100% Biga Potato Pizza Dough
This 100% biga potato pizza dough makes crisp, chewy & open crusts! Made with a pre ferment & baked potato, for extra flavour.
Servings: 4 Pizzas
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Digital Food Probe
- Pizza Oven
- 5 Round Storage Tubs With Lids
- Mixing Bowls
- Bench Scraper
Ingredients
Biga
- 3 g Dried Active Yeast
- 215 g Water (20°c/68°f)
- 480 g 00 Flour (See Notes)
Potato Dough
- 1 Large Floury Potato (Around 200g - See Notes)
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 85 g Water (20°c/68°f)
- 15 g Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
Biga
- Add the yeast & water into a large mixing bowl then whisk, to combine.
- Add the flour into the water then mix by hand, to hydrate. It's important not to make a dough here, the biga should look clumpy & shaggy.See the post above for a visual guide!
- Cover the mixing bowl with clingfilm, poke a small hole in the top then leave to ferment at 16°c-18°c (60°f-64°f) for 16-18 hours.Once fermented, you should see tiny bubbles around the sides of the bowl (I'd recommend using a transparent bowl!).
Potato Dough
- Preheat an oven to 200°c/180°c fan (390°f/350°f).
- Place your potato onto a baking tray, drizzle with the vegetable oil then bake in the preheated oven until the skin is crispy & the inside is soft. This will take around 30 minutes - 1 hour.Use a sharp knife to check that the potato is cooked all the way through.
- Let the potato cool slightly then cut in half & scoop out the flesh. Use a potato ricer (or fork) to mash the potato then weigh out 120g.
- Chop the crispy potato skin into small pieces then add into the mash potato. Leave to cool to room temperature.
- Add the biga into the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the potato & 40 grams of the water. Mix on a low speed for 4-5 minutes, until combined & smooth then add in the salt & remaining 45 grams of water.
- Continue mixing the dough on low until the water & salt have been incorporated then turn the speed up to medium & continue mixing until the dough passes the windowpane test. This will take another 4-5 minutes.See the post above for more info on the windowpane test.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl & leave to rest at room temperature for 40 minutes. Give the dough a set of coil folds halfway through.The coil folds are optional but helps strengthen the dough.
- Next, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, divide into 4 equal pieces then shape into balls. Each ball of dough should weigh around 230 grams.
- Lightly oil 4 round storage containers then place a ball of dough into each & cover with a lid (or clingfilm).
- Place the dough into the fridge & leave to ferment for 18-24 hours.
- The next day, take the dough out of the fridge & allow to come to room temperature. This will take 1-2 hours.
Making Pizza
- Take a ball of dough & gently turn out onto a floured work surface.
- Using your fingertips, press the dough into a disc. Starting from the centre & working to the edge, making sure to leaving a 2-3 cm border (this will be the crust).
- To stretch, I like to use a method know as "The Steering Wheel" stretch. Here's how…Using both hands, pick the dough up from one edge & hold it in front of you like a steering wheel. Now rotate the dough in your hands, pinching to form a crust as you do so. As the dough rotates, gravity will stretch it into a large circle.With this method you have full control on the thickness of the crust. If you'd prefer a thinner crust, pinch the dough nearer the edge. For a thicker crust, pinch more towards the centre.
- Top the dough with a light layer of toppings then cook in a pizza oven at 400°c – 450°c (750°f/840°f) for 1-1½ minutes turning regularly with a peel to stop it burning.
Notes
1. Flour - This dough works best with Caputo Pizzeria flour. If you're using a different 00 flour, make sure to use one with a protein content of at least 12.5% & a W rating of at least 260.
2. Water - We're using cold tap water for our dough. The temperature of the water should be as close to 20°c/68°f as possible. A digital food probe comes in handy here.
3. Potatoes - I used Maris Piper potatoes for my dough but other floury potatoes will work. Russet or King Edwards would be some good choices. To get 120 grams of mash, you'll need to use a potato weighing around 200 grams.
4. Biga - Make sure not to mix the biga to form a dough. It should be clumpy & shaggy. If the room temperature is warmer than 16°c-18°c (60°f-64°f), use colder water in the biga (a few degrees colder) or ferment it in the fridge over several days.
5. Pizza Oven - If you’re like me & use a Gozney Roccbox, this dough cooks best when the oven is preheated to 400°c – 450°c (750°f/840°f) & the flame is set to medium-low.