sugar

[Gilbert]

Why do i have to put sugar in the dough?

[Pete-zza]

Why do i have to put sugar in the dough?

gilbert,

You didn't indicate what kind of dough or style of pizza you have in mind, but sugar is not a required ingredient in a dough. There are natural sugars in flour that provide food for the yeast as well as for crust coloration. Sugar is often added to dough to achieve a softer finished crust, and sometimes for added color and flavor through caramelization and Maillard reactions during baking. At high enough levels, the sugar will produce a crust that is sweet to the palate. A good example is a Papa John's crust. Authentic Neapolitan style doughs and many NY style doughs use no added sugar whatsoever.

Peter

[Gilbert]

gilbert,

You didn't indicate what kind of dough or style of pizza you have in mind, but sugar is not a required ingredient in a dough. There are natural sugars in flour that provide food for the yeast as well as for crust coloration. Sugar is often added to dough to achieve a softer finished crust, and sometimes for added color and flavor through caramelization and Maillard reactions during baking. At high enough levels, the sugar will produce a crust that is sweet to the palate. A good example is a Papa John's crust. Authentic Neapolitan style doughs and many NY style doughs use no added sugar whatsoever.

Peter

Peter,
Thanks for your answer. Now i know the reason of why adding sugar. My favorite pizza is Neapolitan so for making the dough i don't need to add sugar.

Gilbert

[Pete-zza]

My favorite pizza is Neapolitan so for making the dough i don't need to add sugar.

Gilbert,

Some people try to use home ovens to make a Neapolitan style pizza instead of wood fired ovens, which are the best (and, arguably) the only oven to use for an authentic Neapolitan dough. For regular home ovens, sugar is sometimes added to the dough, as well as oil. If you have a wood fired oven, you shouldn't need either sugar or oil.

Peter

[Ruralidle]

Gilbert

Most European breads, not just pizza, do not have any added sugar in their formulae.  Only breads such as brioche - sweet doughs - have added sugar.  I have noticed that most breads in North America include added sugar and are, therefore, too sweet for many people from Europe.

[Gilbert]

Gilbert

Most European breads, not just pizza, do not have any added sugar in their formulae.  Only breads such as brioche - sweet doughs - have added sugar.  I have noticed that most breads in North America include added sugar and are, therefore, too sweet for many people from Europe.

Thanks, for me also no sugar 
But somewhere i've read that you have to put sugar in the dough against collapsing. Is that true?

[Gilbert]

Gilbert,

Some people try to use home ovens to make a Neapolitan style pizza instead of wood fired ovens, which are the best (and, arguably) the only oven to use for an authentic Neapolitan dough. For regular home ovens, sugar is sometimes added to the dough, as well as oil. If you have a wood fired oven, you shouldn't need either sugar or oil.

Peter

Peter, thanks. I don't have a wood fired oven but a regular oven. But one day i want me to buy a Ferrari G3 one.

[TXCraig1]

Thanks, for me also no sugar 
But somewhere i've read that you have to put sugar in the dough against collapsing. Is that true?

It is unlikely that your dough will collapse without sugar, but a little will help with browning in your home oven.

CL

[Gilbert]

It is unlikely that your dough will collapse without sugar, but a little will help with browning in your home oven.

CL

CL,
Thanks! There's so many to read here about pizzamaking. And i'm just a beginner...

[dmcavanagh]

I'm sure this could start an argument but here's my 2 cents. Once you add sugar and oil to pizza dough, you've turned it into bread.

[TXCraig1]

Since I'm going to try to stay out of arguments for a while, I'll agree with you off the record. 

[Pete-zza]

I'm sure this could start an argument but here's my 2 cents. Once you add sugar and oil to pizza dough, you've turned it into bread.

Dave,

Actually, your ingredients--flour, water, yeast and salt--are the exact ingredients that are used to make basic French bread. No oil and no sugar. I went through Professor Raymond Calvel's book The Taste of Bread and it isn't until you get to specialty breads like pullman breads, brioche-type breads, Vienna-type breads and rolls, etc., that you start to see sugar and fat. However, I will mention that Professor Calvel was fond of using malt extract in his yeasted products but at no more than 0.5% and usually more like 0.2-0.3%.

Admittedly, there are breads that contain sugar and oil. Many supermarket breads contain both of those ingredients and there are some Italian breads that do also, but there are also Italian breads that do not use either sugar or oil. 

Peter

[dmcavanagh]

Pete

By "French bread", I'm sure you mean the classic baguette. By law, it can only be made using flour, water, salt and leaven. We need a law for pizza dough! :-)