Pizza Making Troubleshooting: Identify and Fix All Common Problems
PizzaBlab » Pizza Making Troubleshooting: Identify and Fix All Common Problems
Welcome to the index of PizzaBlab’s Pizza Making Troubleshooting Guide. Here, you’ll find over 50 common pizza-making problems, organized by category. Each problem links to a dedicated page with a practical overview of the most likely causes, actionable solutions, and links to related articles for deeper understanding
Problems Related to Kneading/Mixing
The Dough Is Not Smooth at the End of Kneading and/or Does Not Pass the Windowpane Test
The Dough Is “Lumpy” (Contains Small-to-Large Lumps or Chunks That Are Dense and Rough to the Touch)
The Dough Is Too Wet, Slack or Sticky to Knead, or Does Not Form in the Mixer
The Dough Is Too Stiff or ‘Dry’
When Using a Mixer – the Dough Climbs Up the Hook and Isn’t Being Kneaded
The Dough Overheated During Kneading (Final Dough Temperature Too High)
Problems Related to Fermentation
The Dough Ferments Too Slowly or Not at All (Under-Fermentation)
The Dough Ferments Too Quickly or Is Over-Fermented
The Dough Balls “Merge” in the Fermentation Container
The Dough Flattens Too Much in the Fermentation Container and Spreads to the Sides Instead of Rising Up
During Fermentation, the Dough Dries Out and Forms a Hard, Dry “Crust” on Its Surface
The Dough Has Black-Brown Specks
The Dough Has Black-Blue Specks
The Dough Is Very “Bubbly” (Has Large Bubbles at the Bottom or on the Surface)
Preferment (Poolish/Biga/Sponge) Ferments Too Quickly or Too Slowly
The Dough Has a Strong Beer/Alcohol Smell
Condensation (Moisture or Water Drops) Forms on the Dough or Container During Cold Fermentation
Problems Related to Stretching the Dough into a Pizza Base and Transferring It to the Oven
The Dough Resists, Shrinks, Snaps Back or Is Hard to Stretch (Dough Is Too Elastic)
The Dough Is Too Stretchy, Tears Easily, or Feels Weak/Sticky (Dough Is Too Extensible)
The Dough Sticks to the Table, Hands or Rolling Pin [During Stretching]
The Dough Does Not Release Smoothly from the Pizza Peel (Sticks or Warps During Transfer to the Oven)
Problems Related to Baking
The Pizza Tears at the Base When Trying to Turn or Remove It from the Oven
Outer Crust (Rim) Lacks Browning
The Outer Crust (Rim) Browns Too Quickly (Before the Bottom Is Fully Baked)
The Bottom of the Pizza Lacks Browning
The Pizza Bottom Browns Too Much/Fast (Before the Top Is Ready)
Burnt Spots on the Pizza Bottom Causing Bitter Flavors
Uneven Browning of the Crust
Bubbles Form in the Pizza Base During Baking
Medium-Large, Burnt/Charred Bubbles Form on an Otherwise Properly Browned Crust
Medium-Large, Burnt/Charred Bubbles Form on an Otherwise Pale/Under-Browned Crust
Baked Pizza Crust Collapses/Deflates After Cooling
Pizza Cheese Browns Too Quickly or Excessively (Overcooked/Burnt Cheese)
The Cheese Is Undercooked (Pale, Gooey, Not Melted)
Pizza Cheese Oils Off During Baking (Pizza Is Greasy)
When Baking Several Pizzas One After the Other, Uneven Baking Occurs (Some Pizzas Bake Differently Despite Identical Conditions)
The Crust or Pizza Bottom Has a Whitish/Grey Color
The Dough Sticks to the Pan or Pizza Screen
Problems Related to the Texture of the Baked Pizza
Dough Does Not Rise During Baking and Remains Flat
Crust is Dense and Not Airy (Closed/Tight Crumb Structure)
Crumb Has “Spider Webs” or Large Hollow Holes
The Pizza Is Very Chewy, Tough and Lacks Tenderness, Despite Ideal Fermentation, Baking, and Crumb Structure
The Crust Is Flat and/or Dry and Brittle, With a Cracker-Like Texture (When Not Aiming for a Cracker-Style Pizza)
Pizza Crust is Dry and Crumbly, Despite Proper Fermentation and Baking
The Crumb Is Doughy and Undercooked, Despite Proper Browning
Slices Are Too Floppy and Do Not Hold Their Structure (For Non-Neapolitan Pizzas)
White Pockets/”Bubbles” Form on the Bottom of a Pan Pizza Crust
Crust Lacks Crispiness
General Problems (No Specific Classification)
Frozen Pizza Dough Does Not Perform as Expected (Does Not Rise, Is Weak/Tears, Produces Poor Baking Results)
Crust Has a Thin Gray Layer of Uncooked Dough Between the Dough and the Sauce (“Gum Line”)
