The Dough Doctor talks about the use of fats in pizza dough   Q: What is the difference between using shortening and oil in pizza dough, and does it make a difference if the shortening is melted? A: There are a number of different aspects to usi...

Solving a Soggy Pizza Crust Bottom Q: We are experiencing a clammy bottom on our pizza, but our conveyor ovens were just recently cleaned. Where should we start trouble-shooting? A: There is no escaping this one –– you have to begin trouble shoot...

The Dough Doctor talks white pizza, laminated dough   Q: We want to do something a little different and offer a white pizza. Can you give some suggestions to help get us started? A: The two approaches that I’ve used successfully to make white ...

The Dough Doctor talks salt, breakfast pizza   Q: We are thinking about opening earlier in the morning to get in on some of the breakfast trade. Do you have any suggestions as to what we could make that would be well accepted? A: While some stor...

The Dough Doctor answers questions about flour differences and their impacts on pizza crust   Q: What is the difference between enriched and un-enriched flour, and bleached flour versus unbleached flour? A: As in many things that we like to eat,...

Is there a correct way to mix ingredients?   Q: I see differences in dough make-up procedures. Some call for stirring or whipping the salt, sugar, yeast and oil into the water and then finally adding the flour and mixing, while other procedures ...

Can you get a deck-oven taste from your conveyor? Q: We are new to air-impingement ovens, and I now want to begin developing a hearth-baked type of pizza. We have done some testing but all that we have been able to make is a crust that is crispy — ...

From start to finish, a sound process ensures a consistent final product   Q: I’m new to the pizza industry and I’ve heard you mention “dough management” in your articles and presentations, but I don’t understand exactly what it is. A:...

Q: I’ve seen any number of different ways in which the dough ingredients are staged/ added into the mixing bowl. Is there really a difference, or is it a case of just whatever you are taught to use? A: I think some ingredient staging procedures can...

Q: What is the best way to determine if my dough has been correctly mixed? A: While I don’t think there is a level of dough/ gluten development that is correct for all pizza doughs, I do think that for the vast majority of pizzeria operators mixing...

Q: We have been getting some customer requests for natural or organic pizzas. Is there a way we can do this economically? A: The words “natural” and “organic” are consumer buzzwords in the food industry. There have been supermarkets, delis an...

Q: This might seem like a rather basic question, but how do you make a decent take-and-bake pizza? A: Several years ago take-and-bake pizzas appeared to be something of a novelty item, but today the novelty has worn off, and take-and-bake pizza has g...