Dough Press Question

[system]

So I am two months away from my opening and I need some advice. When I worked in a pizza shop a while back, the owner handled his dough as follows. We would make a batch, let it sit for 2-3 hours, make dough balls, put through dough roller and onto metal pan stacked 10 high and into cooler. We would use the dough up to three days and cook in pan in a Q-matic oven.

This time I am thinking about making dough balls, and putting them in the cooler as dough balls. Then, when ready for use, throw on heated dough press, then onto pan and this time into a Roto-Flex oven.

Should I have any concerns with my new process or am I headed on the right path…
Thanks guys for all of your help.

kevin

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Kevin;
First off, you really should allow the dough to temper at room temperature for about an hour or so. Failute to do so can give you fits with blisters and bubbles on your crust during baking. Also, you didn’t mention any proofing time for the dough to rise in the pan after pressing, so I’m going to assume that you are making a thin crust pizza. A couple of things to keep in mind about pressed pizza skins. For best pressing properties your dough should contain at least 3% oil and better to go with 5% (based on the flour eweight). Also, since a well relaxed dough is critical, I like to include some PZ-44 in my pressed pizza doughs. The PZ-44 eliminates the problem of snap-back or dough memory.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[system]

I really do appreciate your help and advice that you give in the forum. Is there any way that I can email some detailed questions about my future operation?

Thanks again,
kevin

 

[pizzaguy]

I do mine a bit different then what you are talking about and it works well for me.
I Make my dough in the morning ball it let it rise for about 20 min then press it on a dough press. I then cover and stack it and let it rise for about 15-30 min. It then goes into the cooler where it sits untill it is used either that eve or the next day.

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Pizzaguy;
You must be using some type of reducing agent or additive material containing a reducing agent as one of its ingredients in your dough to allow you to press it out so soon after scaling and balling it. This would be especially so in view of the strong, high protein flour that you have up there. Or, maybe you’re using a much lower protein all purpose or pastry flour? The other thing that can cause problems is when you put the dough into a pan and then stack them in the cooler. The pans do not allow the dough to cool down very uniformly unless they are left open and seperated. I’m not saying that what you are doing is wrong, it works for you and that is all that’s necessary to make it right for you, but I can see some potential problem areas as I’ve pointed out above.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[pizzaguy]

In all honesty I have been using this dough formula since I bought the business 7 years ago and it just works! lol Maybe I could improve things so if I can I sure am open to ideas.

I start with a “yeast pak” wich is 2oz fermipan dry yeast 2oz salt and 1.5 oz sugar. I then add 5 lbs warm water (65 deg) and 10lbs keynote 45 flour mix for 2 minutes and add 1/2 cup oil and mix for another 7 minutes. I then scale and ball it and cover it with a plastic bag untill it is soft (about 15-25 minutes) depends how warm or cold the store is. we then press it out on the dough press and pan it and cover it up and let it rest for about 1/2 an hour. We then put it into the cooler to stop it from continuing to rise.

If I leave it uncoverd in the pan in the cooler it gets dry so I have to cover it or is there a way to stop that? I guess I could brush some oil on it but then I think it would be to oily? Also if I let the dough rise to much before we press it out it doesnt seem to rise as well the second time that is also true if we let it rise to much once it is in the pan and covered. Now we do put it in the cooler just when it starts to rise so maybe that is why it works for us?

Any suggestions would be great if we could improve things
Thanks
Wayne

 

[Daddio]

Wayne

I do mine much the same as you. I weigh and ball the dough then let it rise for 30 min then press by hand into the pans then rise for 30 min and into the cooler.

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Pizzaguy;
What is the 10-pounds of “Keynote” that you mention in your formula? I’m not familiar with this product.
Tom Lehmann/TDD

 

[Daddio]

It is a pizza grade flour packaged under the Robinhood brand name by Smuckers Foods of Canada

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Bear with me here; That’s 10# of Keynote (45?) flour. Correct? What does the “45” stand for or is it just part of the flour name designation?
I’m trying to figure out what kind of flour is being used.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[Daddio]

I’m not sure what the 45 represents. The description in the order guide reads strong,unbleached,bread

 

[pizzaguy]

Thanks Daddio for helping with the information. Sorry I have been working my butt off and havent been able to reply sooner. I dont know what the 45 stands for but they have different types of flour aith different numbers. All I know is when I bought the shop 7 years ago this is what they used and how they did it so I just keep doing it the same way. I guess that is why I am asking questions to see if maybe there is a better way!