Why Burnt Bubbles Form on a Pale or Undercooked Pizza Crust [Causes & Solutions]
Small, burnt bubbles or blisters on a crust that is otherwise pale and undercooked is a clear sign of under-fermentation, resulting in an unappetizing mix of a pale crust and bitter, charred spots. This page details the exact causes and provides actionable solutions for avoiding this phenomenon and achieving a perfectly evenly-browned crust
Note: This page discusses black “leoparding” spots, with the rest of the crust under-browned, as shown above. If experiencing aggressive burnt bubbles over a properly browned crust, see: Medium-Large, Burnt/Charred Bubbles Form on an Otherwise Properly Browned Crust.
This page is part of PizzaBlab’s Pizza Making Troubleshooting Guide. It provides a practical overview of the most common causes for this problem, each with a brief explanation, actionable solution, and links to related articles for deeper understanding.
The sections are listed from most to least likely, meaning the first cause typically represents the most common reason for this issue, with likelihood decreasing as you move down the list. That said, several causes can often overlap or share similar likelihoods – it’s ultimately up to your process to identify which factors are at play.
Cause 1: The Dough Was Under-Fermented When Baked
Explanation:
See ‘Additional Notes / Information’ section.
Solution:
Use the dough at its optimal fermentation point and avoid baking dough that hasn’t fermented enough (see: The Dough Ferments Too Slowly or Not at All (Under-Fermentation)).
Read More:
Additional Notes / Information
When you see aggressive burnt bubbles on an under-browned crust, the primary cause is insufficient fermentation.
Under-fermented dough leads to uneven CO₂ distribution, causing localized bubbles that burn during baking. At the same time, the dough lacks enough residual sugar, preventing the rest of the crust from browning properly. This results in aggressive burnt bubbles over a pale, under-browned crust.
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