Pizza Dough Is Very “Bubbly” (Formed Large Bubbles at the Bottom or on the Surface)
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 Is Over-Fermented
Explanation:
The dough has reached over-fermentation, as shown by excessive bubbling caused by excessive gas production from the yeast.
Solution:
Avoid reaching over-fermentation (see: The Dough Ferments Too Quickly or Is Over-Fermented).
Read More:
Additional Notes / Information
The formation of large bubbles, whether at the bottom of the dough (visible through a transparent container) or on its surface, is a clear symptom of over-fermentation.
Higher-hydration doughs tend to show this more strongly, as their greater extensibility encourages large bubble formation (especially on the surface).
Note that this is not inherently a problem, but rather a symptom. This dough is not necessarily “bad” and can still produce great results – it simply indicates that it has reached a certain degree of over-fermentation.
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