The Secret to Our Fresh Dough: Behind the Scenes at Freshslice

Ever wondered what makes our pizza dough so special? At Freshslice Pizza, we believe the foundation of a great pizza starts with exceptional dough. Today, we're pulling back the curtain to give you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at our dough-making process that creates that perfect balance of crispy and chewy texture that keeps customers coming back for more.

The Ingredients Matter

While many pizza chains use pre-made or frozen dough to save time and costs, at Freshslice, we make our dough fresh daily in each location. It starts with four simple ingredients:

• High-quality flour - We use a specially selected blend of flours with the perfect protein content to create the ideal gluten structure.
• Filtered water - The water temperature and purity affect fermentation and flavor development.
• Sea salt - For flavor enhancement and dough strength.
• Fresh yeast - We use fresh rather than dried yeast for optimal fermentation and flavor development.

The Secret is in the Process

Making great pizza dough isn't just about the ingredients—it's about the process. Our dough goes through several key stages:

1. Mixing - We carefully control mixing time and speed to develop just the right amount of gluten structure without overworking the dough.
2. Bulk Fermentation - After mixing, our dough rests for a specific period at a controlled temperature, allowing flavor development and creating those beautiful air pockets that make our crust so special.
3. Portioning - Each dough ball is hand-weighed to ensure consistency across all our pizzas.
4. Proofing - The portioned dough undergoes a second fermentation, further developing flavor and texture.
5. Hand-stretching - Just before topping, each dough ball is hand-stretched rather than rolled or pressed, preserving those air pockets that create a light, airy crust.

"The difference between good pizza and great pizza often comes down to patience. You can't rush good dough development."

— Chef Michael, Head of Product Development

Time Makes All the Difference

One of the biggest secrets to our dough quality is time. While some chains rush their dough production to maximize output, we allow our dough to develop for up to 24 hours before it's used. This slow fermentation process creates complex flavors and the perfect texture that simply can't be rushed.

Training Our Dough Masters

Making great dough is as much art as science. Every Freshslice location has team members specifically trained in our dough-making techniques. These "dough masters" understand how factors like humidity, temperature, and seasonal flour variations affect the dough, and they make subtle adjustments to ensure consistent quality year-round.

Our dough masters undergo extensive training to recognize the signs of properly developed dough by look, feel, and even sound. This expertise ensures that every pizza that comes out of our ovens starts with the perfect foundation.

Commitment to Quality

Making fresh dough daily is more labor-intensive and expensive than using pre-made alternatives, but we believe it's worth it. This commitment to quality is part of what sets Freshslice apart and allows us to deliver on our promise of affordable, fast, and truly fresh pizza.

The next time you bite into a Freshslice pizza, take a moment to appreciate the crust. That perfect combination of crunch and chew, the subtle flavor development, and the light, airy texture are all the result of our dedicated dough-making process that we've been perfecting since day one.