Pizza Dough Storage & Handling Questions

[PizzaNinja]

I have some questions about how to handle pizza dough in a pizzeria scenario when you are preparing dough for the day.

Prior to opening the pizzeria one will remove the pizza dough balls from the fridge or dough proofer to achieve the proper temperature for stretching and baking the pizza with minimum bubbles.


Q1) How long can pizza dough sit in room temperature before it goes bad?

Q2) Can one put left over dough from the day back into cold storage to be used for future use the next day?

[Yael]

I have some questions about how to handle pizza dough in a pizzeria scenario when you are preparing dough for the day.

Prior to opening the pizzeria one will remove the pizza dough balls from the fridge or dough proofer to achieve the proper temperature for stretching and baking the pizza with minimum bubbles.


Q1) How long can pizza dough sit in room temperature before it goes bad?

Q2) Can one put left over dough from the day back into cold storage to be used for future use the next day?

Hi,

Q1: depends one many factors, starting with yeast amount and room temperatures. In Naples, they make 24H fermentation only at RT and it's often 30°C there.

Q2: yes if your dough is still usable

[The Dough Doctor]

With American style pizzas using approximately 0.375% IDY (instant dry yeast), with effective dough management and a room temperature in the 70 to 75F range we will typically allow the dough balls to set AT room temperature until they reach 50F/10C before we begin opening them into skins, once we begin opening the dough balls into skins they will be good for the next 2.5 to 3-hours. Any unused dough balls are not put back into the fridge as this creates an inconsistency for those dough balls on the following day (consistency is the name of the game), instead, we convert those dough balls into things like bread sticks and garlic knots which can be par-baked and used on the following day without any issues. Additionally, you can also use left over dough balls in your new dough but the amount that you add should not exceed 15% of the new dough weight.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

[PizzaNinja]

After creating doughballs, what do you recommend to store the dough balls?

 Do pizzerias use a dough proofer that allows you to control the temperature and humidity?

Or, do they use a cold storage place like a refrigerator ?

[The Dough Doctor]

I don't know if Peter has my Dough Management Procedure posted here but if he doesn't PM me with your email address and I'll be glad to send you a copy of it which will lead you through the entire process from mixer to getting ready to open the dough balls.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

[02ebz06]

Is this it?

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=3r72pn5fim0ibku9thcsoeh4i1&topic=43833.msg438770#msg438770

[The Dough Doctor]

That's the procedure but since then I've added the following:
The dough should remain cross stacked until the INTERNAL dough ball temperature reaches 50F/10C. NOTE: The time required for the dough ball to reach this temperature will change with the size/weight of the dough ball, so each dough ball weight will require a different time. Once you have determined the correct time for each dough ball weight you can then go by the time required to reach 50F/10C and use that for your cross-stack time for that dough ball weight.

After the CF (cold fermentation) period, remove the number of boxes of dough balls that will be required for the first three hours of operation, place the dough boxes AT room temperature (70 to 80F/21 to 26.6C) to allow the dough balls to warm TO 50F/10C INTERNAL DOUGH BALL TEMPERATURE. DO NOT ALLOW DOUGH BALLS TO WARM TO ROOM TEMPERATURE!!
Once the dough balls have warmed to the targeted temperature they are ready to begin opening into skins for immediate use. The dough balls will remain good to use for the next 2.5 to 3-hours. NOTE: If your shop is warmer than 80F/26.6C this time will be reduced and you will need to take this into account when determining how many dough boxes to remove from the cooler and at what frequency to remove them during the day.
Any dough balls nearing their expiration time at room temperature can be per-opened, placed onto screens and stored in a wire tree rack in the cooler for use during the next busy rush period. After placing the pre-opened skins into the wire tree rack in the cooler leave the rack uncovered for 30-minutes, then cover with a plastic bag to prevent drying. To use the pre-opened skins, remove from the screen, touch up the size as needed, place onto wood prep-peel for dressing and immediate baking. If baking on screens BE SURE TO TRANSFER THE SKIN FROM THE STORAGE SCREEN TO A SEASONED BAKING SCREEN. DO NOT BAKE ON THE STORAGE SCREEN EVEN IF IT HAS BEEN SEASONED WITHOUT LIFTING IT OFF OF THE SCREEN FIRST AND THEN PLACING IT BACK ONTO THE SCREEN. FAILURE TO DO THIS WILL RESULT IN THE DOUGH BAKING INTO THE SCREEN MAKING REMOVAL FROM THE SCREEN IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT DESTROYING THE BAKED PIZZA.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

[Pete-zza]

I edited the original post to reflect that Tom has added more material to his original procedure.

Peter

[PizzaNinja]

I don't know if Peter has my Dough Management Procedure posted here but if he doesn't PM me with your email address and I'll be glad to send you a copy of it which will lead you through the entire process from mixer to getting ready to open the dough balls.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

Thanks Tom, appreciate the offer! PM sent with email address.

[medo]

That's the procedure but since then I've added the following:
The dough should remain cross stacked until the INTERNAL dough ball temperature reaches 50F/10C. NOTE: The time required for the dough ball to reach this temperature will change with the size/weight of the dough ball, so each dough ball weight will require a different time. Once you have determined the correct time for each dough ball weight you can then go by the time required to reach 50F/10C and use that for your cross-stack time for that dough ball weight.

After the CF (cold fermentation) period, remove the number of boxes of dough balls that will be required for the first three hours of operation, place the dough boxes AT room temperature (70 to 80F/21 to 26.6C) to allow the dough balls to warm TO 50F/10C INTERNAL DOUGH BALL TEMPERATURE. DO NOT ALLOW DOUGH BALLS TO WARM TO ROOM TEMPERATURE!!
Once the dough balls have warmed to the targeted temperature they are ready to begin opening into skins for immediate use. The dough balls will remain good to use for the next 2.5 to 3-hours. NOTE: If your shop is warmer than 80F/26.6C this time will be reduced and you will need to take this into account when determining how many dough boxes to remove from the cooler and at what frequency to remove them during the day.
Any dough balls nearing their expiration time at room temperature can be per-opened, placed onto screens and stored in a wire tree rack in the cooler for use during the next busy rush period. After placing the pre-opened skins into the wire tree rack in the cooler leave the rack uncovered for 30-minutes, then cover with a plastic bag to prevent drying. To use the pre-opened skins, remove from the screen, touch up the size as needed, place onto wood prep-peel for dressing and immediate baking. If baking on screens BE SURE TO TRANSFER THE SKIN FROM THE STORAGE SCREEN TO A SEASONED BAKING SCREEN. DO NOT BAKE ON THE STORAGE SCREEN EVEN IF IT HAS BEEN SEASONED WITHOUT LIFTING IT OFF OF THE SCREEN FIRST AND THEN PLACING IT BACK ONTO THE SCREEN. FAILURE TO DO THIS WILL RESULT IN THE DOUGH BAKING INTO THE SCREEN MAKING REMOVAL FROM THE SCREEN IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT DESTROYING THE BAKED PIZZA.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

this is purely brilliant , my only problem when it tried this is that the dough is too tough to stretch I think I should increase my dough hydration.

[medo]

I don't know if Peter has my Dough Management Procedure posted here but if he doesn't PM me with your email address and I'll be glad to send you a copy of it which will lead you through the entire process from mixer to getting ready to open the dough balls.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

may I have a copy of it, please