We’re thinking of adding some type of pizza to the menu at our restaurant. We presently offer wraps for lunch, so we’re thinking of using our existing wraps for the pizza base/crust. Is this doable? To answer your question in a word: Absolutely! Wraps are not all that different from … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
Check Your Dough’s Temperature Before Opening It Into Skins
Q: What should the temperature of my dough be when I start opening it into skins? A: As we all know, pizza dough becomes noticeably firmer and harder when it’s cold, so we allow it to warm a little after removing it from the cooler. In most cases, we can … More
Dough Information Center
How to Achieve a Better Par-Baked Pizza Crust
Do I need to adjust my dough formula for a par-baked crust? Last month I explained how to prevent the formation of pita-like pockets in a par-baked crust. But there are other things you can do to facilitate making par-baked crusts in any oven type. While your regular pizza dough … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
How to Par-Bake Crusts in an Air Impingement Oven
Q: What are the secrets of achieving a pocket-free par-baked crust with an air impingement oven? A: Par-baking a pizza crust in an air impingement oven can be a dicey proposition, thanks to the high-velocity airflow to the top and bottom of the crust. This can lead to the … More
Dough Information Center
Preventing the Pita Effect in Par-Baked Pizzas
How can I par-bake a pizza crust so that it doesn’t develop into a pocket-like pita? There are several things you can do to keep your par-baked crusts from turning into pitas. Possibly the greatest factor is the bake itself. While pizza is baked from the bottom up, par-baked … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
Emergency Dough: Tom Lehmann Explains How to Deal With Blown Pizza Dough
Q: What is an “emergency” dough, and when would a pizzeria owner ever need to use it? A: An emergency dough is a dough that you make in the event that you should lose all of the dough that you have stored in the cooler. For example, a lightning strike might blow out a … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
Will Mixing In Salt and Sugar Kill Your Yeast? Tom Lehmann Says "Not Always."
I’ve heard so many conflicting stories about mixing yeast with salt and sugar. Will doing this kill the yeast? I can understand your confusion. This issue has seemed a cardinal rule for a long time now, but it doesn’t apply in all situations. The problem is that when wet … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
Quick-Fire Questions with The Dough Doctor
I tried making my pizza dough using malt syrup rather than the usual white sugar but, over time, my dough became very sticky. Is there a solution? You are most likely using a diastatic malt syrup, which is enzyme-active and is nothing more than a malt-flavored sugar syrup. The … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
What exactly is bakers percent?
Q I’ll be opening my first shop soon. When discussing my dough, everyone talks in bakers percent. Why is this? A When a dough is given in bakers percent, it is very easy to immediately see any issues with ingredient amounts. For example, if a dough based on … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
Keep your thin crust from becoming tough and chewy
Q: Our thin crust is always tough and chewy, and nothing we do seems to help. What are we doing wrong? A: There are a number of things that can impact a thin crust, resulting in a tough, chewy crust. One of the most common causes is insufficient dough … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
The Dough Doctor tackles effective dough management strategies
Dough management is an all-inclusive term used to encompass everything we do to the dough, from the time we begin mixing the ingredients until it is finally opened into pizza skins or formed into another product (breadsticks, garlic knots, calzones, etc.). Effective dough management means identifying the parameters necessary … More
Tom Lehmann: In Lehmann's Terms
Getting a Better Bake With Air Impingement Ovens
Q: We switched to an air impingement oven but can’t get a good, balanced bake between the top and bottom of our pizzas. Why? A: Your question is a fairly common one. I assume you’ve already worked with the baking time and temperature and made sure the oven … More