making and storing large amounts of pizza dough

[shirt]

i am having a pizza party this weekend where i expect 35-40 pizzas to be consumed. i reckon this will be around 6kg of flour and about 10.5kg of mixed dough.

given i don't have a mixer and can't really be bothered standing mixing dough all day, i was planning to do half the night before and half the day of the feast. my other problem is storage, there ain't no way i can get 5kg of dough with space to rise in the fridge.

what would be the best way to store the dough for up to 24hrs? i was thinking to mix 1kg at a time, then transfer into plastic storage boxes to allow it to expand. then divide and put into floured shallower boxes with an airtight light and store somewhere cool.

does anyone here bake in bulk and can you give me any tips to reduce the workload and ensure storage is done correctly?

[21TonyK]

I think your only option is small batches in lots of containers although this time of year your garage may be pretty cold and if you can find something big enough to put it in (for 10kg you need about a 70-80 litre box/pan). Keep this covered and knocking it back occasionally in the cool should be okay.

I do a 12kg batch every second week. Mixed in three loads and then dumped in a big pan and left in the fridge for a few days. Keeping it cool retards the yeast enough to stop it rising, then its scaled to 600g, balled and left to rise for a few hours before use.

35-40 individual pizzas is a bit of a mission though!

[shirt]

thanks tony. i am thinking those large underbed storage boxes from ikea would do it. still a balmy 30deg C in the garage though so think spare bedroom with the ac on full!

a challenge yes, kinda roped into it but should cope. making sauces through the week, a day of prep and then should just be a case of showing people how its done, making the first round and then letting them have a go. spread over a few hours with plenty of beer and it'll be manageable!

[thebraketester]

Do you have a bread maker?

[21TonyK]

The big flat ikea boxes will probably work quite well as any rise (and it will at anything above 6-7 degrees) can spread as well. Just don;t put a tight fitting lid on as if it bursts off overnight you will have an almighty mess to deal with. I would have thought if you spread 10kg across 3 boxes you won't have a problem. You could also use the same boxes to store the balled dough ob the day.

[Tony Angelino]

Ring a couple of local pizza restaurants and ask the for a price to supply dough balls at the size you need?

Look to pay 10-20p each.

[sidekickdmr]

Tony Angelino said:

Ring a couple of local pizza restaurants and ask the for a price to supply dough balls at the size you need?

Look to pay 10-20p each.

This, for a pizza party I had my local Italian pizzeria made up, balled, proved, put in food grade plastic trays covered in clingfilm, 40 doughballs for me.

Paid I think 50P a ball, so £20 and all that effort saved, just returned the plastic trays a couple of days after

[Johnniem]

sidekickdmr said:

Tony Angelino said:

Ring a couple of local pizza restaurants and ask the for a price to supply dough balls at the size you need?

Look to pay 10-20p each.

This, for a pizza party I had my local Italian pizzeria made up, balled, proved, put in food grade plastic trays covered in clingfilm, 40 doughballs for me.

Paid I think 50P a ball, so £20 and all that effort saved, just returned the plastic trays a couple of days after

+1 for this. Expect to pay more that 10-20 each for sure. Worth every penny though

[Tony Angelino]

Johnniem said:

sidekickdmr said:

Tony Angelino said:

Ring a couple of local pizza restaurants and ask the for a price to supply dough balls at the size you need?

Look to pay 10-20p each.

This, for a pizza party I had my local Italian pizzeria made up, balled, proved, put in food grade plastic trays covered in clingfilm, 40 doughballs for me.

Paid I think 50P a ball, so £20 and all that effort saved, just returned the plastic trays a couple of days after

+1 for this. Expect to pay more that 10-20 each for sure. Worth every penny though

Must be cheaper for us lads oooop north.