On my return flight from Buffalo this week I sat next to a food scientist. This seat assignment rates right up there with the time I sat next to the Mayonnaise Salesman and let’s not forget the Sargento Cheese guy. This woman had an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and a master’s degree in Food Science. At her current job she specializes in dough.
Dough. Like… Pizza dough? How convenient!
Obviously, I asked her for comments on pizza making. The first recommendation she made to me was that I transition to 00 Flour (referred to in the industry as “Double Oh Flour”). This is a dough that is ground extra thin, retains more water, and improves the silky smoothness of the dough pre-baking. But with new water retention levels, how do I know how much flour to add? My new food scientist friend reports that I should be able to read a newspaper through the dough when it’s stretched thin – Daaaang! That is Glutenrific!
I got this food scientist’s business card and may introduce her to MikeDiDonato.com. I think it’s safe to say that we would welcome the knowledge base of a food scientists amongst our ranks.
As a final note, it’s probably worthwhile to pause to reflect on food industry business cards. Kristin the food scientist was telling me that she knows a butter developer. Butter Developer? Best title ever.