Pizza Today - October 2021 - 23

it in place. The opposing hand stretches
the dough along the crust without
decompressing the air out. Once they
have completed the stretch the hands
flip transferring the dough back to the
dominant hand as it rotates the dough
slightly repeating the process until they
make a full 180-degree rotation or the
pizza is the adequate size.
The second technique is the one I
use the most. Once I have the shape
defined, I place my hands together with
my fingertips touching right underneath
the crust at the top of the dough. If the
dough is smaller, I will curve my hands
in to keep them within the center of
the dough. Once I have defined my
crust my goal is to not touch it again.
One of the hardest parts about learning
to stretch is to see the big picture.
Everyone focuses on what their fingertips
are doing but forgets about what
their palms are doing. For those with
larger hands this can be difficult. If it is
too uncomfortable to curl your hands
in, you can also lift your palms up just
enough so as not to squish your crust.
Once I have my fingertips placed, I
make my first stretch. I always start with
smaller stretches until it becomes large
enough for me to flatten out my hands
or pick it up and finish the stretch. The
action is concentrated between my middle
and pointer fingers and is focused
between my crust and about two inches
down towards the middle but keeping
the middle as strong as possible.
To finish the stretch, I'll pick it up
off the table and use the backs of my
hands to finish it off. I use my thumbs
as a guide right underneath the crust, so
I always know where not to cross over.
If my dough is warm or has weak spots,
I will stop an inch to two inches smaller
that what I need, build the pizza, and
then finish the stretch on the peel before
I launch it into the oven. Once you have
the weight of toppings, sauce and cheese
it is easier to get it to the right size and
make sure there are no weak spots than
to keep trying to stretch it and possibly
make a hole.
Ultimately the goal of stretching is to
maintain as much air within your crust
as possible to ensure a light pizza but
also to make sure it is as even as possible.
An evenly stretched pizza means
a good bake and one that will come out
of the oven with no holes. Stretching is
a technique that requires practice. No
pizza maker became an expert after the
first time and every day is different, but
perfecting your technique is a great way
to ensure consistency. n
LAURA MEYER is Administrator &
Instructor, The International School of Pizza.
OCTOBER 2021 / PIZZATODAY.COM / 23

http://www.smrset.com http://www.smrset.com

Pizza Today - October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pizza Today - October 2021

Commentary
Digital
Conversation
Mike's Monthly Tip
Man on the Street
Building Blocks
Tony's Trending Recipe
Knead to Know
Destinations
A Shoestring Budget
Smallwares Add Up
Loan Options
Stuffed Shells
Pan Pizzas
Bacon Pizzas
Appetizer Dips
October is National Pizza Month
Pizza Expo Review
On the Road: Good Pie, Las Vegas, NV
Product Showcase
Pizza Today Yellow Pages
The Marketplace
Expo Spotlight
Pizza Today - October 2021 - CT1
Pizza Today - October 2021 - CT2
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Cover1
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Cover2
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Commentary
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 4
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 5
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 6
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 7
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Digital
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 9
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Conversation
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 11
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Mike's Monthly Tip
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 13
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Man on the Street
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 15
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Building Blocks
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 17
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Tony's Trending Recipe
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 19
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Knead to Know
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 21
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 22
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 23
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Destinations
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 25
Pizza Today - October 2021 - A Shoestring Budget
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 27
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 28
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 29
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Smallwares Add Up
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 31
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 32
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 33
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Loan Options
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 35
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 36
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 37
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 38
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 39
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Stuffed Shells
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 41
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 42
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 43
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Pan Pizzas
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 45
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 46
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 47
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Bacon Pizzas
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 49
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Appetizer Dips
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 51
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 52
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 53
Pizza Today - October 2021 - October is National Pizza Month
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 55
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 56
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 57
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 58
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 59
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Pizza Expo Review
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 61
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 62
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 63
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 64
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 65
Pizza Today - October 2021 - On the Road: Good Pie, Las Vegas, NV
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 67
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 68
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 69
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 70
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 71
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Product Showcase
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 73
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Pizza Today Yellow Pages
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 75
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 76
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 77
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 78
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 79
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 80
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 81
Pizza Today - October 2021 - The Marketplace
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 83
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 84
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 85
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 86
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 87
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 88
Pizza Today - October 2021 - 89
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Expo Spotlight
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Cover3
Pizza Today - October 2021 - Cover4
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