Q: We’d like to add calzones to our menu. Can we use our regular pizza dough, or do we need to make special dough just for the calzones? A: Some industry experts recommend a different dough for calzones—typically a richer one made with eggs and a higher fat level—but … More

Q Our customers have complained about the overly wide edge of our pizza crusts. We’ve tried docking them closer to the edge, but that doesn’t seem to help. Any suggestions? A This is a common problem for inexperienced pizza makers who stretch their dough by hand. They tend to … More

Q I keep having problems with bubbles in my refrigerated dough. What am I doing wrong?   A Preparing refrigerated dough for use is a crucial step in the pizza making process. If it’s done wrong, your oven tender will develop a needless attraction to the bubble popper. After … More

Q What’s the best hot press for my operation?   A Last month, we considered how using a dough press might require changes to your dough formula. Now let’s talk about the hot press itself. The hot press utilizes heat to improve the pressing of the dough and to form a … More

Q: We’re expanding our operation and may need to use a dough press instead of stretching our dough by hand. Will we have to make any changes to our dough formula?   A: If you’re planning to use a press, you’ll need to work with a very soft and extensible dough … More

Q Pizzaioli use baker’s percentage to formulate dough, but is there any way to express a sauce formula in percentages?   A Yes, there is a way to express a sauce formula in percentages. With dough, the percentages are based on the total flour weight, whereas the percentages for … More

Q: I’m having problems with my dough’s water absorption rate, even though I’m using the same ingredients I always used. What could be causing this?   A: Year in and year out, we add a measured amount of water to the mixing bowl, add a specific quantity of flour … More