02/28/2026
How I teach people to stretch dough at Wheated
Part 2 – opening up the dough ‘skin’
Muscle memory is a big part of being proficient at stretching. Doing the same thing over and over. Practice will get you there.
First, identify the top and bottom – Remember the top will always want to go into the oven facing UP for the best bake.
Using the top third to half of your fingers, push down about one half inch away from the edge. You really want to avoid crushing the outside edge but you can gently tap the edge to identify and pop larger bubbles that will become burnt bubbles/flaws in the final bake. I do the same thing here every time. Push down with one hand, 1, 2, 3 and even 4 times, move, push down with one hand 1, 2, 3 and even 4 times, move, push down 1, 2, 3 and even 4 times.
Flip the dough ball over and repeat. All the time, keep track in your head what side is the top.
Note - I normally avoid pushing down hard on the center but the larger the stretch, the more you do that. In the video you will see me pushing and slapping the center at times but it is not an aggressive amount that would thing the dough out a lot. Just keep in mind the center should be a little thicker because that extra dough is needed to have a nice even stretch when you fully open the dough skin.
Now we get to the part a lot of folks have trouble with. The ‘spin move’. The goal here for me is to not open the diameter of the dough ball but to even the outer crust. The combination of the prior step (setting the basic shape of the crust) and this part will be what determines the size and evenness of your final crust. If you want more crust, or less, adjust here.
Keys to notice – my finger tips are not on the crust, but ride inside the edge of the crust helping to define it. I am not pushing down but the crust is gliding under my fingers and I pull it. FYI – for most people the ‘stationary’ hand in this move would be your dominant hand.
Hope that helps someone. Part 3 to come. I may also do an additional post on some common issues/mistakes and how to fix them.