Can Canola Oil Work Well for Pizza Doughs?

Yeast, sugar, salt, and flour – you have all your ingredients for a pizza.

But hardly anyone remembers about oil, which can make a major change to your dough. For some reason, adding oil has become optional. However, oil can easily become the star of your pizza by enhancing flavor and texture.

Now, which oil to choose? Traditional olive oil? Or can you use canola oil for pizza dough?

Canola oil on pizza dough is pretty common. As the oil is good for frying so the pizza crust will be crispier outside but soft and moist inside. The difference with other oil is in their flavor, color, and fat content. However, lIke olive oil, you will still get the soft dough that you desire. 

So, how to use canola oil in your dough? In what ways do different oils change your pizza? Find it all here.

Can You Use Canola Oil For Pizza Dough?

Users have claimed and shared their experiences with using canola oil for pizzas. They are delighted with the outcome. It is also healthy and low in fat.

Firstly, canola oil will add a different taste, texture, and color. The flavor will definitely blow your mind!

Canola oil is also great for making an authentic New York-style pizza or an American pie. As you bake, the oil will ensure that the crust doesn’t burn but adds some crispiness.

Adding your oil to the pizza dough mixture works, but you can drizzle some on the resting dough for smoothness. Kneading with oil will make the dough stretchy, fluffy, and moist.

But ensure that you don’t soak your dough with canola oil; use only a tablespoon or two.

What about Vegetable Oil?

The primary function of vegetable oil is to grease your pan, so the dough doesn’t stick. Sometimes, we spray some oil around the dough to make it moist. Vegetable oil will still make a fluffy and soft dough for pizza.

However, it doesn’t add any flavor. Besides, it is high in saturated fat to cause health problems, especially for the heart. Perhaps, not the ideal choice of oil.

Olive Oil for Pizza Crust

The most classic oil we use nowadays for baking goodies is olive oil. So, for pizzas, be it for simple brushing, to add flavor, or even for a topping choice, olive is excellent and versatile. 

Olive oil will make your dough soft and fluffy if you use an adequate amount. You can decide it depending on the thickness of your pizza crust that your desire. It also provides a distinct flavor to your pizza crust. 

However, it is better to use olive oil for brushing on top of the kneaded dough before baking. Adding oil to pizza dough will make your crust crispy. Otherwise, olive oil can make your pizza soggy.

To avoid this, you need to bake for the right duration. Since olive oil has a high boiling point, your pizza will need baking for longer to dry out. 

You can choose a temperature of around 900 degrees and a time of 25 minutes. It will allow the perfect golden color with some pleasant brown spots.

As a bonus, you get one of the healthiest oil for your pizza.

Canola Oil Vs. Olive Oil: Which Oil Is Best For Pizza Dough?

When it comes to Italian pizza, olive oil is the first and most suitable choice. It provides the unique flavor you love in pizza. In addition, it’s highly healthy.

However, you can also use canola oil; it also works amazingly for pizza. It’s also healthy- low in saturated fat, however, a little less than olive oil. Most importantly, olive oil is expensive, whereas canola oil comes at a lower price.

However, in the end, it comes to your choice; both are healthy and great for pizza dough.

The most appropriate step is to mix them before adding them to the pizza. The flavor is exceptionally good.

Pros and Cons of Using Canola Oil:

Canola oil have both advantages and disadvantages.

Pros

Advantages of canola oil in pizza include-

• Canola oil allows the dough to rise and become stretchy and soft. 
• It makes the crust crispy without burning.
• There is less harmful saturated and trans fat.
• It also has heart-healthy omega fats.
• Cheap oil to use.

Cons

Using canola oil in pizza dough indeed has some detriments.

• Canola oil is modified with industrial solvents.
• It can raise inflammation levels in your body.

What does Oil do to Pizza Dough?

So, why do we need to make oil a primary ingredient for pizza?

Oil does a lot of things to your dough. It makes the dough stretchy and soft. The dough will also increase in volume after resting. Besides, your pizza crust will remain hydrated like your skin after baking, but not so much to drown your sauce. Like any cooking, the oil will ensure that your pizza won’t dry out but still offer a crunch. 

For any Italian-style pizza, use oil for flavor. Usually, people use different oil for different pizzas, and some include no oil. The best trick is to add or drizzle some oil just after kneading the dough to a shape.

How do Different Oils Change the Flavour of Pizza Dough?

The basic difference is the taste, especially for the crust. Olive oil has a distinctive flavor similar to butter oil on pizza. On the other hand, palm, canola, or corn oils flavor the crust. These oils contribute to offering an Italian or American taste.

For an Asian-style pizza, you can use sesame oil. You can blend two oils or oil substitutes like butter or lard. All these are suitable for the distinguished flavor of your pizza.

Preparing Pizza Dough With Canola Oil

It is the same recipe as a regular pizza, just with some drops of canola oil.

Ingredients

Let’s see what you need to make a delicious pizza with canola oil.

Dough: 

Whole wheat flour – 1 cup 

All purpose flour – 1 ½ cups

Instant yeast – 1 packet 

Luke warm water – 1 cup

Canola oil – 1 tablespoon

Salt – ¼ teaspoon 

Sugar – 1 teaspoon

Sauce: 

Peeled tomatoes – 2 cans

Olive oil – 2 tablespoons

Onion – 1

Garlic clove – 1

Tomato puree – 3 tablespoons

Dried oregano – 2 tablespoons

Brown sugar – 2 teaspoons

Toppings:

Onions

Any meat or fish

Mozzarella cheese

Black olives, cherry tomatoes, or bell peppers

Pepperoni or salami slices.

Recipe

1. First, make the dough by mixing flour, salt, sugar, and yeast with warm water. Knead thoroughly with enough stretching. At this point, you can decide whether to use oil in pizza dough. 
2. Brush some on top before keeping it to rest for at least 10 to 15 hours.
3. Now, make a crust using the dough after it has risen to a good volume.
4. Add your homemade sauce on top.
5. Now, add all your favorite toppings before finishing with cheese.
6. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the oven between 450 to 500 F.
7. Your pizza is ready.

Sufficient sitting time and controlled proportions will satisfy your dough’s enlargement.

FAQ’s:

• What is the best oil for pizza dough?

The best is always the most popular one. Hence, versatile olive oil is found to be the best among all for pizzas. Apart from an Italian essence, this one is also healthy for eating. But for the best results, go for extra virgin olive oil that is cold-pressed. Use it before adding all your toppings.

• How much oil is alright for adding to pizzas?

Too much oil in pizza dough can make the pizza soggy. It might not be a good crust and drench the toppings. Usually, a tablespoon or two is enough, depending on the size of the dough. If you put olive oil a little too much, let it dry off well using enough heat in the oven. 

• What to add to the pizza crust before baking?

Usually, it is recommended to drizzle oil on the dough before letting it rest. You can also add some while kneading the dough. If you use olive oil, brush it on the crust before adding all the toppings. If the crust feels too wet, bake it slightly in the oven and then make the entire pizza with toppings.

Final Words

So, finally, we can rest assured that canola oil for pizza dough is an excellent choice. This oil shows us how essential oil is for any pizza recipe. Undoubtedly, it changes the pizza’s overall texture, adding a different taste. But most importantly, canola oil is cheap and healthy to eat in low amounts.

But you can easily use any oil or a blend of oils. Ultimately everything depends on the dough, so ensure that you control the ingredient portions. In addition, be aware of the duration and temperature of baking.