New year dough goals

[cozyfriends]

Hi pizza friends!

I’m new here and just got my first backyard oven. My 2025 dough was wildly inconsistent, ne night Neapolitan, the next night frisbee. My 2026 resolution is to master fermentation instead of winging it.

What’s everyone working on for the new year?

 

[1m P1zza]

What’s everyone working on for the new year?

I think you have good goals for next year
I'm challenging my skills next year. I want to master fermentation for sourdough bread and working with laminated dough for croissants

 

[pizzaPizzap1zza]

doesn't have a dough goal, I always make the dough I think will go well with the toppings. I used New York style dough for my meat lovers pizza for New Year's Eve.

 

[Alan]

Hello @cozyfriends! Congrats on the new oven! Fermentation is a smart 2026 goal. Controlled proofing really does make dough behave more reliably. For me, I’m focusing on stretching technique so I stop making unintentional ovals.

 

[MutantRyeff]

My difficulty with pizza (or bread) doughs is dealing with the environmental changes in temperature and humidity. In the summer, in the house, I can have 90F+ with 10% humidity, and in the winter, I can have 70F with 90% humidity. My doughs in the summer are always better.

 

[Sheryl]

Totally with you on that @MutantRyeff . Yeast is way happier in those warmer summer temps, so fermentation just moves faster and smoother. Winter dough always needs a little extra patience.

 

[MutantRyeff]

Totally with you on that @MutantRyeff . Yeast is way happier in those warmer summer temps, so fermentation just moves faster and smoother. Winter dough always needs a little extra patience.

This past week, I pulled my pizza dough from the fridge several hours early and placed it in the oven with just the light bulb on. I'd never tried that process before, and helped waking up the yeast in the dough. I need to crank out a ball of dough to make a loaf of bread to see how that works out.

 

[Aar0n]

Congrats on the new oven! now, if you’re looking to kill the inconsistency, definitely grab a cheap digital scale and a notebook
tracking your room temp vs your fermentation time is the key
I’m actually working on cold fermentation timing this year

 

[CleanSlate]

Welcome! Fermentation is a great place to focus - it’s usually the missing piece. I’m working on dialing in cold fermentation timing and dough strength so results are more repeatable instead of hit or miss. Fewer variables, better notes, and resisting the urge to rush things has helped a lot.