Author Topic: Chewey Pizza Dough (Read 6539 times)

Franky99205 · « **on:** September 04, 2009, 04:58:29 PM »

I make pizzas and it seems no matther what my dough is chewey.
What am I doing wrong?

Pete-zza · « **Reply #1 on:** September 04, 2009, 05:33:41 PM »

Quote from: Franky99205 on September 04, 2009, 04:58:29 PM

I make pizzas and it seems no matther what my dough is chewey.
What am I doing wrong?

There can be many reasons. But the only way to assess the problem is to see your dough recipe (including the flour type and brand) and for you to tell us exactly how you make and manage the dough and how you shape the skins and bake the pizzas. Please also indicate the size of pizzas you have been making. In general, the more detail, the better.

Peter

Franky99205 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 04, 2009, 07:32:07 PM »

Thank you,

I use
50 Lbs. General Mills high gluten flour,
1/8 cup yeast
12 Liter water
3 cup oil

UnConundrum · « **Reply #3 on:** September 04, 2009, 07:37:41 PM »

No Salt?

Franky99205 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2009, 07:43:16 PM »

Quote from: UnConundrum on September 04, 2009, 07:37:41 PM

No Salt?

Oh I forgot,

1 cup salt
1 cup sugar.
If anybody has a better mixture, please don't hesitate

Thank you in advance

Pete-zza · « **Reply #5 on:** September 04, 2009, 07:46:12 PM »

And what kind of yeast?

The recipe only tells part of the story. How you make and manage the dough and make the pizzas is also needed.

Peter

Franky99205 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 04, 2009, 08:07:56 PM »

Fleishman' yeast.
We mix everything at ones at the beginning. mix for 15 minutes
weigh ball
Medium 12" 15 oz
large 16" 21 oz
let them sit in the walk in and use as needed.

Pete-zza · « **Reply #7 on:** September 04, 2009, 08:26:13 PM »

Quote from: Franky99205 on September 04, 2009, 08:07:56 PM

Fleishman' yeast.

Is that instant dry yeast (IDY)?

Peter

Franky99205 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 04, 2009, 08:27:29 PM »

Pete-zza · « **Reply #9 on:** September 04, 2009, 08:45:59 PM »

Something doesn't seem to compute. If you are using 1/8 cup of IDY, that is 6 teaspoons, or 0.6375 ounces by weight. Fifty pounds of flour is 800 ounces (50 x 16 = 800). So, from a baker's percent standpoint, your usage of IDY is 0.6375/800 = 0.0007968, or 0.07968%. I don't know what kind of pizza you are making but 0.07968% IDY isn't going to support much fermentation, and certainly not in a cooler. Am I missing something here?

Are you making two different types of pizzas? If you are using 15 ounces of dough to make a 12" pizza, I calculate a thickness factor of 15/(3.14159 x 6 x 6 ) = 0.1326292. If you are using 21 ounces of dough to make a 16" pizza, I calculate a thickness factor of 21/(3.14159 x 8 x 8) = 0.1044455. That's a big difference. Either way, are you having problems with both crust thicknesses?

Peter

Franky99205 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 04, 2009, 09:07:38 PM »

Thank you

I used to use 3/4 cup of yeast, the problem was the dough would proof rapidly and with the shelf life of 1 day in the cooler. To solve this I used less yeast ann now the dough is in the cooler for 2 days.
And yes I make 12" inch dough with 15 oz and 14" inch dough with 21 oz.
Again my problem was that the dough would rise even in the walk-in would touch the top tray. We hand roll the dough and hand stretch the dough.
Any suggestion would be appreciated as to how much yeast water, oil, etc.

Franky99205 · « **Reply #11 on:** September 04, 2009, 09:10:03 PM »

Could u elaborate on the thickness above. The whole calculation and all.
I use conveyer ovens if that matters.

Pete-zza · « **Reply #12 on:** September 04, 2009, 09:45:29 PM »

Franky,

Sometimes when someone has to cut back the amount of yeast because the dough was blowing it is because the dough boxes weren't cross-stacked. But, when the yeast is cut back that much, there isn't enough yeast to support good fermentation and to get a good rise (oven spring) in the dough. So, the finished crust can end up too thick and chewy. A similar result can occur if the finished dough temperature is too high and causing the dough to ferment too much and too quickly. A natural tendency is to cut back on the amount of yeast to counteract the high finished dough temperature. Do you cross-stack your dough boxes and do you measure your finished dough temperature?

I suggest that you take a look at the list of dough preparation and management steps as set forth at Reply 18 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7499.msg64554.html#msg64554. You didn't indicate what type/style of pizza you are making but I believe the steps listed in the referenced post might apply to your situation.

At the moment, your dough recipe looks like the following, using the expanded dough calculating tool at http://www.pizzamaking.com/expanded_calculator.html:

Flour (100%):
Water (52.9101%):
IDY (0.07968%):
Salt (1.18125%):
Vegetable (Soybean) Oil (2.88359%):
Sugar (0.84375%):
Total (157.89837%):

22680 g | 800 oz | 50 lbs
12000.01 g | 423.28 oz | 26.46 lbs
18.07 g | 0.64 oz | 0.04 lbs | 6 tsp | 2 tbsp
267.91 g | 9.45 oz | 0.59 lbs | 16 tbsp | 1 cups
654 g | 23.07 oz | 1.44 lbs | 48 tbsp | 3 cups
191.36 g | 6.75 oz | 0.42 lbs | 16 tbsp | 1 cups
35811.35 g | 1263.19 oz | 78.95 lbs | TF = N/A

The item that really looks out of whack is the IDY. The hydration, at 52.9%, might also be on the low side. If you can tell me what kind of pizza you are trying to make and when you make the dough and how long after that you use the dough, I might be able to offer up a few suggestions.

Peter

Pete-zza · « **Reply #13 on:** September 04, 2009, 10:00:36 PM »

Quote from: Franky99205 on September 04, 2009, 09:10:03 PM

Could u elaborate on the thickness above. The whole calculation and all.

Franky,

For a discussion on thickness factors (also sometimes called loading factors), see this article: http://www.pmq.com/mag/2004november_december/lehmann.php.

Ideally, unless you are trying to make two different types of pizzas with two different crust thicknesses, you want to use the same thickness factor for both pizzas.

Peter

EDIT (1/25/13): Since the link to the above Lehmann article is no longer operative, see the Wayback Machine link to the same article at http://web.archive.org/web/20110404180542/http://pmq.com/mag/2004november_december/lehmann.php

Franky99205 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 05, 2009, 03:48:52 PM »

Thank you Pete-zza for your time and patience
I have read the aricles and your post. I am lost. Math was never a favorite subject for me. Can you translate all that for me in a very simple english? Please.
So far I understand these, but with what I have posted as far as the ingridient and the fact I like for my dough to have a 2-3 days storage life in the cooler, how much yeast do I have to use?

Thank you in advance

Pete-zza · « **Reply #15 on:** September 05, 2009, 04:42:36 PM »

Franky,

For now, let's not worry about the math. We can address that later. However, it would help to know whether you are after a reasonably thin crust or a thicker crust. For example, the crust for your 12" pizza is like a Papa John's crust thickness but not quite as thick. The crust for your 16" pizza is more like a NY style crust thickness but a bit thicker.

But what is more important for now is for me to have answers to the questions I posed to you in Reply 12. If you are not cross-stacking and you are not measuring water temperatures and finished dough temperatures, there is insufficient basis to try to fix your recipe if such is needed. I also need to know what type or style of pizza you are making. Among other things, that will tell me whether the procedures in Reply 18 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7499.msg64554.html#msg64554 are the correct ones for you to use with your dough.

Peter

Franky99205 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 05, 2009, 05:14:10 PM »

Pete-zza,

Wow there is a whole lot I need to learn about making dough. See I used to be a franchisee with big chain of around 5000 stores. I got everything from the franchisor. Their dough was done to a science. could keep it in the fridg for 8 days.
Now I am on my own and I love that alot. Although operationally I am very good, but there are things like how to make a perfect dough is what I need to learn.
Back to your comment, I am doing the papa John's and Dominos dough as far as thickness. My demographic do not like NY thin crust.
I read the article and I need to take the temprature. I always guessed it. luke warm water that was it. as far as making dough balls, mixing time and cross staking, I was already doing it. I am going to be working on the dough making process. By the way on another post on this site I read there is a difference between type of yeast. Which one should I use, powder(granulated) or what would you suggest?

Thank you for this site and your comments. This site is great.

Pete-zza · « **Reply #17 on:** September 05, 2009, 05:20:23 PM »

Franky,

Which chain did you work for, and was the dough delivered fresh or frozen?

Peter

Franky99205 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 05, 2009, 05:25:54 PM »

I was a franchisee with Domino's. We got our dough fresh but very cold and very small and hard. 1-2 inches in diameter for a 12" when we got them.

Pete-zza · « **Reply #19 on:** September 05, 2009, 05:34:57 PM »

Franky,

Papa John's does it the same way. However, I am puzzled by how a dough ball 1-2" in diameter (about the size of a walnut or golf ball) can make a 12" pizza.

By the way, where did you get your recipe? And are you interested in a Domino's style pizza for your place? Also, are you using All Trumps high-gluten flour?

And where are you physically located and making your pizzas? Are you hand tossing the skins?

As far as the yeast is concerned, you can use any of the three most common forms--fresh, IDY or active dry yeast (ADY). However, for your purposes, I would go with the IDY.

Peter