Why Pizza Tears

Pizza tearing usually happens when the dough is too weak, too wet, or stretched too thin in the centre.

The biggest mistake I made early on was trying to make the dough paper-thin. It looks good on the bench, but once it hits the peel or stone, the centre can grab, stick, and rip.

Common causes

• Too much sauce or wet toppings
• Dough sitting too long on the peel
• Not enough semolina underneath
• Dough overproofed and weak
• Centre stretched too thin
• Launching too slowly

What helped me

The biggest fix was using semola under the dough and launching quickly after topping.

I also stopped stretching the middle too aggressively. The centre should be thin, but not transparent.

Simple rule

If the dough feels floppy and sticky, slow down and use less hydration next time.

Watch: Charlie Anderson on Better Dough

Strong dough comes from the complete process - flour choice, mixing, rest, fermentation and careful handling all work together.