Members may want to take note of the fact that an updated version of the Lehmann dough calculating tool is now available at
http://www.pizzamaking.com/dough_calculator.html. There are several useful changes to the original Lehmann tool including the following:
1. In addition to using the thickness factor approach, one can now use a known starting dough weight, along with a workable set of baker’s percents and the desired number of dough balls, and the tool will provide the ingredients and quantities based on the data inputted into the tool. There will be no need to enter a thickness factor (TF), although that option still exists.
2. Users of the Thickness Factor approach will now have the option of selecting the shape of the pizza, either round or rectangular (which includes square). The rectangular option should prove useful to those who want to make a “Sicilian” or so-called “grandma” style dough. In selecting this option, the tool prompts the user to enter the dimensions (length and width) of the pizza (or of a particular rectangular pan to be used).
3. Along with the standard salt choices, the enhanced Lehmann tool now allows users to select the Diamond Crystal brand of Kosher salt, which some members prefer over the Morton’s brand or is the only Kosher salt brand available to them where they shop.
4. A new “bowl residue” feature allows users to compensate for minor losses that can occur during the preparation of the dough (due to flour, water and dough sticking to bowls, implements, fingers, work surfaces, etc.). This compensation is achieved by specifying a particular percent increase in the quantities of ingredients. That percent will vary from case to case, but unless one is making a very wet and sticky dough it will usually be less than 4%. It is anticipated that users will determine the best percent to use in any given situation based on experience. If the finished dough exceeds the desired final dough weight, those with scales can always trim the final finished dough of the excess. When the Thickness Factor method is used, the “final” thickness factor reflecting the bowl residue amount will appear in the data section, and also in a printout of the results produced by the tool. To preserve all of the data, including the initial thickness factor before compensation, it is recommended that users print out a copy of the completed page, using the “Print” button provided for this purpose.
5. The data fields for several of the boxes into which values are entered have been expanded so that users can enter numbers with several decimal places. This should allow for increased precision and fine-tuning of the results produced by the tool, particularly for those who like to convert existing recipes to baker’s percents and to calculate thickness factors and the like and end up with numbers with several decimal places. It will be noted that if a user fails to enter a number into a box as required, that is, the entry box is left completely blank, the failure to enter a number (even a 0) will cause the error expression “NaN” to appear in the data section.
6. A Copy “button” has been included in the enhanced tool and allows users to copy information from the textual data section into posts or some other document, such as a Word document that might be used to compose replies to be posted on the forum. The information copied can be entered directly into the posts or other documents by using a menu “paste” command or a “Control + V” keyboard command. Using the Copy button ensures that all of the data line up, thereby eliminating the need to do corrective “realignment” work when previewing replies to be posted on the forum.
Good luck in using the enhanced Lehmann tool, and please feel free to offer feedback on the tool.
Mike
