Oils in Pizza Dough: How Much, When, and Why
- Fabio
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Many pizza makers use them, few truly understand them!
Just a quick note before we dive in: there are many oils out there, but as far as I'm concerned, when it comes to pizza there's really only one worth considering: extra virgin olive oil, or EVO as I'll call it from here on. That's my reply every time somebody asks me what oil they should use... I guess it's because I'm Italian and it's been in my pantry all my life!
TL;DR - This article in short (click to expand)
Oils act as tenderiser IN the dough, it coats protein and starch molecules, shortening gluten strands and making the dough more extensible and easier to stretch. A good starting point is around 3% (some go up to 10%). Timing matters too: adding it early creates a better emulsion and more even distribution, but can slightly slow the rise — easily fixed with a touch more yeast.
It also affects crust colour (more golden, faster browning) and flavour, though EVO's taste fades and can turn bitter at oven temperatures, so it's best drizzled on after baking, not before.
Cost and calories are worth factoring in as well.
Why We Add Oil to the Dough
Let's start with the technical role. Oil is a tenderiser: it interferes with the formation of the dough's structure. Basically, oil "coats" the protein and starch molecules, making it harder for them to hydrate and, as a result, harder to build the gluten structure.
The outcome? Shorter gluten strands and a lubricating effect: particles slide past each other more easily, which makes the dough more extensible. If you're working with a mixer, there's a nice bonus too — less friction means less heat buildup in the dough.
On a practical level, you'll see this effect clearly when you stretch your pizza: with oil, the dough opens up more easily. If your go-to dough always fights back when you try to stretch it, try adding a bit of olive oil to your formula, it might just be the fix you need.
Not Just Structure, Flavour Too
Here's an important distinction, because "oil in the dough" and "oil on the pizza" are two very different things.
EVO also brings a change in flavour, and this applies whether you use it in the dough or, even more so, as a raw drizzle on the finished pizza. And here's a piece of honest advice: drizzle it after baking, not before. At the high temperatures inside an oven, EVO loses its flavour and can even turn bitter.
I know many people, including professionals, drizzle it on before baking. They say that the oil would create an emulsion with the moisture of the toppings, and this is enough to preserve its quality. It kind of make sense, atlhough I've never found a source that confirms. I'll keep on following my logic, though, and drizzle EVO only after bake.
What About the Crust Colour?
Another reason to add oil to the dough is colour: it contributes to a nicer, golden crust. Just keep in mind that oils conduct heat quite well, so the pizza browns faster. That means you'll need to adjust your baking times, or at least expect a different level of doneness compared to a dough without oil.
To recap, the main reasons to use EVO in your dough are four: more softness, better extensibility, flavour, and colour.
The Two Questions You're Probably Asking
At this point, two questions usually come up.
How much oil should I use?
In my experience, to notice the effects I've described, you need at least 3% in baker's percentage. That said, I've seen some people go as high as 10%, so there's quite a bit of room depending on the result you're after.
When should I add it?
First thing to know: many pizzaioli don't use EVO in the dough at all. I'm one of them. It's purely a matter of preference, there's no right or wrong here.
That said, the "textbook rule" is to add it towards the end of the mixing phase, once the gluten structure has already formed. The reason is that oil also exerts its coating effect on yeast, so adding it early in the process could slow down the rise.
If that were the only issue, it would be easy to fix: just use a bit more yeast 🤷🏻♂️
Besides, if you add it early, the oil has a chance to form an emulsion with the free water in the dough, leading to a more even distribution and more consistent effects in the baked pizza. And this holds true whether you're hand-kneading or using a machine.
Finally, if you add the oil later, it takes longer to fully incorporate it, which means the dough ends up warmer than expected due to the longer mixing time. Just another reason to add it early...
...UNLESS...
...Unless you're using very high percentages (like the 10% I mentioned). In that case it's actually recommended to add it after full gluten development, because the coating effect on starch & proteins and the delaying effect on yeast's activity would definitely be a factor.
Two Last Things to Keep in Mind
Before wrapping up, two practical points that often get overlooked:
The cost: for example, a good quality extra virgin olive oil isn't cheap, especially the really good stuff. Worth factoring into your costs.
The calories: just for reference, 5 grams of most oils amount to roughly 45 calories. Something worth being aware of if you have specific dietary needs.
At the end of the day, oils in the dough aren't mandatory or forbidden, they are a tool. It's up to you to decide whether and how to use it, based on the result you're after.
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