What to Do If Your Pizza Dough Gets a Hole

While you are rolling or tossing your pizza dough, sometimes you’ll have a hole develop. If you keep working the dough, this hole will get larger and larger. The hole develops in an area of the dough that is thinner than the surrounding area. This might feel like a pizza disaster, but don’t panic! 

If you do get a hole, it is easy to fix. Just lay your dough down on a flour-dusted surface and pull the edges of the hole back together. Pinch the dough until the hole is closed, and then continue with your rolling or tossing. If the hole is bigger, grab a small piece of excess dough or trim some from an edge. Press it over the tear and blend the edges so it holds during baking. 

If you get another, then you may need to make sure that you are rolling to tossing your dough evenly all around. Be sure to dust your work surface with enough flour to prevent sticking. 

You can prevent holes in your dough by allowing the dough to rest longer before rolling or stretching. Give it at least 10-15 minutes before rolling out. Try to roll it out to an even thickness to avoid any thin spots. And leaving the dough a bit thicker, rather than rolling very thin, can prevent the dough from tearing or ripping. 

Worst case? You’ll just need to start over. Ball up your dough, let it rest a bit, and then give it another go. With some practice, you’ll find you rarely have holes in your pizza dough.