My pizza dough is too sticky.

The ideal pizza dough should be a little sticky and while a sticky dough isn’t bad, it can be tricky if you’re new to baking. Lets look at the reasons why it happens and ways to help.

• Too much water
• Under-kneaded dough
• Wrong flour
• Not enough rest
  
  

Too Much Water

Higher hydration means there is more water in your dough, which naturally will make it sticker and can make it difficult to handle.

Solution 1: If you've simply added too much water to your flour, add small amounts of flour until you get the consistency you want, but be careful as adding too much flour can lead to it being too dry and dense.

Solution 2: If you want to keep your dough at the hydration level you've calculated for, use a small amount of water or oil on your hands when handling the dough. You may be tempted to add more flour but try to avoid doing this as it will lead to a denser crust. When stretching out this dough to form a pizza base, use lots of fine semolina to prevent this from sticking to your worktop and peel. Check out this article for more tips; Why is my pizza dough sticking to the peel?

Under-kneaded dough

When pizza dough has not been kneaded enough, the gluten can't develop and strengthen. The dough will be sticky and the appearance of the dough surface will be rough. It will also make it difficult to stretch.

Solution: Knead the dough for longer. Check out this article to know when to stop: How do I know when I should stop kneading my dough?

Wrong flour

The wrong flour type can cause the dough to be sticky as it may not be strong enough. When making pizza dough, the flour should be strong in gluten, as this makes it stretchy and easier to work with. You can tell the flour is strong in gluten by looking at the percentage of protein in it.

Solution: Use strong bread or '00' flour with a percentage between 9 and 15. Check out these articles for more information, Why should I pay attention to the protein content in my flour? and What type of flour is best to use when making pizza?


Rest Time

When kneading dough, the dough mix warms up and sometimes needs a rest. This rest allows it to cool down and develop its gluten structure. 

Solution: After kneading by hand for 10-15 minutes (or 5-10 minutes in a stand mixer), leave the dough where it is and cover it with a clean cloth or bowl. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. This allows the dough to relax and develop its gluten structure. After 10 minutes, knead for a couple of minutes and rest again for 10 minutes. You should feel a difference in the dough after this time and it will be easier to handle.