If there’s one thing we love discussing, it’s pizza. Pineapple or no pineapple? Do calzones count? Who has the best pie? But if you look beyond all the toppings, cheese and sauce, it really all comes down to crust. And that’s where bakers come in.

It’s no secret the pizza industry is the place to be right now. From frozen, par-baked, baked, or stand alone dough, pizza sales are hot with over $37 billion annually just in the U.S. alone.

So what’s the secret to a good pizza?

The dough! So for one thing, make sure your dough production lines and equipment are up to date and efficient so you’re not losing money or wasting dough. Then, make sure your formula is up to speed.

Key ingredients

• Flour: pizza dough needs to be elastic and flexible. So for fresh dough use flour with less than 12% protein content. Frozen dough should be made with 11-14% protein content.
• Water: Another key factor in dough elasticity is water absorption. Excessive water will make dough sticky, and not enough makes it bucky and difficult to stretch.
• Yeast: The average yeast level in pizza is 1-2%. However, yeast performance in frozen dough is a major issue. So you’ll need between 3-4% and mixing should be done at 24 °C (75 °F). Remember, there are yeasts made for frozen dough production!

What about usage levels and minor ingredients? Find out!