Does Long Fermentation Really Make Pizza More Digestible? The Science Says No
- Fabio
- Apr 20
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 24
Ask any pizza lover how to get a light, digestible pizza, and chances are you'll get the same answer: long fermentation.
It's become almost gospel in the pizza world. The idea is simple: an extended fermentation process "pre-digests" starches and proteins, so your stomach has less work to do.
There's just one problem. That's not actually true.
The "Pre-Digestion" Myth
The claim that starch and proteins get broken down enough to make your stomach's job meaningfully easier is bold. But it's not supported by science. And it's not validated by data.
Why? Because measuring exactly how much starch and protein break down during fermentation is incredibly difficult. You'd have to account for countless variables: the type of flour, its damaged starch content, dough hydration, fermentation temperature and time, the amount of enzymes present, and how active they are.
It's a complex puzzle. Even baking scientists working in state-of-the-art labs are still struggling to solve it. You have to wade through advanced textbooks and scientific papers to try to get to the bottom of things. I've listed a few useful sources at the end of the article.
What the Data Actually Says
Despite the complexity, some controlled tests have been carried out under realistic conditions—time and temperature comparable to everyday fermentations. And the results tend to agree on one thing:
The amount of starch broken down during fermentation is around 6-7%, and very often less than that.
Now let's put that number into perspective.
Starch makes up about 70-75% of an average pizza flour.
That flour is about 60% of your whole dough.
And your dough ball is roughly 55% of your entire pizza.
I'm considering an average pizza made with a 250g dough ball, topped with 100g of tomato and 100g of mozzarella: 450g in total.
Crunch the numbers, and the starch that gets "pre-digested" during fermentation ends up being about 1.6% of the entire pizza.
Even if you push fermentation to extremes—three, four, five days—and somehow double, triple, or quadruple that amount, you're still looking at single-digit percentages.
Proteins? Even Less
Proteins are the second most abundant component of dough, and they also get broken down during fermentation by their dedicated enzymes. But according to available data, over 24 to 72 hours of fermentation, only about 1-3% of proteins are degraded. An average pizza flour contains around 12% protein.
Run the same calculation, and you get a staggering 0.12% of the whole pizza.
What About Acidity?
Some people bring acidity into the conversation. The idea is that acidity helps break down starches and proteins.
That's partially true. But the acidity needs to be very high—a pH below 4, even 3.5. A typical pizza dough after fermentation usually sits around pH 5.5.
You can reach lower values with sourdough, but only with the right combination of temperature, time, and inoculation.
The bottom line is: long fermentation and pizza digestibility are not related.
The science simply doesn't support the claim.
What Actually Affects Digestibility?
So if long fermentation isn't the answer, what does make pizza easier to digest?
Think about croissants or brioche. They're barely fermented at all—the whole process takes just a few hours. And yet, nobody complains about digesting a croissant. Unless, of course, they eat thirty-nine of them.
That leads to the first real factor: QUANTITY.
The amount of pizza you eat matters. But so does the amount and type of toppings, especially their fat content. Fat is very hard to digest. A pizza loaded with three types of cheese, four types of meats, and a generous drizzle of olive oil? Good luck digesting that. Don't wonder why you feel bloated.
The second factor is BAKING.
You must bake your pizza thoroughly. Proper baking makes starch and proteins accessible to your own enzymes—both in your saliva and in your stomach. That's absolutely critical.
The Takeaway
Next time someone tells you their 192-hour dough is so light and digestible because of the long fermentation, you'll know the facts.
A truly digestible pizza doesn't come from days of waiting. It comes from eating the right amount, choosing your toppings wisely, and baking it properly.
If you want to dive deeper into this kind of topics, check out The Pizza Geek, the video course that will make you a baking science wizard. You might also consider becoming a member of my YouTube channel, join now to enjoy all the exclusive content!
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