The Role of Olive Oil in Pizza Making

Using olive as part of your pizza dough recipe might not be what you’d call traditional, especially authentic Neapolitan pizza dough, but it certainly has it’s uses. In fact, we believe the importance of olive oil for pizza dough is often overlooked. Whether drizzled over a finished pizza or integrated into the dough itself, olive oil contributes not only to the taste and texture, but also to the overall experience of enjoying a slice of your favourite homemade pizza.

Types of Olive Oil

We’ve probably all used olive oil at some point when cooking. It seems like just about every recipe starts with ‘add a glug of olive oil to the pan’. But it’s important to note that there are different gradings of olive oil, all relating to the press.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This is considered the best quality and tends to be the darkest in colour. It’s usually the most expensive too! However, it’s more than worth splashing out, especially when it comes to pizza. Extra virgin olive oil is oil extracted from the first press of the olives. This means it’s the richest in terms of flavour, and tends to have more sediment, especially high-quality extra virgin olive oils. This is why they have a low ‘smoke point’ and not suitable for adding straight into a hot pan as it’s likely to burn easily. It is though perfect for adding to salads. As well as… you guessed it, adding to dough and drizzling over a finished pizza!

Virgin Olive Oil

The grade down from extra virgin, but still good quality. Tends to have oil from the second and third press as well as that of the first press. Meaning it’s somewhat diluted. However,

What this does mean is that it has a higher smoking point. Making it more suitable for cooking with, and it tends to be cheaper to buy!

Refined Olive Oil

This is oil that has undergone a refining process to remove impurities, colour, odour, and some of the natural flavours found in virgin or extra virgin olive oil. This process typically involves the use of heat and chemicals to neutralise the oil’s acidity. We wouldn’t recommend you use refined olive oil.

Irrespective of the grading of olive oil you use (although we do urge you to use extra virgin), you should always try to look for an oil that’s made in Italy. It really is the best in terms of taste. Much like wine, olive oil gets its unique flavour from the region the olives come from, but to be honest that’s getting a little geeky (sorry!).

Adding Olive Oil to the Dough Recipe

Where we think olive oil plays a key role is adding it to the dough recipe itself. Even if the recipe you’re using doesn’t call for it, you can try adding it in as the amount you’d be using wouldn’t make a notable difference to the ratios. It’s important therefore to combine the water and the flour first, and poolish/biga if using, let it sit for 15 minutes, the add the olive oil. The reason for this is that oil has a tenderising effect on the dough which can result in an overly moist dough that’s difficult to work with and shape.

Pizza dough by its very nature is a lean dough, i.e. it doesn’t contain eggs or butter. Without the extra fat to make the dough soft, the end result can sometimes be a little too crisp for some people’s taste. The effect olive oil has on the dough will help the finished pizza have a delightful soft, chewy texture.

Using Olive Oil when balling your dough

Another good way to use olive oil is when balling your pizza dough. By simply rubbing some extra virgin olive oil on your hands before balling the dough it adds a protective ‘film’ to the doughball and a barrier to stop air getting to the dough and drying it out.

Pro Tip: If you do find your doughballs dry out at any point, all is not lost so don’t panic! You can simply add a little olive oil over the dough and then place a layer of clingfilm or a damp tea towel over the top for a few minutes. This should go some way to reviving your dough!

Drizzle, drizzle, drizzle

As we mentioned above, extra virgin olive oil has a fantastic, rich, earthly flavour in its own right. And as well as adding it to the dough recipe, you can drizzle it over the finished pizza too! Olive oil’s unique flavour complements other ingredients like tomatoes, cheese, and herbs, without overpowering them. It also adds a touch of indulgence to your pizza, as it has a luxurious, almost silky texture.

So, there we go. Something that you might not have thought of when making previous batches of dough, but certainly something that we think is worth experimenting with and trying out. We don’t think you’ll look back.

Whether you’re a seasoned pizza aficionado or still deciding which pizza oven to buy, our expert team is here to give as much advice as you need. You can get in touch on 01423 608648 or email in a question on sales@thepizzaovenshop.com.