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Question:
Can I let my dough balls sit out and
proof at room temperature for a period of time before putting them into
the
cooler for overnight storage?
Answer:
It really isn't advisable to let the
dough balls proof for any amount of time before putting them into the
cooler.
The reason for this is because as the dough balls sit out and begin
proofing
(growing in size), they are developing a more open, porous internal
structure.
This open, porous structure actually makes the dough balls harder to
freeze due
to the fact that the porous structure is a better thermal insulator.
This is
much the same way that a thermal pane window works. The more porous the
structure within the dough ball(s), the better its insulating
properties, and
the more difficult it is to cool down to that magic temperature of
45˚F, where
fermentation will be arrested, or at least appreciably slowed down,
allowing
the dough to be held for an extended period of time in the cooler
without over
expanding or “blowing”. When we take the dough directly to the cooler
very soon
after mixing, the cell structure within the dough ball(s) is still
quite dense
and compact, with relatively poor thermal insulating properties. As a
result,
the dough will cool down more efficiently, and at a more predictable
rate,
which results in dough that can remain in the cooler for several days
with
satisfactory performance characteristics.
Along
these same lines, another
problem that I see when the dough balls are not taken directly to the
cooler
shortly after mixing is as follows—the dough is allowed to sit at room
temperature for, say 60 minutes before being placed into the cooler.
Depending
upon circumstances, that 60 minutes could become 75 minutes or more,
and if the
dough temperature is not right at the targeted temperature, more or
less
fermentation than anticipated might occur during that period of time.
This can
affect the way the dough cools down in the cooler, which can/will
affect its
performance after extended refrigerated storage time.
Question:
From time to time I notice that
there seems to be a bit of confusion in oven terminology between
convection
ovens and impingement ovens. What are the diferences?
Answer:
While similar in one aspect, these
two baking technologies are really quite different. The one way in
which they
are similar, and this is where the confusion seems to have originated,
is in
airflow. Both convection and impingement ovens use airflow to enhance
the heat
transfer/baking properties of the oven, but this is where the
similarity ends. With
a convection oven, the air is circulated throughout the oven by means
of fans
blowing the heated air around in the baking chamber. This heated air is
generally focused towards the product being baked, but in some cases it
is only
circulated around in the baking chamber, blowing across the product
being
baked. Impingement baking, on the other hand, utilizes heated air being
blown
onto the product in highly focused columns. These columns of heated air
strike,
or “impinge”, the product at a right angle (90˚) from both the top and
bottom
of the product as it is conveyed through the oven. As these columns of
heated
air impinge upon the product, they disrupt the cooling layer of steam
that
surrounds the baking product. Since the steam can only attain a
temperature of
212˚F, it is actually much cooler than the air within the oven. By
sweeping
this cool layer of steam away from the product, the heated air can
reach the
surface of the product being baked to achieve a better rate of heat
transfer,
which translates into a shorter baking time. One distinct advantage
that
impingement ovens have over convection ovens in the ability of the
impinging
air column to create waves on the surface of any water collected on the
surface
of the pizza. These mini waves serve to increase the surface area of
the water,
and thus increase its evaporative loss from the surface of the pizza
during
baking, resulting in a drier, crispier pizza. This is especially
important when
making pizzas with generous amounts of vegetable toppings.
The
same impinging air column that
gives the unique baking properties can also create some problems too.
Some
toppings may tend to scorch or burn as a result of being exposed to the
rapid
heat transfer properties of the collimated air. When this happens, it
is a
simple matter to change a portion of the air columns or block them off
entirely
with a black colored panel to achieve a more gentle radiant heating of
the
product. When the air columns are partially blocked off, significant
changes
can be made to the baking and heat transfer properties of those
columns,
allowing for a fine tuning affect of an oven to specific needs.
Changes
can be made to affect the
air flow characteristics of a convection oven too, but even with these
changes,
typical convection ovens are not well suited to the baking of pizzas.
The main
shortcoming of a convection oven in baking pizzas is its lack of
ability to
bake the pizza primarily from the bottom, a necessity in providing
pizzas with
a well baked, crispy bottom crust.
– PMQ –