I just ordered a new Univex Spiral Mixer at Pizza Expo. I’ve never used one before. Anyone have any experience with one. Currently we dissolve salt and sugar in water ad pour in first, followed by Oil, Flour. and instant yeast - mix for 12 minutes.
when I had my Impasti spiral, and my Hobart, nothing different…but I add oil a few minutes after the yeast/h20
I’m in agreement with Patriot’s Pizza. Add water, then salt and sugar (if used) then flour and IDY on top of the flour, mix a couple of minutes and add the oil. No need to stir/whisk/ or anything else to the salt& sugar in the water. Mixing time will be essentially the same as it was for the planetary mixer, watch your finished dough temperature though, in many cases I find that it is lower with a spiral mixer than with a planetary mixer, if you find that to be the case adjust your water temperature accordingly.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor
I’m understanding that we use Speed 1 for 2-3 minutes to combine the ingredients and then switch to speed 2 for 6 -8 minutes to mix. So I should put in the oil between the 2 phases.
It should get here tomorrow. (My new dough rounder should also get here tomorrow)
Yes, water, salt, sugar, flour and IDY, then mix just until you don’t see any dry flour, add the oil while continuing to mix in low speed, then change to the next higher speed to mix the dough (typically 8 to 10-minutes).
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor
Thanks for the help.
Our procedure is ice-water in the bowl, all dry ingredients on top, 12-minute mix time. Oil is added with 4 minutes left, or when there is no more dry flour creeping about the bottom edges of the mixing bowl.
I do not see myself ever using a planetary mixer for dough ever again,
Hopefully I’ll feel that way sometime. How long do you mix at speed 1 before switching to speed 2?
The main function of speed #1 is to allow for the blending and wetting of ingredients prior to going into a higher mixing speed. Failure to do so can lead to excessive amounts of flour dust being put into the air, or of the bowl is near or at capacity, tossed out of the bowl. To a great extent speed #1 on a planetary mixer serves the same purpose.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor
My spiral unit is an old Impasti, (done, out of business, no support for them anymore) it only has one speed, I was very leary about a spiral mixer in general because I’ve never used one, and knew nobody that has ever used one.
A few months back i had to use a planetary mixer at another restaurant to help them get a better dough formula together for their pizza, I used their off-brand planetary mixer, and it only reinforced my love of the spiral units.
Realize this an old thread but just wanted to say thanks for the information here! Switching to a spiral in one of our shops here and not worried about it …now.
I think that you will notice the dough will be looser on your cutting table… we let our orbital mixed dough relax before cutting for 10 mins… this is not needed in spiral… i think its harder to remove product also… performance won’t change… the dough doctor gave my brother and I this advice 15 years ago and we have used it in our pizzerias ever since… it allows for a more complete hydration of the flour molecule then when you add the oil and it contacts the dry flour the water is no longer able to penetrate completely… this advice actually eliminated a gum line problem we were having in our final product bake… Tom Lehmann can walk on water in our book!!!
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David;
Wow! Those are more than just kind words! To quote the words from my daddy " son, you will walk on water one day, but trust me, it will be a very, very cold day before you do" He was right. 
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor
We switched to spiral mixers 5 years ago and followed Toms advice right from the get go. Our dough quality improved instantly. No gum line. No weak floppy slices. Yet the dough is very soft and chewable. Sales have gone up, repairs and labor hours hours have gone down. We do pretty good size batches. 3 bags of flour, its about 230lbs coming out of the mixer.
We do add the oil a little earlier though. We run 3.5 slow and 5.5 fast. We add the oil right when it changes speed. I do it that way because it gives a good cue to the crew when to add the oil and reduces errors. We also add about 1/2 cup 30 seconds before it finishes to help pull the batch out.
I told myself that when this unit gets worn out I’m going to buy one with the hydraulic tilting lift so we can just flip the machine over and the dough is out. I’m just not sure its ever going to wear out.
Now that’s funny lolol…