SC - Re: Eat well, well to do?

[Decker, Terry D.]

> My housemate just came in and asked me about the apparent 'Pizza Wars'
> going on between Pizza Hut and Pappa John's.  Pappa John's has an ad
> campaign that says they let their pizza dough rest for a period of time
> from 1 - 3 days, which, they claim, is ever so much better than the
> fresh-from-the-mixing-bowl dough that Pizza Hut uses.  So, what's the
> deal here?  What does making the dough sit for a few days do for it?  (My
> guess was develops more glutens, which would make it tougher, or would
> it?)  
>  
> Thanks, 
> 	Christianna
> 
Letting the dough sit that long should cause it to expand to its maximum
extent and slump.  The result is a softening of the dough and a degradation
of texture caused by the over-extension and breakdown of the gluten.  If you
catch the dough just before or right after it slumps, you can knead fresh
flour into it and get a good second rise.  I use the extended first rise
with sourdoughs, to improve the flavor and get a baking cycle I can fit
around my workday.  The extended rise usually lasts from 8 to 12 hours at
room temperature.

>From the limited information, I suspect Papa John uses less yeast to force a
longer rise.  This in turn allows the dough to sour and improves the flavor.
The dough is probably chilled to reduce yeast activity and extend the rise
into the 1 to 3 day period.  

I've done 24 hour chilled rises with no great problem and I know French
bakers use a chilled second rise to improve flavor and have greater control
of the baking.  BTW, sourdoughs are always raised at room temperature, not
in the cooler.

In practice, I think Papa John's dough is a marketing ploy, since flavor
gains in the crust will likely be hidden by the toppings.

Bear



============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================