Q: I’ve heard you recommend that the yeast not be put into the water with the salt and sugar. Why is this? A: Both salt and sugar can exert a great osmotic pressure (they impede the ability of the yeast to absorb nutrients through the yeast cell wall/membrane). This effect can impair … More
Dough Information Center
To Cook or Not to Cook Your Pizza Sauce?
An expert weighs in on the controversy over whether to use a cooked or uncooked sauce on your pizzas.
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
How to Make Emergency Pizza Dough
Blown dough is the bane of every pizzaiolo's existence, but there is a quick solution that should work anytime you need it.
Food & Ingredients
How Local Water Affects Your Pizza Dough
Does local water influence the taste of the finished crust? Not as long as the water is potable and doesn’t have any “off” flavors. If your local water is bad, a simple fix is to install a suitable water filter designed to address the issue at hand. Q: I’ve heard so many stories … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
Is Undermixing Pizza Dough as Bad as It Sounds?
Once your ingredients are well-incorporated into the dough, you can stop mixing right then and there. The key is to mix your dough until it develops a smooth-looking skin, which will make it easier to handle during the scaling and balling process. Related: How to calculate bakers percentage in dough … More
Food & Ingredients
Chef Leo Spizzirri Offers Tips For Take-And-Bake
Take-and-bake is a trend on the rise as more customers want to enjoy the high quality offered by independent pizzerias on their own terms. If you’re thinking of adding take-and-bake at your pizza shop, Chef Leo Spizzirri offers some pointers to keep in mind. Related: Legendary Totonno’s has a new … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
How To Calculate Bakers Percent in Dough-Making
In this timeless article republished from 2018, the late Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann explained the specifics of calculating bakers percent in dough-making. Bakers percent lets you easily pinpoint any issues with ingredient amounts in your pizza dough. Related: A simple solution to your pizza dough bubble troubles If you’re … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
A Simple Solution to Your Pizza Dough Bubble Troubles
If you make mistakes in preparing refrigerated dough for your pizza, your oven tender will develop a needless attraction to the bubble popper. Here’s how to greatly reduce or eliminate your bubble troubles after removing the dough from the cooler. Q: I keep having problems with bubbles in my refrigerated … More
Technology
Mixers to the Max: Getting the Most out of Your Dough Mixer
Ready to invest in a new dough mixer? You’ve got plenty of options to choose from. From planetary and spiral mixers to VCMs, these industry experts offer tips on how to choose the right one. A mixer is a major investment for any pizzeria—a heavy lifter that can thrive for … More
Dough Information Center
Solving the Mystery of Blown Dough
Blown pizza dough is usually a problem of temperature control or dough management, but cross-stacking dough boxes is important, too.
Dough Information Center
How to Minimize Snap-Back in Your Pizza Dough
If you’re using a dough press, you’ll need to start with a very soft and relaxed pizza dough to prevent snap-back. Even if you’re doing everything right, you still might have to add a reducing agent to your dough. Related: When your dough comes out wet and sticky Q: When … More
Dough Information Center
Why Does My Pizza Keep Sticking to the Peel?
If your pizza sticks to the peel when you put it in the oven, you might be using the wrong kind of peel for that purpose. Another possible culprit: the peel dust. Plain flour works, but there are some better alternatives. Related: Solving the double zero flour equation The late, … More