The Entire Pizza Making Process I use at the Garage

[robertofrog01]

Thanks both. It seems your wastage ratios are much lower than mine, so I don't know what is going on.
Peter, it wasn't so much the weight of the balls before use, but the weight when I cut them. The bulk doesn't weigh enough after fermentation to get the balls I expected.
I guess I'm going to have to weigh the mixed dough before and after fermentation to understand it it's due to evaporation, or if it's due to residue on the bowl, my hands etc.
I'm using an incubator which has a fan, so maybe that's drying out my bulk somehow. I know Craig you are using a cooler box.
Anyhow, I'll test it next time.
Thanks again for your thoughts.

Well I measured my ingredients into the mix, and out of a planned 1.8kg of dough (now bulk fermenting) I'm only down 2g due to mixing.  I make that 0.1% bowl residue waste!  Will be interesting to see what comes out the other side of the bulk stage..

[robertofrog01]

Well I measured my ingredients into the mix, and out of a planned 1.8kg of dough (now bulk fermenting) I'm only down 2g due to mixing.  I make that 0.1% bowl residue waste!  Will be interesting to see what comes out the other side of the bulk stage..

Well that's mystery solved!
Exactly the same weight came out of my bulk ferment.
So it turns out that the issue was my spreadsheet. 🤦‍♂️
It wasn't applying the percentage waste field. Doh.
As you were...🤣

[jaayjaay]

I have seen some posts about this but having difficulty searching with the phrase hold and ball.

What is the best technique to hold sd balls especially when there is a room temp difference between fermentation temp and room temp as im assuming this can help the process.

Example, fermenting at 65f with some time left to fully ferment, room temp is 75f. would one start taking the trays out early to ferment faster and then use them within a 1-3 hour window, or when its time to bake, move them to a cooler temp under 45f or fridge say 40f when they are ready then pull them out as needed?

Would it be better to use a lower starter inoculation to give more flexibility with longer fermentation so that when its ready you have more room for error?

[junep]

I desperately need help! I'm doing a rm temp dough 23 hrs at 73F rm temp using the Predictive Fermentation chart, which says I should be using 2% starter. My starter was made fresh yesterday and used about 6 hrs or so later, at it's peak. I checked the dough now after 15 hrs bulk and it looks well proofed - lots of bubbles in the bottoms and bubbles in the dough as I balled it. So I made two balls and I was wanting the dough to be ready for a 5-6pm bake
and it's only 9:47 am now! Should I refrigerate these balls and then take them out an hour before my bake time? All my weights are correct. I have a high end Ohaus scale, so I know there's no problem with measurements. My instinct it to refrigerate it, but I sure could use help here!  Life is good!

[ARenko]

Ok, so here's a question...

In my dough spreadsheet, I have a 5% allowance for wastage.  i.e. if I want 3 pizzas at 250g I'll calculate enough dough for 750g plus 5% down the plug-hole.

On 48hr RT ferments, I'm regularly finding that my dough isn't enough for 3 x 250g balls.  I'm mixing by hand, but honestly I don't think there's much going down the drain, so I'm guessing this is due to evaporation during my 64F RT fermentation, which would mean my finished hydration is actually quite a bit less than the dough when mixed.

Interested in other people's experience or thoughts on this?  Do we need to allow for moisture loss, by mixing at a higher hydration?  e.g. a 64F RT fermentation will presumably have much more evaporation than a longer CF?

Should I allow more than 5% wastage.  It already seemed a lot, but then I wasn't figuring on evaporation.  What wastage factor do you use on 64F 2 day ferments?

When I was mixing by hand I used 3% and it was almost perfect (on a few occasions it was exact).  With my spiral mixer I don't even bother, but it's probably around 1%. 

[TXCraig1]

I desperately need help! I'm doing a rm temp dough 23 hrs at 73F rm temp using the Predictive Fermentation chart, which says I should be using 2% starter. My starter was made fresh yesterday and used about 6 hrs or so later, at it's peak. I checked the dough now after 15 hrs bulk and it looks well proofed - lots of bubbles in the bottoms and bubbles in the dough as I balled it. So I made two balls and I was wanting the dough to be ready for a 5-6pm bake
and it's only 9:47 am now! Should I refrigerate these balls and then take them out an hour before my bake time? All my weights are correct. I have a high end Ohaus scale, so I know there's no problem with measurements. My instinct it to refrigerate it, but I sure could use help here!  Life is good!

Yes, that's probably your best option.

Lots of things can affect how fast your dough rises. Testing and tweaking to get things just how you want them should be expected.

[parallei]

I desperately need help! I'm doing a rm temp dough 23 hrs at 73F rm temp using the Predictive Fermentation chart, which says I should be using 2% starter. My starter was made fresh yesterday and used about 6 hrs or so later, at it's peak. I checked the dough now after 15 hrs bulk and it looks well proofed - lots of bubbles in the bottoms and bubbles in the dough as I balled it. So I made two balls and I was wanting the dough to be ready for a 5-6pm bake
and it's only 9:47 am now! Should I refrigerate these balls and then take them out an hour before my bake time? All my weights are correct. I have a high end Ohaus scale, so I know there's no problem with measurements. My instinct it to refrigerate it, but I sure could use help here!  Life is good!

Life is, in fact, good. You didn't say how you mixed/kneaded the dough.  Keep attention to the dough temp. Consider using COLD water in the dough based on your mixing/kneading method.

Having had the same issue in the past, I've found that filling the sink with cold water and floating the dough (in its container, obviously) will start to cool off things quickly. Then into the fridge.

[Heikjo]

Starters are less predictable than commercial yeast. Craig's chart is a great starting point, and may fit perfectly for some, but you have to expect needing to tweak things a little. Starter amount, temperature, time, kneading; whatever suits each case.

[parallei]

I desperately need help! I'm doing a rm temp dough 23 hrs at 73F rm temp using the Predictive Fermentation chart, which says I should be using 2% starter. My starter was made fresh yesterday and used about 6 hrs or so later, at it's peak. I checked the dough now after 15 hrs bulk and it looks well proofed - lots of bubbles in the bottoms and bubbles in the dough as I balled it. So I made two balls and I was wanting the dough to be ready for a 5-6pm bake
and it's only 9:47 am now! Should I refrigerate these balls and then take them out an hour before my bake time? All my weights are correct. I have a high end Ohaus scale, so I know there's no problem with measurements. My instinct it to refrigerate it, but I sure could use help here!  Life is good!

Many folks did respond to your "I desperately need help!" message. Hope it worked out O.K.