DOUGH Mates

Learn more about three handy helpers that can streamline dough processing: sheeters, rounders and dividers.

BY TRACY MORIN

Whether you struggle with unskilled staff members, are looking to create a certain type of crust, or want to establish a commissary to serve multiple locations, there are machines to help—at least when it comes to your dough processing procedures. Sheeters, rounders and dividers are three pieces of equipment that can assist in streamlining your operation behind the scenes. Here, experts break down exactly what they do—and what to know before you invest.

Sheet Mettle

Victor Cardamone, president and CEO of Mise Design Group in Williamstown, New Jersey, notes that sheeters are commonly used in pastry shop-type operations. “You can think of a sheeter like an electric rolling pin or a pasta maker on steroids,” he explains. “They essentially allow you to roll out large amounts of dough, quickly and to progressively smaller thicknesses, with relative ease.”

But sheeters can also be useful in pizzeria settings with unskilled workers who might not yet be adept at opening dough balls into pizza skins, according to Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann, a consultant with Dough Doctor Consulting in Manhattan, Kansas. He says they’re often useful in international locations, where employees are totally unfamiliar with the properties of pizza—but they can just as easily come in handy when you’re hiring, say, high school kids with zero experience.

One caveat, Lehmann warns: A sheeter will compress the dough, lending to a dense crumb structure, instead of the open or porous properties many operations prefer. On the other hand, this makes them a must for crackerlike or thin and crispy crusts with a low-absorption dough (such as 45% absorption), as these doughs are so stiff that they require some machine muscle to open properly.

Forming Dough by Hand

Tom “The Dough Doctor” Lehmann shares a bounty of additional tips for forming dough using sheeters, rounders and your own two hands.

PMQ.COM/FORMINGPIZZADOUGH

There is a middle ground on employing sheeters to help inexperienced employees, however. For those who are “toss challenged” when it comes to opening doughs, Lehmann recommends using a sheeter but increasing the gap between rolls. “This way, the skin is not opened to full diameter, but about 2” less, so it’s not degassed as much and offers better