Q: Can I freeze my pizza dough? Yes, pizza dough can definitely be frozen, but it cannot be frozen indefinitely. There are three very different dough freezing methods. Mechanical blast freezing employs temperatures between -20°F and -35°F, combined with an airflow of 600 to 800 linear feet per minute. Another … More
Dough Information Center
Neapolitan Pizza Dough
PMQ’s test kitchen is now open and ready for business. In addition to a recent visit from Las Vegas-based Metro Pizza’s John Arena, PMQ’s resident pizzaiolo Brian Hernandez gets things started this month with a special instructional video on making and stretching authentic Neapolitan pizza dough. Watch the video at … More
Dough Information Center
Creating a Pretzel Pizza Crust
QUESTION: What’s the secret to a good pretzel pizza crust? ANSWER: Lately, everyone’s talking about pretzel this and pretzel that. Pretzel buns for hamburgers and hot dogs are all the rage. I was recently asked how to make pretzel breadsticks, too. Since pizza dough is so similar to pretzel dough, … More
Dough Information Center
The Perils of Mexican Flour
QUESTION: I recently experimented with some flour that was imported from Mexico, but I soon realized something was dreadfully wrong. When we brought the dough out of the cooler after only 18 hours, it was very wet and almost soupy. Assuming we’d made a scaling error, we tried again, but … More
Food & Ingredients
Extending Mozzarella's Shelf Life
QUESTION: Can you offer any suggestions for prolonging the shelf life of fresh mozzarella cheese? ANSWER: In an earlier column, we explored several different options for storing fresh mozzarella, but there are some tricks for making it last longer, too. For starters, you should not reach into the liquid packing … More
Dough Information Center
Creating a Crispy Cracker Crust
QUESTION: I read somewhere that you developed a thin Chicago-style cracker crust that maintains a crispy texture throughout the entire bottom of the pizza, not just the corners of slices. What is the best way to achieve that level of crispiness? ANSWER: We developed this method a good number of … More
Dough Information Center
How to Minimize Snap-Back
QUESTION: We have been pressing out dough skins, but they keep snapping back. What are we doing wrong? ANSWER: In order to form a pizza skin using a dough press, you must have a very soft and relaxed dough. For starters, if you are using a high-protein/high-gluten flour, you might … More
Dough Information Center
Secrets of a Great White Pizza
QUESTION: I want to add a white pizza to my menu. I know there are a lot of different cheese-blend combinations out there. What are your personal favorites? ANSWER: My all-time favorite white pizza is made with a light application of Alfredo sauce in place of the standard tomato-based sauce. … More
Dough Information Center
To Cook or Not to Cook?
QUESTION: In your opinion, is it better to cold-mix or slow-cook a pizza sauce? ANSWER: “To cook or not to cook? That is the question.” There seems to be a great deal of controversy over this subject; arguments can be made for and against producing a cooked and uncooked sauce. … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
Adding Milk to Pizza Dough
QUESTION: I recently learned about a pizza shop in Chicago that uses milk in its dough recipe. What kind of a difference can milk make in the final pizza product, and how should it be used? ANSWER: The function of milk in pizza, or in any other type of yeast-leavened … More
Dough Information Center
A Pan for All Seasonings-;Part 2
QUESTION: In your previous column, you explained how to take care of seasoned steel pans. What about aluminum pans? ANSWER: We’ll look at two types of aluminum pans in this month’s column: bright finish and dark anodized finish. Bright Finish. Bright-finish aluminum pans come in two forms: raw (untreated) aluminum, … More
Dough Information Center
A Pan for All Seasonings
Question: What are the keys to taking care of seasoned pans? Answer: Pans come in two basic colors—bright finish and dark (green, gray or black)—and in two types of metal: steel and aluminum. Today we’ll talk about seasoning steel pans, and we’ll consider aluminum pans in my next column. Bright … More