I get a lot of questions about why dough balls “blow” after being placed in the cooler for extended holding/cold fermentation. The reason is either due to excessive yeast or a temperature control/dough management issue. But in only a handful of instances have I ever been able to attribute … More

What changes do I need to make to my dough formula and procedure for a take-and-bake pie?   To make a pretty decent take-and-bake pizza using your existing formula, you just need to make the following changes: 1. Reduce the dough absorption by 2% compared to what you use for your … More

Q Is there any benefit to adding eggs to my pizza dough?   A Pizza makers have been adding eggs, either whole eggs or egg whites, to their doughs for many years—and for different reasons. Whole eggs can provide better browning characteristics and, to some extent, even deliver a richer flavor. … More

Q How can we keep our pizzas from sticking to the peel?   A There are several things you can do about this problem, but start by making sure you’re using the right peel. Pizza peels come in two styles: metal and wood/composite. The wood/composite peel is the correct peel to … More

Q We want to increase our volume, so we were thinking about prebaking our dough until it’s lightly browned and setting it aside for later use when we get really busy. This would reduce baking time and allow us to make more pizzas in rush periods. Is this a … More

Q Why do I need to cross-stack boxes of dough balls in the cooler? Coming back later to down-stack the boxes is a real pain.   Cross-stacking the dough boxes allows the dough balls to cool down at a consistent, uniform rate. If the dough boxes are not cross-stacked, the … More

Q Our customers occasionally complain about the cheese sliding off their pizzas when they take a bite. How do we prevent this?   A Research has identified several factors responsible for the dreaded cheese slip. They include: 1. Too much sauce. In this case, the cheese is practically floating … More

Q We recently made dough that came out speckled. Otherwise, it performed normally, and the crust didn’t taste any different. What happened?   A Speckling is caused by one of two factors. If you added a blend to the flour for vitamin and mineral enrichment, the speckling might be … More

Q How do you know if your dough has been mixed long enough?   A Pizza dough that’s mixed at a pizzeria and refrigerated for use over the next few days is typically mixed just long enough for the dough to develop a smooth-looking skin. (Pizza dough doesn’t require … More

Q We want to start offering a take-and-bake option on our menu. What should we keep in mind?   A Your greatest challenge will be making a pizza that is “consumer-proof,” one that will perform at a satisfactory level even if the consumer doesn’t bake it for several days or bakes … More

Q How do I change a dough formula expressed in percentages to one based on weight measures?   A I hear this question a lot, but I don’t mind explaining it to anyone who doesn’t understand the bakers percent. By showing a dough formula in bakers percent, we can … More