FOOD NEWS
Elevate Your Pizza Dough With A Bit Of Leftover Pasta Water
BY MATTHEW SPINA
Pasta water makes a great addition to pizza dough, as it can improve both the browning and the interior structure of a pie due to the leftover starch and salt.
Pasta water adds extra starch to the dough, which breaks down into more simple sugars as it cooks. These sugars form new flavors in a process known as the Maillard reaction.
Pizza dough already has carbs, of course, but using pasta water is an extra infusion of the elements that cause browning and crisping, making the results even tastier.
Starch also provides extra sugar, which aids in the rise and flavor of the dough. It also absorbs the water released by gluten as it cooks, keeping the dough's interior strong.