and dollops of cream-cheese mixed with powdered sugar. (Pre-baked streusel topping is sprinkled on after baking).
My theory is the sugars on top are the cause, so I’ve been par-baking the crust for dessert pizzas (docking them first). This helped, but they’re still tougher than I’d like. This dough has also sat longer, since dessert comes after all the other pizzas.
So it seems like adding some fat to the dough is the right approach, based on what you’ve written. I’m leaning toward butter, to push the flavor in the direction of pie crust or even a biscuity dough. Here’s my question:
You mentioned adding the butter as a solid along with all the other ingredients. Would it be correct to also say “or you can melt it, and add it later like any other liquid fat.” Or does melting it change things in some other way? It seems like it might incorporate more evenly this way. Maybe I’ll try it both ways sometime – cutting it into the dry flour with a pastry blender to chop it finely.
I think I’ll start with 4% and see what happens. Thanks for the reminder that butter is 18% water – I’ll factor that in.
Hi Josh,
I’m glad to hear you found the article helpful!
Regarding your questions:
1. You mentioned that the dough “sits longer.” This is one of the main factors that causes a pizza crust to become tough, chewy, or leathery. I highly recommend reading Why Pizza Becomes Tough or Chewy After Cooling (And How to Keep It Soft), and Why Your Pizza Crust is Tough and Chewy, and How to Fix It [Causes & Solutions].
2. Adding more fat to the dough can indeed help prevent toughening [to a certain extent]
3. You can absolutely melt the butter and use it like any other liquid fat. I wouldn’t recommend cutting it into the dry flour “shortcrust/pastry-style” tho, as that risks the butter not fully incorporating into the dough and remaining as solid butter “chunks” (unless you mix long enough for it to fully melt) – this is desirable in pastry or shortcrust dough, but not in pizza dough.
4. 4% butter is a good starting point.
Cheers!
Hi Yuval,
Thank you for all the information on this and every other post. It’s really connected things for me and my family loves the results!
I have a question regarding getting a tender crumb. If you had to rank which is more important between a lower flour protein percentage, less kneading and adding more fat, which would you say is more important when trying to get that melt in your mouth texture?
Also if there are other variables that are more important, please feel free to bring them up!
Thanks again!
Hi Sean, glad to hear this!
Regarding your question: in most cases, the kneading method has the most direct impact on tenderness. That said, it’s ultimately about balance. A more tender crumb comes from a more extensible (less elastic) dough.
In practice, anything that promotes extensibility will contribute to a softer, more tender crumb (this includes the kneading method, total fermentation time, time in balls, the flour used, fat content in the dough).
I also recommend checking this troubleshooting page, which outlines the primary causes of excessive toughness/chewiness and how to address them: Why Your Pizza Crust is Tough and Chewy, and How to Fix It [Causes & Solutions]
Thanks Yuval!!!
This was a fantastic article, and exactly what I was looking for. It answers my question of “why is my dough soft but feels dry on the tongue”, but it doesn’t quite solve my problem. I live in an arid high-ish altitude climate, and fluid evaporates quicker during baking due to reduced air pressure. I’ve been pushing my hydration up to 71% and adding 2.5% olive oil, and baking my Mtl-style pizza (kind of similar to NY) for only 4-5 mins at 700° (Ooni). Your article clarified that dough can feel soft w/o being moist, and that oil does the former and not the latter.
So then, how *do* I achieve the latter? Any ideas?
Hi Brian,
I’m glad you found the article helpful!
Just to clarify: what exactly is your goal? In the context of a baked crust, “moisture” doesn’t have a practical technical definition – are you looking for a more tender, melt-in-the-mouth bite?
As I discuss here, it’s easy to confuse moisture, wetness and softness, – are you finding the crust is too tough, or is it specifically the mouthfeel of the crumb that feels “dry” to you?