Bread Dough vs. Pizza Dough (The Differences and Their Unique Uses)

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Spotting the differences between bread and pizza dough can be challenging for non-expert bakers.

Both have similar looks and, in fact, share the same essential ingredients. A lot of times, they can even be used interchangeably.

However, what makes them really different is their moisture and gluten content, additional ingredients, fermentation duration, and the kneading process. 

Interested in learning more about these differences? 

In this post, I’ll break down the dissimilarities between those types of dough in detail. I’ll also introduce you to the unique uses of each one.

The Five Main Differences Between Bread Dough and Pizza Dough

It’s true that both pizza and bread doughs are leavened and share the same basic ingredients. 

Still, the following are a few aspects that make them different from each other:

1. Moisture Content

The moisture content of bread dough is significantly higher than that of pizza dough. That’s because bread dough includes a higher water-to-flour ratio.

In some bread dough types, the moisture level can reach up to 80%. Pizza dough, on the other hand, has a water content that usually ranges between 50% and 70%. 

2. Gluten Levels

Pizza dough should be rich in gluten to be highly stretchy and extensible, just like bakers prefer.

Bread dough, though, contains slightly less gluten, as it shouldn’t necessarily be at the same level of stretchiness as pizza. 

This difference in the gluten content is the result of the flour type used in each dough.

Bakers usually prepare a pizza with flour high in protein. Conversely, they prefer to make bread dough from low-protein flour, such as all-purpose types. 

3. Ingredients

Both doughs are made from flour, oil, salt, water, and a leavening agent. Nonetheless, some bakers include additional ingredients to bread dough to match their desired recipes. 

These ingredients include butter, eggs, milk, cream, and a little sugar, to name a few.

Ingredient ratios in the two doughs are also different. A fundamental dissimilarity is that pizza dough contains less fat and moisture.

4. Kneading

One key purpose of kneading pizza and bread dough is to create strong gluten networks. 

Here’s the thing: because bakers want a stronger gluten network in pizza dough compared to bread, they usually knead it more vigorously.

5. Fermentation Time

Both dough types require several hours of fermentation to form the desired texture and achieve proper flavor distribution. 

Nonetheless, pizza dough requires more fermentation time than bread dough. You can ferment bread dough for only multiple hours before baking it. 

That said, I recommend fermenting pizza dough overnight, ideally 3-5 days, before baking to give its gluten the optimal time to develop perfectly.

Can I Use Bread Dough for Pizza? 

You can use some types of bread dough to make pizza if you add a few tweaks. These tweaks usually include giving it more fermentation time and adding a bit of sugar right before baking. 

Still, to determine whether your bread dough is suitable for pizza in the first place, you should check its ingredients. 

If it’s made of only the basic ingredients: flour, water, salt, oil, and leavening agent, it’s a good choice. 

If, however, it contains egg, butter, sugar, vanilla, or other additions, it won’t suit pizza. The same applies if the dough includes flavoring that considerably affects the pizza taste.

While pizza dough makes an excellent pizza, you may be surprised at what else you can make with it. The following are some baked goods you can use pizza dough to make and how to prepare them:

1. Cheese sticks: Cut your pizza dough into strips, brush it with butter or oil, and sprinkle Italian herb and parmesan cheese over the top.
2. Mini pizzas made in a muffin tin: Create pizza dough squares, press them into a muffin pan, and add your toppings.
3. Turkey pot pies: Put your pot pie ingredients in your baking bowl and top it with squares or rounds of your pizza dough.
4. Cinnamon rolls: Just roll out your dough, sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture on it, roll it up, and cut it into rounds.
5. Calzones: These are made from folded-over pizza dough, filled with your favorite ingredients, and crimped around the edges like a tart.
6. Zeppoles: These are fried dough rolled in sugar, kind of like a donut hole.
7. Monkey bread: Pack pieces of pizza dough into a bundt pan. Once it’s cooked, drizzle the breakaway bread with a confectioner’s sugar icing.

7 Things You Can You Make With Bread Dough Besides Bread

Bread dough is also versatile; you can use it to make foods other than just bread. The following are seven of the most common options you can make with this dough:

1. Deep dish pizza: Make it the way you would with pizza dough. Still, knead this dough more to make it more flexible, giving it more gluten.
2. Cinnamon buns: Roll out your bread dough into a large rectangle. Fill almost the entire space with white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Roll up the dough, then cut it into rounds.
   Once baked to a light brown, allow them to cool for about five minutes, then drizzle with a confectionery topping.
3. Home-made hot pockets: Roll out your bread dough into rounds. Then, fill one round with ham and cheese, then top it with another round and crimp the sides.
4. Garlic knots: Roll the dough into a rectangle, then cut into strips and twist into a knot. Brush with butter, garlic, and Italian herbs.
5. Antipasto pull-apart bread: Place pieces of bread dough in a greased bundt pan. Top with your favorite antipasto items, then top with more bread pieces.
6. Stuffed pizza: Prepare your bread dough just as you would with your pizza dough. To make this stuffed pizza, roll the dough out into a round.
   Fill with your favorite ingredients, then top it with another bread round and cover it with tomato sauce.
7. Pretzels or pretzel rolls: You can shape your bread dough into twisted pretzel shapes or make them sandwich rolls-like. Brush them with butter and top with coarse sea salt.

Final Thoughts

Now, you completely understand the differences between bread and pizza dough. 

Many like the consistency of their pizza when they use bread dough to make it instead of pizza dough. And pizza dough might make better cinnamon rolls rather than the bread dough version.

No matter which dough you prefer, plenty of online recipes can give you ideas on how to use each. Experiment with both types of dough to see which one you like to bake with more.

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