Why is my pizza doughy in the middle?Updated 7 months ago

If your pizza is cooked on the top and bottom but raw in the middle once you

take a bite, this means that your pizza has developed a 'gum line'. There are

a few reasons why this might be happening.

**Reason 1. **Your oven wasn't hot enough

Before you launch your pizza, you need to allow your oven enough time to

preheat. For a classic Neapolitan-style pizza, your baking stone should be

between 753ºF and 852ºF (400ºC and 450ºC).

**Reason 2. **Your pizza base was too thick

If your pizza base is too thick, the middle won't cook quickly enough. For a

classic Neapolitan-style pizza, you should aim for your base to be about 3mm

thick. If you hold your dough up to the light, you should be able to see

through it.


**Reason 3. **You used too many toppings

Heavy toppings will weigh down your dough and prevent the middle from cooking

quickly enough. When making Neapolitan-style pizza, make sure you keep your

toppings light - less is more.


**Reason 4. **Your dough balls were underproofed

If you don't allow your dough balls enough time to proof, your pizza dough

won't have enough air in it. This will prevent the inside from cooking quickly

enough. Make sure you've let your dough balls proof until they've doubled in

size.