FOOD NEWS
David Chang's Simple Tip For Extra Crunchy Flatbread Pizza Crust
BY KAREN HART
Flatbread pizza crust with a little extra crunch has never been easier to achieve now that chef David Chang has explained that the key is hydration.
In a recipe post for House & Home, Chang stated, “This dough should be a little more hydrated than the standard flatbread dough to give it more of that light, shattery crunch.”
Chang continued, “So, ideally, make the dough with a little extra water, enough to make it a loose dough, not one that comes together into a neat ball.”
It may seem counterintuitive to add moisture to create a crunchy crust, but this baking science goes all the way back to grade school lessons about the water cycle and evaporation.
All that hydration evaporates in the hot oven as the crust bakes, prompting two things to happen. First, when the moisture evaporates, it dries out the outside layer of the dough.
Second, the evaporation creates steam that is soaked up like a sponge by the starches in your dough. This absorption produces a starchy gel needed to develop a crunchy texture.