Making pizza may seem easy, but in reality it’s quite an art. Many conditions must be present to obtain a good result and it starts with the dough, a good hydration, the right temperature and the perfect baking time. But that’s not all! You know that the age of fermentation is an important thing to consider to get the maximum flavor, but not only for that…
The Impact of the Dough in the Baking of Your Pizzas
If you wonder why your pizzas are not always consistent in their baking, then it may be because of the dough! That’s right! Did you know that dough is a great ally in pizza baking, but can also be it’s worst enemy?
Have you ever done the test? Nah.
Then we’ll do it for you!
We’ll bake 2 pizza doughs with these characteristics:
✔️ Same recipe
✔️ Same oven temperature
✔️ Same baking time
✔️ Different age of fermentation (72 vs 96 hours)
Let’s see what is the result…
Left: Fermentation 72 hours Right: Fermentation 96 hours
OMG! What a difference in the color of the pizzas! Yet, they have the same cooking characteristics. That’s pretty impressive, isn’t it?
If you are looking for consistency in the final result of your pizzas, you must take this into consideration. Preparing the dough in advance saves you time on rushes like weekends, but it can also be detrimental depending on when it’s baked. We agree, you don’t want a result like on the picture in the middle of a rush.
Take Control of Your Kitchen
✔️ Conclusion: The longer your dough ferments, the higher your oven temperature should be.
✔️ Solution: Once you’ve found your perfect pizza, remember the temperature settings and the fermentation age of the dough. Then, use your pizza doughs with the same fermentation time and temperatures. It’s that simple! If you have 2 ovens, you can always use 2 pizza doughs with different fermentation ages and adjust the temperatures accordingly. However, this requires more management.
❌ Not to do: Use doughs with different ages in the same oven, since you will probably get a result like the one in the picture.
A Pizza Oven That Can Help Address Labor Shortages
We all know that with the pandemic and the labor shortage, if you have an employee who can do more, you won’t say no… When you think about what’s happening to the industry’s workforce, it’s funny but you understand that it’s a real problem. Did you know that the Hot Rocks oven can help you cope with labor shortages by saving an employee in your kitchen? You can take this employee and put him or her on a job other than managing the oven. You’ll find out in our article The Best Pizza Ovens to Help With the Labor Shortage.
