The five common reasons
Pizza dough is made of flour, water, yeast and salt: all natural products. Add time and temperature, and there are plenty of things that can stop the perfect dough from rising. One mistake is enough.
Is the water right?
Too little or too much water makes the dough too dry or too wet, and both slow down the rise.
Use lukewarm water. Yeast loves a lukewarm bath and hates a hot or cold one: hot water can kill it, cold water makes it sluggish.
Our dough calculator works out the water for you. At 65 % hydration, 1,000 g of flour takes 650 g of water.
Is the yeast still good?
Old yeast is the most common cause. Once yeast comes into contact with air or moisture, it slowly stops working. Store it in a dry place, in a closed, airtight packet or jar.
A little less yeast than the recipe asks for is no problem: just let the dough rise a bit longer. More yeast than the recipe says is a problem, because it affects the taste.
More about the different kinds in What types of yeast can I use for pizza dough?
Did the salt touch the yeast?
Salt slows yeast down, and in direct contact it can damage it. So do not put the salt and the yeast together. Mix the salt with the flour first and then add the yeast, or dissolve the salt in the water and then add the flour and yeast.
How long should I knead the dough?
Until it is smooth and elastic, then stop. Kneading builds the gluten that holds the gas from the yeast. Knead too short and there is not enough gluten; knead far too long and you break it down again. Both give a dough that does not rise well.
At what temperature should pizza dough rise?
At about 25 °C (77 °F). At a lower temperature the dough still rises, but it takes longer, so give it more time.
How do I get a good pizza dough every time?
It starts with a good recipe. Try a few and stick with the one that gives you the best results. Weigh the ingredients and add them in the order the recipe describes.
Our best pizzas came from just the four basic ingredients. Wondering about milk or eggs?