Balling – weight, technique and the tray they rest in
An even ball is half the stretching. Two techniques step by step, why 250 g is weighed rather than guessed, and how the balls should rest while they ferment.
Quick answer: always weigh your dough balls – the house method lands on 250 g per ball – and never go by eye. An even, taut ball gives an even stretch; a lopsided ball gives a lopsided pizza, however good you are at stretching.
Two techniques
The most common technique drags the dough towards you in circles on a lightly floured worktop until the surface is taut and smooth (the friction against the worktop builds the tension). The alternative is to fold the dough in on itself from several sides and then roll it lightly between your palms. Both work – pick the one that gives you an even, taut surface without tearing the dough.
Where the balls should rest
Put the finished balls in separate, lightly oiled compartments (a dough tray or individual containers) so they don’t grow into each other or form a dry skin during fermentation. Read about the fermentation itself in the fermentation guide, and if you want to keep balls for later, see the frozen dough balls page for what freezing is expected to cost you.
The next step after fermentation is stretching. The full recipe is in Neapolitan pizza dough, and misshapen balls that spring back are covered in dough shrinks back.
