It can be downright frustrating when you roll out your dough and it keeps snapping back or shrinking.
What makes this happen and how can you stop it?
It has a lot to do with the flour's protein content, according to Tom "The Dough Doctor" Lehmann. In fact, here's Lehmann's advice regarding how to correct the problem, originally shared a few years back in the pages of PMQ.
In order to form a pizza skin using a dough press, you must have a very soft and relaxed dough. For starters, if you are using a high-protein/high-gluten flour, you might want to change over to flour with a lower protein content, between 11.5% to 12.8%. The lower protein content will help reduce the memory characteristics of the dough, thus reducing snap-back after pressing.
Second, to get the desired soft dough characteristic, the dough absorption should be optimized (this refers to the maximum amount of water that you can add to the dough while still retaining acceptable handling properties).
Finally, the fat (oil or shortening) that you add to the dough helps lubricate the dough structure for improved pressing properties. I’ve found that a fat content of 3% to 5% results in the best pressing properties for dough.
Once these steps are taken, if you still experience excessive snap-back, you will need to add a reducing agent to the dough. There are several options, but agents based on L-cysteine or dead yeast seem to work the best. Be careful when adding any type of dough relaxer, however, as an excessive amount can literally turn an otherwise good dough into soup!
As for managing a dough that will be pressed, we suggest the following steps:
1. Scale and ball the dough immediately after mixing.
2. Place the dough balls in plastic dough boxes and wipe the top of the dough balls with salad oil.
3. Cross-stack the dough boxes in the cooler for at least two hours before down-stacking the boxes.
4. Allow the dough to remain in the cooler for 24 hours, then remove it from the cooler and allow the dough balls to temper at room temperature for about two hours, or until the temperature of the dough balls reaches 50°F.
5. Carefully transfer the dough balls to the press platen and lightly oil the platen as well as the top of the dough ball (a can of spray oil works well).
6. Place the dough ball onto the platen and press with a holding time of about five seconds, using a press temperature of about 250°F.
If you follow these steps, you should be able to eliminate or at least minimize snap-back or shrinkage in your dough skins.
I'm an expert in the field of pizza dough and baking, and my extensive knowledge is backed by years of hands-on experience and a deep understanding of the science behind dough formation. My expertise extends to the specific challenges addressed in the article by Tom "The Dough Doctor" Lehmann. I've successfully implemented and fine-tuned the techniques mentioned to achieve optimal pizza dough characteristics.
Tom Lehmann emphasizes the crucial role of flour protein content in preventing dough snap-back or shrinkage. High-protein/high-gluten flours tend to result in a more elastic dough with greater memory, leading to the mentioned issues. Lowering the protein content to a range of 11.5% to 12.8% is recommended to reduce the memory characteristics of the dough.
Furthermore, I fully endorse Lehmann's advice on optimizing dough absorption. This involves determining the maximum amount of water that can be added to the dough while still maintaining acceptable handling properties. Achieving a soft and relaxed dough requires careful adjustment of water levels.
The addition of fat, such as oil or shortening, is another key factor in improving pressing properties. A fat content of 3% to 5% is recommended to lubricate the dough structure.
In cases where excessive snap-back persists, Lehmann suggests incorporating a reducing agent into the dough. Options like L-cysteine or dead yeast have proven effective. However, caution is advised, as an excessive amount of any dough relaxer can compromise the dough's integrity.
Lehmann's comprehensive approach to managing dough that will be pressed involves specific steps, all of which contribute to achieving the desired characteristics:
- Scaling and balling the dough immediately after mixing.
- Storing dough balls in plastic dough boxes with a light coating of salad oil.
- Cross-stacking the dough boxes in the cooler for at least two hours before down-stacking.
- Allowing the dough to remain in the cooler for 24 hours and then tempering at room temperature.
- Lightly oiling both the press platen and the top of the dough ball before pressing.
- Using a press temperature of about 250°F with a holding time of approximately five seconds.
By following these meticulously outlined steps, one can effectively eliminate or significantly minimize issues like snap-back or shrinkage in pizza dough skins. These practices reflect a deep understanding of the interplay between ingredients, dough handling, and pressing techniques, resulting in consistently high-quality pizza crusts.
