Question: I've heard of French bread pizza but I've never made it before. What can you tell me about this type of pizza? Answer: French bread pizza has actually been around for quite some time. It is a common sight in the frozen foods display case at your local supermarket. … More
Problems with dough and gel: Tom looks closer
Question: We're plagued with the presence of a gel or gum line just beneath the sauce on many of our pizzas. The problem seems to be worse on weekends and during busy, high production periods. What's causing this problem, and how can we correct it? Also, our pizza seems to … More
Hot stuff: temperatures explained
Question: In reading many of your articles and responses on the web site, I see you making reference to how important it is to achieve a specified finished dough temperature. Can you tell me how to determine what water temperature to use in order to achieve a specified dough temperature? … More
The more you know about dough…
Questions, Questions, So Many Questions: As most of you know, I'm an active participant at the PMQ Think Tank. I receive many questions both through the Think Tank and through participation in other pizza related web sites, and direct e-mail correspondence. Much of this correspondence is regarding production or quality … More
The numbers and nuances of dough
In the last issue I said that I would explain more of the advantages to expressing our pizza dough formulas in Baker's Percent. Previously, I explained how to convert a formula from Baker's Percent to a working formula in weight measures, and also how to express ingredient weights as Baker's … More
Take & bake special report
Take and Bake pizza has been with us for many years now, we just never recognized it for what it was. At one time customers would ask us to only partially bake the pizza for them, so they could finish it off in their oven at home. Then came the … More
Q&A with the dough doctor
QUESTION: We are trying to make a New York style pizza, but we have yet to be able to achieve the chewy texture. We have tried mixing the dough more and less, but to no effect. We have even tried increasing and decreasing the amount of water we add to … More
A breakdown of pizza nutrition
From time to time, I get a question regarding how to make pizza a healthier food. It seems that healthy eating is all the rage these days, and rightfully so. With our aging population and reports of overweight youngsters, we really should take greater care in selecting the foods that … More
In Lehmann's Terms: crust coloration and dough conditioners
QUESTION: I refrigerate my dough and use it over a three-day period. After two days, I do not get the good browning of the crust that I got on the first day. I've tried increasing the sugar, but then the crust gets too dark on the first day if I … More
In Lehmann's Terms: cornmeal use and the art of undermixing
QUESTION: I am new to the pizza industry and have seen that cornmeal is occasionally used on the bottom of some pizza crusts, but not on the bottom of others. Can you explain why? ANSWER: Cornmeal has been traditionally used on pizza crusts as a slip, or release agent to … More