Just for the record and to preserve what I have done to date, I have presented below the particulars of the master dough and the final dough from which a piece of the master dough is used to leaven the final dough. The data comes from the new preferment dough calculating tool at
http://www.pizzamaking.com/preferment_calculator.html, which greatly simplifies the math and without which it would take literally hours to otherwise do all the calculations and conversions.
Master DoughTotal Formula:
Flour (100%):
Water (50%):
Salt (1.5%):
Oil (5%):
Sugar (2%):
Total (158.5%):
Preferment:
Flour:
Water:
Total:
Final Dough:
Flour:
Water:
Salt:
Preferment:
Oil:
Sugar:
Total:
|
123.2 g | 4.35 oz | 0.27 lbs
61.6 g | 2.17 oz | 0.14 lbs
1.85 g | 0.07 oz | 0 lbs | 0.33 tsp | 0.11 tbsp
6.16 g | 0.22 oz | 0.01 lbs | 1.37 tsp | 0.46 tbsp
2.46 g | 0.09 oz | 0.01 lbs | 0.62 tsp | 0.21 tbsp
195.26 g | 6.89 oz | 0.43 lbs | TF = 0.0609
16.13 g | 0.57 oz | 0.04 lbs
22.92 g | 0.81 oz | 0.05 lbs
39.05 g | 1.38 oz | 0.09 lbs
107.07 g | 3.78 oz | 0.24 lbs
38.67 g | 1.36 oz | 0.09 lbs
1.85 g | 0.07 oz | 0 lbs | 0.33 tsp | 0.11 tbsp
39.05 g | 1.38 oz | 0.09 lbs
6.16 g | 0.22 oz | 0.01 lbs | 1.37 tsp | 0.46 tbsp
2.46 g | 0.09 oz | 0.01 lbs | 0.62 tsp | 0.21 tbsp
195.26 g | 6.89 oz | 0.43 lbs | TF = 0.0609
|
For purposes of using the preferment dough calculating tool, the thickness factor used for the Master Dough was 0.06. I used preferment at 20% of the final dough weight. The preferment’s percent of water was 58.7% (it may well be different for someone else’s preferment). I used a bowl residue compensation of 1.5%, which had the effect of increasing the thickness factor to 0.0609, as noted above. I used water at 61.8° F (it was just water from the refrigerator that sat at room temperature for a while), and achieved a finished dough temperature of 82.8°F. The finished dough weight was 6.95 ounces, from which I trimmed 0.17 ounces to get to the desired dough ball weight of 6.78 ounces (the weight for a dough ball for a 12" pizza, without the bowl residue compensation, and equal to 3.14159 x 6 x 6 x 0.06 = 6.78).
Final Dough (clone dough)Total Formula:
Flour (100%):
Water (50%):
Salt (1.5%):
Oil (5%):
Sugar (2%):
Total (158.5%):
|
86.27 g | 3.04 oz | 0.19 lbs
43.13 g | 1.52 oz | 0.1 lbs
1.29 g | 0.05 oz | 0 lbs | 0.23 tsp | 0.08 tbsp
4.31 g | 0.15 oz | 0.01 lbs | 0.96 tsp | 0.32 tbsp
1.73 g | 0.06 oz | 0 lbs | 0.43 tsp | 0.14 tbsp
136.73 g | 4.82 oz | 0.3 lbs | TF = N/A
|
(Note: To the above, add the piece of dough, at 2.07 ounces, as taken from the Master Dough)
To get the above data for the final dough (the clone dough), I used the “Dough Weight” feature of the preferment dough calculating tool. I determined that I wanted to use a piece of the Master Dough that represented 30% of the weight of the final dough (6.89 ounces) as noted in the last line of the Master Dough data shown above. That piece came to 2.07 ounces (30% of 6.89 = 2.07). That left 4.823 ounces (6.89-2.07 = 4.823) for which I needed the required amounts of flour, water, salt, oil and sugar. Using 4.823 ounces in the preferment dough calculating tool and the “Dough Weight” feature of that tool, along with the baker’s percents noted above, I got the above set of data for the final dough. The water this time was 72.7° F, and the finished dough temperature was 78.6° F. Since the 6.89 ounces already reflected the bowl residue compensation, I did not need to use another residue compensation. The finished dough weight was 6.80 ounces, which was just about equal to the 6.78 ounces I used for the Master Dough.
To make the final dough, I used the piece of dough (2.07 ounces) taken from the Master Dough and added it to the ingredients as specified above for the final dough, using the alternative KitchenAid dough making method as previously mentioned and described.
The above may sound complicated but it is basically a math problem, which is unavoidably made more involved than usual because of the use of a preferment (which can have a lot of variations all by itself) and the use of the “old dough” method. Using commercial yeast would be immensely more simple. If De Lorenzo’s is in fact using the old dough method, they would most likely make two batches of dough, one of which would be set aside to ferment to be used to make the next batch of dough balls, a day or more later. To do this effectively and efficiently, they would most likely have only one person responsible (with an experienced and reliable and dependable back-up person) for the dough preparation. I don’t think they would want to rely on inexperienced low-cost labor, such as part-time high school or college kids. The only professionals I am aware of at the moment who are known to be using the old dough method are Anthony Mangieri at UPN and Chris Bianco at Pizzeria Bianco, both of whom are directly (solely?) responsible for the dough preparation. And, in Chris Bianco’s case, he is using a commercial yeast. Chris has his brother Marco as his backup. If something happened to Anthony such that he couldn't make the dough for some reason, I am not sure that he could open up his shop.
I am still not convinced that De Lorenzo’s is using a natural starter/old dough method, although the (indirect) old dough method would be simpler to administer than using the direct method of dough production, which would entail working directly from the starter culture. You would never dare to entrust that approach to amateurs in a commercial operation.
I personally don't think it is practical for individuals to use the old dough method. I view it strictly for a commercial operation where dough is being made every day (or a few days a week as in Anthony's case at UPN). For the average individual who does not use a starter culture regularly, I would recommend the direct method of dough preparation. In essence, one would only need to make the Master Dough (or a variant thereof) as I discussed above and in previous posts. That is the method I would recommend to Joe unless he plans to go into competition with De Lorenzo's or else he plans to make De Lorenzo clone pizzas his sole source of sustenance and nutrition, and he is able to retire early from his job to spend all his time at home making pizza dough. What I have done demonstrates the basic old dough process (one form), which might have value for instructional or educational purposes, but is not one that I would use myself to make a De Lorenzo clone. I would use the direct method.
Peter
