Troubleshooting Tips and Technical Resources

Serving a delicious pizza to your customers starts at the heart of the pizza: The crust. The key to having confidence in your crust is consistency. Use these tips and resources to make quality crust, every time.

Crust Tips & Resources

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Find solutions to common pizza problems

You’re not alone if your pizza crust is presenting a challenge here and there. Choose your crust format to explore common issues and what you can do to improve them.

Unsure of ingredient order

Add water to the bowl first. On top of the water add the flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast. If using oil, let the water and dry ingredients incorporate for at least a minute prior to adding the oil.

Differing temperatures for water and dough

When hydrating active dry yeast, a general rule is to have water equal to five times the weight of the yeast. (If using two ounces yeast, only 10 ounces of the formula water needs to be at the specified 110°F.) The balance of the formula water can be adjusted to maintain a dough temperature of 80°F.

Consistency is too stiff

Stiff dough doesn’t bake efficiently. By adding more water to the formula, the dough will open up when baking, creating tiny little air cells. These air cells lighten the crust and allow the dough to bake completely resulting in a lighter, crispier crust.

Too firm after thawing

Allow to warm up until flexible. Keep dough covered to avoid skinning.

Dough forms a skin

Oil frozen dough prior to placing in dough box in the refrigerator. Completely coat entire surface of dough ball. Keep covered during storage and handling.

Bubbling in the dough

Try docking the dough before baking and monitor dough temperature. Dough needs to reach 55°F prior to baking. Limit total amount of floor time.

Bubbles develop during baking

If using a dough press, press dough and pat it slightly before pressing to “work the dough a bit”. Make sure the center of the dough ball is 55°F or higher before pressing or stretching the dough.

Too large and loose in handling

Product may be over proofing, so limit time at room temperature and minimize number of days that dough is stored in the cooler

Insufficient crust browning in finished pizza

Dough may be too cold. Allow to temp to 55°F prior to baking. Dough may be underdeveloped. Thaw in cooler overnight rather than speed thawing at room temperature.

Frozen flatbread crusts stick together

Slack for a few minutes and then separate crusts as you need them.

Crust is cupped out of the freezer

Temper the dough or slack at room temperature for five minutes before topping.

Crust is bowling

Increase humidity in your cooler or storage area.

Cheese browns too fast on READI RISE™

Spritz the top of dressed pizza with water.

Crust isn’t crisp

Use a screen while baking or bake directly on deck or stone. Don’t spray parbaked or sheeted prior to baking. Top just before baking.

Parbaked crust cups after baking

Next time, thaw crust slightly first. Try saucing and topping to the edge to weigh down the crust.

Brush up with technical resources

Popular dough formulas
Popular dough formulas

Start here: It’s all about the dough.

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Flour is the foundation

Understand how flour treatments impact crust.

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Quick References

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Interactive Pizza Guide

Learn about crust styles and formats, pizza pans and ovens, troubleshoot common issues, and review technical references.

Explore PDF guide

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Dough troubleshooting

Having trouble with your pizza dough? Get help with these tips and tricks to successfully conquer pizza problems.

See troubleshooting tips

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Flour treatments

There are four common treatments applied to flours that can impact appearance, dough properties, and nutrition.

Learn about treatments

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Pizza Boot Camp Guide

Get help making your best crust with this guide to the practical handling and technical aspects of dough.

Explore PDF guide

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Just the Crust Technical Reference

Understand the ingredients, processes, and techniques of making a pizza crust you can be proud to call your own.

See technical PDF

Explore more resources

A recipe for success

While pizza-making often draws on creativity, when it comes to crust it’s best to follow sequential steps for adding and mixing ingredients.

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Ingredients for the perfect pizza dough

Each ingredient has an important role to play in the success of your dough.

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Get key tips to making consistent quality pizza crust

Discover ways to ensure that you get pizza crust you are proud of, every time.

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Simplify the dough-making process

Get the ins and outs of consistent dough processing.

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