Imagine the Pizza Possibilities
Products, Insights, and Resources to Support Your Business
Ardent Mills is the Pizza Partner You Can Trust
Helping Your Business Thrive
Learn how we can help your operation.
Click the box that represents your pizza business.
Looking for the Right Flour? We Can Help!
Ardent Mills offers a full portfolio of pizza flours you can count on for consistent performance, texture, and taste. From classics like New York and Chicago style, artisan specialties like Neapolitan and Detroit style, and lifestyle pizzas like keto friendly, we offer pizza flours for every style you’re serving.
Click on an image below for more information about crust types and flour solutions.
Troubleshooting Tips
We offer helpful resources and insights as well as technical support, training and troubleshooting. Here’s a look at some of the most common dough and crust issues and recommended solutions.
Don’t see a solution to your issue below? Contact Ardent Mills.
Click on a common dough issue for troubleshooting solutions and tips.
Inconsistent Dough
Inconsistent dough is often the result of varying temperature, whether from ingredients, bakery equipment or ambient temperature of the bakery or pizzeria. Calculating your desired dough temperature (DDT) is integral to efficiency.
-
Dough rises too fast
Possible Reasons
- High yeast activity
Solutions to Consider
- Decrease dough temperature
- Refrigerate dough during fermentation
- Decrease sugar
- Increase salt
-
Problem: Dough is not rising fast enough
Possible Reasons
- Slow yeast activity
Solutions to Consider
- Check yeast quality/handling
- Allow for a bench rest before a refrigerated fermentation
- Increase dough temperature
- Increase sugar
- Increase yeast
- Decrease salt
-
Problem: Dough elasticity is lacking
Possible Reasons
- Gluten development
Solutions to Consider
- Does the type of flour fit the desired outcome?
- Adjust mix time for desired gluten development
- Refrigerate dough for a longer fermentation period
- Increase bench rest time prior to baking
Crust Characteristics
Crust characteristics are largely determined by the dough formulation, cooking environment and the steps taken prior to baking.
-
Problem: Crust has large bubbles
Possible Reasons
- Dough is under proofed
- Dough is too wet prior to baking
- Yeast is too active
- Dough temperature is too cold prior to baking
Solutions to Consider
- Increase proof time
- Decrease hydration
- Decrease yeast
- Dock the dough
- Allow the dough to warm up to room temperature before baking
-
Problem: Crust is too dark
Possible Reasons
- Pizza is overbaked
- Oven temperature too low
- Ingredient balance
Solutions to Consider
- Increase oven temperature and reduce bake time
- Consider toppings that cook faster
- Decrease sugar or other browning ingredients
-
Problem: Crust texture is soft, doughy or soggy
Possible Reasons
- Oven temperature not appropriate
- Wrong type of flour was used for pizza style
- Toppings are overly wet
- Crust is under baked
Solutions to Consider
- Increase oven temperature
- Use a type of flour that is higher in protein
- Reduce amount of sauce or moisture of toppings