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Question:
The time that it takes to mix our dough is 20 minutes. We have tried mixing in a higher speed, but the mixer can’t handle it. What can we do to mix our dough faster?
Answer:
If your mixer is operating within its design capacity, that is, it is not overloaded with dough, I would look at two actions to reduce the mixing time. The first thing to do is to put the water into the bowl first, then add the other dry ingredients. We have found that this alone may reduce the mixing time by as much as 50%. Remember, you only want to mix your dough to a smooth consistency and appearance, you really don’t want, or need to have a fully developed gluten structure as you would for making breads. If you still need to reduce the mixing time even more, your only action now is to add a reducing agent to the dough such as L-cysteine (PZ-44), glutathione (dead yeast) or vegetable powder (garlic and/or onion). These products are all commercially available from your regular ingredient suppliers. The vegetable powder can be had as a deodorized vegetable powder from Cain Food Industries, Dallas, Texas (Tel: 214-630-4511) or if you don’t object to the added flavor of onion and/or garlic in your dough, you can add onion and/or garlic powder at 0.25% of the flour weight. This is equal to two ounces per 50 pounds of flour weight. These reducing agents will further shorten the mixing time by as much as 25 to 30%. A note of caution though, excessive use of any of these materials can result in an excessively soft and sticky dough, and proceed cautiously if you are holding your dough in the cooler for more than a day or two, as they may contribute to an excessively soft dough condition after several days of refrigerated storage.
Question:
We get a lot of calls for our garlic knots and at times we find it hard to keep up with the orders. Can we par-bake our garlic knots to help speed up the turn around time on them?
Answer:
Garlic knots lend themselves very well to par baking. Form the knots and allow them to proof/rise in the normal manner, then bake them at about 350˚F in a deck oven or at about 325˚F in an air impingement oven. Bake the knots until they are a light, golden or sandy color. Place onto screens or wire racks to cool thoroughly, then place into boxes or trays lined with a plastic bag approved for food contact. Close the bag tightly and store at room temperature. The knots can be stored like this for up to three days. I like to use them by the fourth day due to the increased possibility of mold growth after four days storage at room temperature.
To use the par-baked garlic knots, place onto a screen or baking tray and bake along with your pizzas. In an air impingement oven this will take about three minutes, or about five minutes in a deck oven. As soon as the knots come out of the oven, brush them with a commercial garlic butter or garlic oil and sprinkle with a blend of powdered Parmesan and Romano cheese and herbs such as dried basil, oregano, and onion powder (this is the same blend as you would use on breadsticks) and serve. Due to the vast differences in ovens used, you might need to experiment a little to find the baking time that works best for you. In some cases we have had to cover the knots with a piece of foil to prevent burning the knots while reheating them, and in another store we had good results with spraying the knots with water before putting them into the oven, and in yet another store we had great results by placing the knots into a foil tray like one would use for catering, we brushed the knots with oil and covered them with a piece of foil and passed then through the oven along with the pizza order. When they came out of the oven we brushed them lightly again with the garlic flavored butter and applied the herb and cheese topping. Like I said, you might need to experiment a little to see what works best for you in your store.
Question:
How do you make an emergency dough?
Answer:
An emergency dough formula is much like a life insurance policy. You want to have one, but you don’t look forward to using it. My approach to an emergency dough is to keep it as simple and as close to your regular dough formula as possible, this way it will be familiar to you and your staff. The object of the emergency dough is to provide a useable dough as quickly as possible, so the steps that we are going to take are calculated to speed up the dough process as much as possible without letting things get too far out of control. Make the following changes to your regular dough formula; double the yeast level and increase the water temperature by 10 to 15˚F. You are looking for a finished dough temperature of 85 to 90˚F. Immediately after mixing, divide the dough into desired weight pieces and form into balls, place the dough balls into dough boxes, or your regular storage containers, wipe each dough ball lightly with salad oil, cover and set aside at room temperature. The dough should be ready to begin using in about an hour. Because this dough is moving faster than your regular dough it will not keep as long as your regular dough. Typically, emergency doughs will have a life of only 90 to 120 minutes after you begin using it. After that, you can either discard the dough or, as I have done many times, shape the dough into skins and place on screens in the cooler. This will allow the dough to cool rapidly so it can be saved for use later in the day. Keep in mind though that you will probably need to make another emergency dough every couple hours or so to get you through the busy periods of the day. Those pre-formed dough skins that you put in the cooler will help you through the slower periods without the need to make another dough. Remember, an emergency dough is just what its name implies, something to be used in the event of an emergency, when your regular dough has failed or was lost for whatever reason. It will not have the same flavor profile as your regular dough, and yes, it will require the expert attention of a skilled bubble popper, but all said and done, it will allow you to keep your doors open and the lights on when you might have otherwise had to lock-up and go home.