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This chapter describes 50 problems that can occur with pizza dough and pizza crust (see "Contents" list below). For each problem there's a description of possible causes and remedies, with the most likely causes listed first.
To
go directly to a particular problem description, click on the number of
the item that describes the problem you have. Then find the best remedy for solving
the problem. To return
to the Contents menu, use your Back button.
• To do
a keyword search, click search.
CONTENTS
How to Use This Trouble-shooter - Additional Help
1. Dough too stiff or too firm
2.
Dough too slack or too soft
3. Dough
balls not rising at all (unrisen or dead dough)
4.
Under-risen dough balls, or dough balls rising too slowly
5.
Over-risen dough balls, or dough balls rising too quickly
6.
Dough balls joining together in the dough tray
7.
Dough has an odor of beer
8. Dough
balls collapsing (blown dough)
9. Dough
(crust) not rising in the oven, even though the dough balls were proofed
10.
Crust forming on dough balls
11.
Panned dough collapsing when sauced
12.
Dough too elastic or springy (shrinks excessively after stretching)
13. Dough too extensible or spreadable (thin
spots occurring during screening)
14. Dough
sticking to rolling pin, table, or hands
15. Dough
tearing in a dough press
16. Dough too
large after rolling or stretching (won't fit pan or screen)
17.
Excessive flour sticking to rolled dough
18.
Black spots on top of dough ball
19. Bluish-black
spots on underside of dough ball
20. Crust
not brown enough all over
21.
Crust too brown all over
22. Crust
not brown enough on bottom
23. Crust too
brown on bottom
24. Crust not browning
and has a tough texture
25. Top edge of
outer crust has a whitish color (but rest of pizza is done)
26.
Crust browns on one side only or browns unevenly
27.
Crust edge is burnt (but rest of pizza is properly done)
28.
Crust color uneven
29. Large white
pockets on bottom of pan pizza crust
30. Crust
fully baked but still has a white surface
31.
Crust forms bubbles during baking
• Discussion: Crust Bubbling
32. Crust grain is too close (small cells)
33. Crust grain is too open (large cells)
34. Streakiness or uneven grain in crust
35. Crust edge has large burnt spots
36.
Crust bakes up flat (no oven spring)
37.
Crust collapses (shrinks in height) immediately after pizza is taken from
the oven
38. Crust tough and leathery
(especially after it cools down)
39. Crust
flat and crackery
40. Crust flat, dense,
and tough
41.
Crust lacks flavor
42. Crust has
peculiar flavor
43. Crust has doughy layer
under the sauce (crust done on outside but raw inside)
• Discussion:
Doughy Layer vs. Gummy Layer
44. Crust
has gummy layer under the sauce
45. Soggy
crumb with grayish tint or translucent, gummy appearance
46.
Crust is uneven thickness (thick edge, thin middle)
47.
Crust is soggy or floppy (slice flops over when picked up)
48.
When parbaking, crust separates like pita or pocket bread
49.
Crust made from retarded dough has small blisters
50.
Crust sticks to pan or screen
• How to Season pans
NOTE: Visit the Encyclopizza home page for the complete Table of Contents, including pizza dough/crust/sauce recipes.
IN most pizzerias, dough and crust problems exceed all other product problems combined. Prior chapters on Dough Ingredients, Dough-making, and Dough Management provide procedures for avoiding these problems. However an occasional problem might still occur and if it does this chapter can serve as a trouble-shooting reference guide.
Each problem is listed as a heading. Under each heading is a description of possible causes and remedies for the problem. The most likely causes are listed first. In addition some sections contain a discussion to aid understanding.
Although this chapter explains what to do, for a complete understanding of how and why something works you should refer to prior chapters on Dough Ingredients, Dough-making, and Dough Management. Using recommended procedures will go a long way to helping you avoid problems in the first place.
This chapter covers about 99 percent of the dough/crust problems occurring in pizzerias. However, if you have a problem not listed here, you might try:
• A baking reference book such as The Bakeshop Trouble Shooter by A. J. Vander Voort.
• Your flour or yeast company’s technical representative or field consultant. Check the product package for a phone number.
• The American Institute of Baking, 1213 Bakers Way, Manhattan, KS, 66502. (913) 537-4750 or 800-633-5137.
(Also see a subsequent section on Dough Too Elastic or Springy)
| Possible Causes | Remedy |
| Too little water or too much flour | For subsequent batches, check recipe amounts and weigh ingredients carefully. If the problem is detected during mixing, add slightly more water and mix until just absorbed. (See Comment below.) |
| Dough (balls) too cold | Warm dough (balls) to 50 to 60 degrees F before using. |
| Dough unrelaxed | If feasible, flatten the dough balls 2 to 3 minutes before stretching or screening. |
| Inadequate fermentation | Increase fermentation or rise. See subsequent section on Under-risen Dough Balls. |
| Dough under-mixed | Mix (knead) slightly longer. Read the Mixing section in the Dough-making chapter. |
| COMMENT: This problem is hard to correct for the current batch unless it’s discovered in the early stages of mixing. It’s also more difficult to remedy with a cutter-mixer than with a planetary mixer because a cutter-mixer is hard to re-start with dough in it. If the problem can’t be corrected by adding water, re-mix small pieces of the stiff dough into batches of new dough. Don’t exceed 25 percent re-mixed dough per batch. Add it on top of the flour. Increase the water portion of the new batches enough to compensate for the under-portion of water in the stiff dough. If that’s too difficult to do, discard the stiff dough. | |
(Also see a subsequent section on Dough Too Extensible or Spreadable)
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Too much water or too little flour |
For subsequent batches, check recipe amounts and weigh ingredients carefully. If the problem is detected immediately after mixing, add slightly more flour and keep mixing. If this can’t be done, re-mix small pieces of the slack dough into batches of new dough. Try to add only 10 percent slack dough per batch, but up to 25 percent can work. Add it during the last minute of mixing. Decrease the water portion of the new batch enough to compensate for the over-portion of water in the slack dough. |
| Dough (balls) too warm |
Refrigerate dough (balls) down to 40 degrees F before using. |
| Excessive fermentation |
Reduce fermentation or rise. See section on Over-risen Dough Balls. |
|
Dough over-mixed |
If not severely over-mixed, mix small pieces into new dough (as described above). If dough is severely over-mixed, discard it. For subsequent batches, use a timer when mixing. Read the Mixing section in the Dough-making chapter. |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
No yeast |
Include yeast in subsequent batches. |
| Old (dead) yeast |
Discard old (dead) yeast and use new yeast. Store yeast properly. (Read directions on package or read about proper storage methods in the Yeast section of the Dough Ingredients chapter). |
| Yeast water too hot, so yeast died |
Keep yeast water temperature under 115 degrees F. (Read directions on package or read the Yeast section of the Dough Ingredients chapter.) |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Partially dead (old) yeast |
Discard old yeast and use new yeast. Store yeast properly. (Read directions on package or read about proper storage methods in the Yeast section of the Dough Ingredients chapter.) |
| Yeast improperly rehydrated |
Rehydrate yeast in water of proper temperature. (Read directions on package or read about proper hydration methods in the Yeast section of the Dough Ingredients chapter.) |
| Not enough yeast |
Increase yeast portion. For subsequent batches, check recipe amounts and weigh ingredients carefully. |
|
Dough too cold coming from mixer |
Increase dough water temperature so dough comes from mixer at higher temperature. Read the Mixing section of the Dough-making chapter. |
|
Dough stored at too low of a temperature |
Raise the temperature of the refrigerator (retarder) a few degrees but not over 40 degrees F. Or, if that’s not possible, let the dough balls sit at room temperature or put them into a proofer before using. For more specifics, read the chapter on Dough Management. |
|
Yeast rehydration water too cold |
Raise the rehydration water temperature to that specified by the manufacturer (see instructions on the yeast carton). |
| Inadequate fermentation time |
Make dough farther ahead of usage; allow more time for fermentation or rising. |
|
COMMENT: In addition to the causes cited above, amount of rise can be affected by salt, sugar, acidity, water, and yeast nutrients in the dough, and also by the composition of the flour. For a complete discussion, read the Yeast section of the Dough Ingredients chapter. | |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Too much yeast |
Reduce yeast portion. For subsequent batches, check recipe amounts and weigh ingredients carefully. |
| Dough too warm coming from mixer |
Decrease dough water temperature so dough comes from mixer at lower temperature. Read the Mixing section of the Dough-making chapter.. |
|
Dough stored at too high of a temperature |
Criss-cross trays of dough for 60 to 90 minutes when first put into refrigerator. Don’t let dough sit (as long) at room temperature. Keep refrigerator temperature low. For more specifics, read the Dough Management chapter. |
| Dough mixed too far ahead; too much fermentation time |
Mix dough closer to when it will be used. Project sales and correlate dough ball production to projected usage. |
|
COMMENT: In addition to the causes cited above, amount of rise can be affected by salt, sugar, acidity, water, and yeast nutrients in the dough, and also by the characteristics of the flour. For a complete discussion, read the Yeast section of the Dough Ingredients chapter. | |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Over-risen dough |
Reduce amount of rise in the dough. See previous section on Over-risen Dough Balls. |
| Poor dough ball placement |
When placing dough balls in the tray, position them so balls are the same distance apart—or 1-1/2 to 2 inches. |
| Too many balls in tray |
Reduce number of dough balls per tray. |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Severely over-fermented dough |
Reduce amount of fermentation. See previous section on Over-risen Dough Balls. |
|
COMMENT: Discard dough that smells like beer as it’s severely over-fermented. Do not re-ball or re-mix it. | |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Severely over-risen dough (too much fermentation) |
Reduce the amount of rise or fermentation. See previous section on Over-risen Dough Balls. In addition, many random factors can cause over-risen dough—things like a power outage, A/C outage, cooler malfunction, and leaving the cooler door open too long. |
|
Flour too weak |
Use a stronger flour—one with higher quality or quantity of protein. |
|
COMMENT: There’s two attitudes toward using blown dough. Some say it should never be used but, instead, should be discarded. Other experts recommend re-using it if it’s new dough (i.e., less than 24 hours old). They suggest re-balling it if it can be used within 12 hours. If it’s between 24 to 48 hours old, they suggest mixing it in with a new batch. Try to add only 10 percent blown dough per batch, but some say up to 50 percent can be mixed with new dough. Add it during the last minute of mixing. If it’s over 48 hours old it should probably be discarded. If it smells like beer it should definitely be discarded. | |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Severely over-risen dough (too much fermentation) |
Reduce amount of rise or fermentation. See previous section on Over-risen Dough Balls. |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Dough balls exposed too long to open air |
(1)
Cover dough balls with a tray, cover, plastic wrap, or plastic bag. |
|
Floured too far ahead |
Flour dough balls no more than 2 to 3 minutes before rolling or stretching. |
|
COMMENT: Slight drying or crusting of a dough ball doesn’t harm crust quality. However, a dough ball with heavy crusting—the kind that makes a “turtle shell” crust—should be discarded. Do not try to hide thick crusting by rolling it into the center of the dough ball. | |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Excessive rise or fermentation |
Reduce the amount of rise. See previous section on Over-risen Dough Balls. |
| Too much pressure from sauce spoon |
Reduce the amount of downward pressure when applying the sauce. |
(Also see a previous section on Dough Too Stiff )
| Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Flour’s protein level is too high |
(1) Switch to a flour of 1 to 2 percent lower protein content, or (2) blend a lower protein flour with the current flour. |
| Dough under-mixed |
Mix dough longer (try 10 to 20 percent more time). |
| Dough unrelaxed |
(1) Let dough relax for 30 minutes after mixing. (2) If feasible, flatten dough balls 2 to 3 minutes before final rolling or pressing. |
| Too cold |
Warm the dough (balls) to 60 to 70 degrees F before using. |
| Protein too strong |
If reducing the flour protein content is undesirable, (1) increase the oil or shortening level up to 4 to 5 percent of flour weight, or (2) use a dough relaxer—i.e., reducing agent—such as L-cysteine (see Comment below). |
| Inadequate fermentation |
Increase fermentation or rise. See previous section on Under-risen Dough Balls. |
| Too stiff |
Increase amount of water in dough formula. See previous section on Dough Too Stiff. |
|
COMMENT: There are several types of dough relaxers, each one affecting dough a different way and at a different time. Check with the manufacturer(s) to find out which type is best suited for your production system. | |
(Also see a previous section on Dough Too Slack)
| Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Flour’s protein level is too low |
(1) Switch to a flour of 1 to 2 percent higher protein content, or (2) add vital wheat gluten to current flour. |
| Dough over-mixed |
Mix dough less (try 10 to 20 percent shorter time). |
| Protein too weak |
(1) Switch to a stronger (i.e., higher quality) flour, or (2) decrease the oil or shortening level, or (3) if it’s being used, eliminate or reduce the dough relaxer. |
|
Dough too warm |
Use dough of a colder temperature. Leave dough in the cooler until just before using. |
|
Dough too slack |
Decrease amount of water in formula. See previous section on Dough Too Slack. |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Inadequate amount of dusting flour or cornmeal used |
(1) Sprinkle more flour or cornmeal onto the table and/or (2) dip the dough ball (both sides) into flour or cornmeal before rolling. |
| Wrong flour used for dusting |
Use bread flour—not cake, pastry or all-purpose flour—for dusting the table. Finely ground semolina or corn meal works well, too (and eliminates flour dust settling around the store). |
|
Too much pressure used on first roll |
When using a rolling pin, too much downward pressure on the first roll can cause dough to stick to the table or pin. To eliminate the problem, apply less pressure on the first roll and increasingly greater pressure on subsequent rolls. |
|
Too much diastatic action in the dough |
If diastatic malt is used in the dough formula, eliminate or reduce the amount, or switch to non-diastatic malt. (Read about malt products in the Dough Additive section of the Dough Ingredients chapter. There are various types of malt. Consult with a manufacturer for details on what is best suited for your production requirements.) |
|
Dough too slack |
Use stiffer dough. See previous section on Dough Too Slack. |
|
COMMENT: Although not commonly done, some pizzerias use oil instead of flour when rolling dough. They apply a thin coating of oil to the table and/or dough ball before rolling or stretching. | |
See previous section on Dough Too Elastic or Springy.
REMEDY: If this problem occurs frequently, use stiffer dough. For ways to make
stiffer dough, see the previous sections on Dough
Too Slack and Dough Too Extensible.
If it only happens occasionally due to slight over-rolling or over-stretching,
jiggle the dough (in the pan or on the screen) until it shrinks to the proper
size. Avoid the habit of trimming off dough to make over-stretched dough fit the
pan or screen.
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Wrong flour used for dusting |
Use bread flour—not cake, pastry or all-purpose flour—for dusting the table and dough. Or switch to finely ground cornmeal or finely ground semolina. |
|
Improper flouring and stretching methods: (a) Dough balls floured too far ahead and/or (b) Rolled dough stacked together before panning and/or (c) Inadequate slapping to remove flour. |
Flour dough balls no more than 2 to 3 minutes ahead; don’t stack up rolled dough too far ahead; slap or brush excess flour off of dough. |
| Too much diastatic action in the dough |
If diastatic malt is used in the dough formula, eliminate or reduce the amount, or switch to non-diastatic malt. (Read about malt products in the Dough Additive section of the Dough Ingredients chapter. There are various types of malt. Consult with a manufacturer for details on what is best suited for your production requirements.) |
|
Dough too slack |
Use stiffer dough. See previous section on Dough Too Slack. |
|
COMMENT: Although not commonly done, some pizzerias use oil instead of flour when rolling dough. They apply a thin coating of oil to the table and/or dough ball before rolling or stretching. | |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Oxidation of bran particles in old dough |
In future batches, lower dough pH by adding an acidic ingredient to the formula, such as 2 to 4 oz of vinegar per 25 lb flour. NOTE: Increasing the acidity of dough can inhibit crust browning, so it may be necessary to add non-fat dry milk or whey to increase browning. Increased acidity also inhibits fermentation, so it may be necessary to increase yeast level or dough temperature. |
|
COMMENT: Although the spots look unsightly on a dough ball, in fact, they’re harmless and disappear during baking. So they might best be ignored. | |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Undispersed yeast colonies in the dough |
Rehydrate (dissolve) yeast completely before adding to the dough. Might also try a longer mixing time if using a planetary mixer. |
|
COMMENT: Some experts suggest that these spots are caused by yeast colonies that don’t completely disperse during mixing. Apparently the colonies die and release ammonia that discolors the dough. | |
(Cheese and toppings bake to full doneness before crust turns brown)
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Inadequate amount of sugar in dough |
Add lactose—i.e., whey or non-fat dry milk—to dough formula. Use 3 to 6 percent of flour weight. Sucrose, or table sugar, can also be used but it increases fermentation, which can produce undesirable side effects—so whey or non-fat dry milk is preferred. |
|
Too much flour left on surface of dough |
(1) Slap off all flour before laying dough onto pan, screen, or peel. (2) Keep pizza screens out of flour—i.e., don’t lay them on a flour-covered table. |
|
Excessive fermentation |
Reduce fermentation. See previous section on Over-risen Dough Balls. |
|
Oven temperature too low |
Raise baking temperature and, possibly, reduce baking time. |
(Crust turns brown before the cheese and toppings are fully baked)
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Too much sugar in dough |
Reduce the amount of whey, non-fat-dry milk, and/or sugar in dough formula. |
|
Dough may be very young |
Allow longer fermentation time prior to using. |
(Top of pizza bakes to full doneness before bottom of crust turns brown)
| Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Inadequate bottom heat in oven (or too much top heat) |
Adjust oven baffles, air fingers, and/or temperature controls so there’s more bottom heat relative to top heat. |
| Improper rotation of pizzas in a deck oven (i.e., always putting pizzas onto the same spot of the deck) |
When baking with a deck oven, rotate pizzas through various spots on the deck, thereby allowing each spot maximum time to regain lost heat. If this doesn’t solve the problem, it may be time to purchase additional ovens. |
| Pizzas too close together in an electric infrared conveyor oven |
Allow at least a 2-inch space between pizzas on the conveyor belt of an electric infrared oven. |
|
Using infrared-reflective aluminum pans in an infrared type oven (ex., CTX-type conveyor oven) |
(1) Have aluminum pans anodized. This increases their infrared heat absorption capacity. (2) Or use black steel pans instead of aluminum. NOTE: Contrary to popular belief, holes in a pan do not significantly reduce baking time or increase heat conductivity. |
|
Too much flour left on bottom of dough |
(1) Slap off all flour before laying dough onto pan, screen, or peel. If using flour on the peel, switch to finely ground cornmeal or semolina. (2) Keep pizza screens out of flour—i.e., don’t lay them on a flour-covered table. |
(Bottom of crust turns brown before top of pizza is fully baked)
| Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Inadequate top heat in oven (or too much bottom heat) |
If using a deck oven, open the baffle to allow more top heat. If using a convection or impingement-type conveyor oven, refer to the oven manual and confirm that the finger arrangement is correct. If necessary, adjust oven baffles, air fingers, and/or temperature controls so that there’s more top heat relative to bottom heat. |
|
Sloppy oven-tending methods (i.e., leaving deck oven doors open too much) |
Keep oven door closed as much as possible—don’t open the door and walk away from oven (i.e., never take your hand off the oven door while the door is open). |
|
Possible Cause |
Remedy |
|
Excessive fermentation |
Reduce fermentation. See previous section on Over-risen Dough Balls. |
|
Oven temperature too low |
Raise baking temperature and, perhaps, reduce baking time. |
|
Possible Cause |
Remedy |
|
Too much flour left on surface of dough |
(1) Slap off all flour before laying dough onto pan, screen, or peel, and/or (2) brush outer edge of dough with oil prior to baking. |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Placing pizza too close to side or back wall of a deck oven |
(1) Keep pizzas at least 2 inches from side or back wall of baking chamber. (2) Rotate pizzas 180 degrees half way through baking. |
| Non-uniform heat in baking chamber (deck oven or convection conveyor oven) |
Adjust oven baffles, air fingers, and/or temperature controls so that heat is uniformly dispersed in baking chamber. |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Outer edge rolled too thin |
Make the outer edge thicker by: (1) Rolling dough to 3/4 final diameter, then hand-stretching it to final size; or (2) when rolling dough don’t roll off the edge with the rolling pin (roll just up to the edge but not over it). |
| Outer edge too high in the pan |
Don’t extend the edge of the dough so high up the side of the pan. |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Uneven oven heat |
FOR DECK OVENS AND INFRARED CONVEYOR OVENS: Keep pizzas at least 2 inches from the side walls. See previous section on Crust Over-browns on One Side. FOR CONVECTION (i.e., IMPINGEMENT-TYPE) CONVEYOR OVENS: Clean the impinger fingers; make sure fingers and baffles are properly installed and fan is working properly. |
| Excess flour |
(1) Remove excess flour from dough before assembling the pizza, and/or (2) brush outer edge of crust with oil before baking. |
| Re-working dough scraps into new dough during sheeting |
Older dough browns less than new dough, so when pieces of old and new dough are rolled together they create a crust of uneven browning. |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Air and steam build-up between dough and pan bottom |
(1) When placing dough into pan, press out all air pockets between the dough and pan. (2) Use a pan with holes so air and steam build-up can escape during baking, thereby allowing the entire crust to come into contact with the pan bottom. NOTE: If a large amount of oil is used, holes cannot be used. |
See the previous section on Crust Not Brown Enough All Over.
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Dough under-proofed (i.e., under-risen) |
Use more-risen dough for making pizza. See the previous section on Under-risen Dough Balls. Also, read the chapter on Dough Management. |
| Dough
over-proofed |
Use less-risen dough for making pizza. See the previous section on Over-risen Dough Balls. Also, read the chapter on Dough Management. |
|
High percentage of water in dough formula |
Reduce the water portion in the dough formula by 2 to 4 percent of flour weight. This can help reduce the presence of super-large (pita-bread style) bubbles. |
|
COMMENT: Most
bubbling problems are caused by under-proofed dough. For top quality crust,
the recommended way to reduce bubbling is use optimally proofed dough—neither
under-risen nor over-risen. However sometimes that’s not always possible. In emergency
cases, when dough is under-proofed, perforate the rolled dough using a dough
docker. However, docking has the effect of creating a very flat crust. So
unless you desire a flat crust, docking should only be used as a last resort.
Other methods of (possibly) reducing bubbles include (a) assembling the pizza
with the soft bottom side of the dough facing up, and (b) using a slightly longer
bake time and lower temperature. Because crust bubbling is a universal concern
among pizzerias, the following special discussion is provided. | |
Dough/crust bubbling is a problem that has plagued pizzerias for decades. Of course, not all pizzerias consider it a problem. Some actually like bubbles because they feel their customers like them. However, many operators abhor bubbles, especially the large kind that move cheese and toppings off an entire slice or, worse yet, off half the pizza.
To eliminate bubbles it helps to know what happens during baking. Here’s how it works. Dough contains thousand of air cells created during fermentation or proofing. These air cells are separated from one another by cell walls. At the onset of baking, the air cells expand slightly due to a burst of yeast activity, a process called oven spring. Following oven spring, the starch in the cell walls gelatinizes, or absorbs surrounding moisture. Gelatinization, in turn, causes the protein (i.e., gluten) in the cell walls to lose moisture. The reduction of moisture in the protein causes it to retract and become less elastic. This results in pinpoint holes forming in the cell walls. Following that, the protein coagulates and, thereby, firms up—giving the crust its firm cellular structure. Following coagulation, steam develops in the cells and vents out the pinpoint holes and, eventually, out the top of the crust. To see evidence of where steam vents out the top of the crust, scrape away the cheese and sauce from a properly proofed, properly baked pizza and you’ll see many small holes in the top of the crust, which served as steam vents.
For the pinpoint holes to form in the cell walls, the walls must be of the proper thickness and contain the proper amount of moisture. When dough is improperly proofed—that is, either under-risen or over-risen—the cell walls are of the “wrong” thickness. In under-proofed dough they are too thick. In over-proofed dough they are too thin.
When holes fail to form in the cell walls, the steam generated during baking cannot dissipate properly from the cells. As a result, it builds up within each cell, forcing the cell upward and eventually ripping the cell walls. In effect, instead of dissipating through an open cellular network and out the top of the crust, as happens with properly proofed dough, the steam rips open the cellular structure in a chain reaction—rupturing one cell wall after another and, eventually, forming one large cell.
There’s a difference between bubbles formed from under-proofing versus over-proofing. Bubbles from under-proofing tend to be flat but large in diameter. If unpopped, they can blow up an entire pizza. This is the process by which pita or pocket bread is made. Bubbles from over-proofing tend to be high but smaller in diameter. They rise up like little ping-pong balls and eventually form a hole at the top, at which time they stop expanding. They almost always burn. Most pizza bubbling problems are of the under-proofed type.
To resolve a bubbling problem, dough fermentation must be adjusted accordingly. To stop bubbling caused by under-proofed dough, increase the amount of fermentation. To stop bubbling caused by over-proofed dough, reduce the amount of fermentation.
In addition to proper proofing, it has been found that reducing the amount of water in a dough formula can help with reducing bubbling when dealing with the under-proofed type. The reduction in moisture aids in creating the pinpoint holes in the cells walls.
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Under-risen
dough |
Increase fermentation or rise. See previous section on Under-risen Dough Balls. |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Over-risen
dough |
Reduce fermentation or rise. See previous section on Over-risen Dough Balls. |
| Dough inadequately molded or compressed after mixing |
Flatten dough (balls) with a dough-roller or press, thereby dividing the large air cells produced during mixing into smaller cells. |
|
Possible Causes |
Remedy |
|
Re-working too much old scrap |
When sheeting dough or pizza shells, use no more than 25 percent scrap. Re-work scrap only once. Let rolled dough or pizza shell achieve full fermentation before baking. |