Troubleshooting · symptom → cause → fix
The dough tears when I stretch it
Holes appear in the base when you stretch it, usually in the middle of the pizza.
Most likely cause
The dough is overproofed
How you know: The ball has spread out, the surface is shiny or full of large blisters, and the dough feels slack and thin.
Do this: Stretch extra gently and only with your fingertips. Next time: less yeast, shorter time or a colder fermentation.
Other possible causes
-
Too much force in the middle
- How to tell
- The hole appears where you pressed hardest, and the dough otherwise seems normal.
- Fix
- Press from the centre outwards, lift the dough over your knuckles and let gravity do the work. The middle should be thin, but it doesn't need the most handling.
-
Underdeveloped gluten
- How to tell
- The dough is both tough and fragile – it rips without stretching first.
- Fix
- Knead longer or do a few rounds of stretch-and-fold during the bulk ferment.
-
Weak flour for a long fermentation
- How to tell
- The dough held up well after one day but became fragile after two or three.
- Fix
- A stronger flour or a shorter cold fermentation.
Quick answer: a hole in the middle usually means overproofed dough or heavy hands. Either the dough has lost its strength, or the middle got more handling than it can take.
The nerdy explanation
During fermentation the gluten network is gradually broken down by enzymes from the yeast and the flour. Up to a point that makes the dough extensible – past that point it becomes fragile. It’s the same process that builds flavour in a long cold fermentation, so the limit isn’t an exact number: it depends on the flour, the amount of yeast and the temperature.
See stretching for a gentle technique, overproofed dough for how to recognise the problem and gluten for the background. More problems are in the troubleshooting section.
Frequently asked questions
Can I patch the hole?
Yes. Pinch the edges around the hole together, or lay a small piece of dough over it and press it down. Add sauce and cheese as usual – it rarely shows after baking.
How thin should the middle be?
Thin enough that you can almost see your hand through it against the light, but without holes. Leave a rim of 1–2 cm untouched.