My dough didn’t grow / hasn’t proofed properlyUpdated 7 months ago

After you've kneaded your dough, you should let it rise until it approximately

doubles in size. If your dough isn't doubling in size, there are a few reasons

why this might be happening.

**1\. Room is too cold**

Room temperature affects how quickly yeast works, thus how quickly dough

rises. Warmer rooms = faster working yeast (faster rise). Colder rooms =

slower working yeast (slower rise).

If your dough isn't rising and you want to speed things up, place it in a

warmer area such as an airing cupboard.

**2\. Dough hasn 't had enough time to rise**

If your dough doesn't rise for long enough, the yeast won't have enough time

to work.

The [_Ooni App_](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ooni-pizza-ovens/id1043854726)

is a great tool for determining exactly how long you should be letting your

dough rise for, based on a variety of other factors (quantity of dough,

hydration level, salt content, type of yeast used, etc.).

**3\. Too much salt **

Salt is necessary for tightening the gluten structure in your dough, but if

you use too much of it, the gluten structure will become too tight. This can

prevent your dough from rising properly. For a classic Neapolitan pizza, aim

for 2.5% to 3% salt.

For example, if your recipe calls for 1kg of flour:

2.5 % salt| 3% salt

---|---

= 25g| = 30g

**4\. Inactive or out-of-date yeast**

Using expired yeast will prevent your dough from rising properly. To test if

your yeast is active, place 1 teaspoon of yeast into some lukewarm water with

a pinch of sugar. If there's no reaction, your yeast should be replaced.