Are you tired of dry pizza dough? Or a small annoying container that’s impossible to get the dough out from? Then you’ve come to the right place. Because there is a better way to prove pizza!
Storing pizza dough properly during proofing is essential for good pizza. And a pizza proofing box is the best way to proof a large amount of pizza dough at once.
So if want to prevent dry pizza dough balls, more efficient storage, and easier handling of a larger amount of dough, you need a pizza proofing box.
This set of 2 heavy-duty dough trays offers professional quality, each designed to comfortably fit 6 pizza dough balls. Included in the set are a fitting lid and a plastic scraper. With their small size of only 17.75 x 13 x 7 inches, these trays allow for compact storage, including in the fridge
This article will explain exactly what a pizza proofing box is, who it’s for, the benefits and drawbacks compared to other ways of storing pizza dough, and how to pick the right proofing box for both professional and home use.
What is a pizza poofing box?
A pizza proofing box is an air-tight container made for easy soring of pizza dough balls during proofing. Proofing boxes come in all different sizes and can hold anywhere from 4 to 12 pizza dough balls.
The main benefit of using a pizza proofing dough box, compared to storing dough in Tupperware containers, or baking bowls with plastic wrap, is the number of dough balls you can fit. Most proofing boxes also stack. Which means you can place multiple boxes on top of each other. So you’re able to store a lot of pizza dough in a small space. It also makes it easier to move many pizza dough balls at the same time. This is useful if you for example proof the dough and bake your pizzas in two different locations.
A pizza proofing box should be air-tight to avoid a dry crust developing on the surface of the dough during longer leaves.
Due to the size, you can also place dough balls further apart, so they don’t touch each other or the edges of the proofing box. This is going to make it easier to get the dough balls out without puncturing the dough, preventing that nice “cornicione” from developing during baking.
It’s also easier to get the dough out of a proofing box than a bowl because it’s easier to get a pizza dough scraper to get the dough out. Can’t fit a dough scraper into a Tupperware container or bowl. More space-efficient for more dough than singular containers.
A pizza proofing box is also better for the environment than e.g. use of plastic wrap or plastic bags since you can use them over and over.
Do you need a pizza proofing box?
A pizza proofing box is most useful in a professional environment, such as a restaurant, where you need to store a lot of pizza dough balls. But it can also be convenient for home chefs that bake many pizzas, or simply want to store pizza better.
If you’re in a professional kitchen, turning out hundreds or even thousands of pizzas every night you can’t do without pizza proofing boxes. Space efficiency is of the essence in a professional environment. And large boxes that can fit a dozen or more pizza dough balls will make it much easier.
For home baking, on the other hand, it’s not strictly necessary. Especially if you only make one or a few pizzas at a time. I’ve tried every possible way to store pizza dough both for short proofing times and week-long cold fermentation. And using a proofing box or simply the easiest and most convenient way to store multiple dough balls.
Pizza dough proofing boxes come in a variety of different sized sizes. From large commercials to small ones intended for home use to large ones that are great for large pizza parties.
What makes a good pizza proofing box?
There are many poor pizza boxes on the market, it’s therefore important to know what to look for when you want to get a pizza proofing box.
A pizza proofing box should be:
- Air-tight
- Able to stack
- Sturdy and well-built
- The right material
- The right size for your use
Air-tight
One of the most important features you should look for is that the dough proofing box is air-tight.
Especially for longer fermentation drying of the surface of the dough is a problem. If you store pizza dough without covering it, a dry crust is going to develop. When you later try to stretch out the dough, you will end up with small hard pieces on the crust. To prevent this you should store the dough in an airtight container. It’s therefore important that your dough proofing box is airtight.
Stackable
Since the purpose of a dough proofing box is to store many pizza dough balls space-efficiently, good pizza dough boxes are able to stack on top of each other. That means one dough box should click into the one under. So you can build a tower of dough boxes that’s not going to fall over. Stacked boxes are also easier to move since they will not fall.
Material
Traditional Italian dough proofing boxes were made of wood, but modern plastic boxes provide several benefits.
Even though I must admit that a traditional wooden dough box looks nicer, they are not as airtight as a good plastic box. They are also larger and heavier, which makes them less space-efficient and harder to handle and move. They also often lack stackability.
A plastic surface is also smooth, something that will prevent the dough balls from sticking, and makes it easier to get them out of the box after proofing.
Size matters
It’s also important to pick the right size. You need a proofing box that fits your needs. In a professional environment, where you bake 100 pizzas an hour, you need a lot of pizza dough. And consequentially large proofing boxes that can fit many dough balls. 12 dough balls boxes are common.
If you’re a home chef, and just have a few friends over for pizza night, a large commercial proofing box is going to be inconvenient. In that case, you want a smaller dough box that can fit perhaps 4-8 dough balls. And perhaps you also only need one box.
Another consideration is the height of the proofing box. The height depends on the size of your dough balls, but for Neapolitan or New York-style pizza, a regular 3-inch (7.6 cm) proofing box is good. You can also get taller proofing boxes for other styles of pizza that require larger dough balls.
The best pizza proofing box for home use
The best proofing box for home use is the DoughMate Artisan Dough Tray. A smaller-size dough box that fits any kitchen.
This set of 2 heavy-duty dough trays offers professional quality, each designed to comfortably fit 6 pizza dough balls. Included in the set are a fitting lid and a plastic scraper. With their small size of only 17.75 x 13 x 7 inches, these trays allow for compact storage, including in the fridge
The DoughMate Artisan Dough Tray Kit is a great starter kit that includes: 2 proofing boxes, 1 lid, and a plastic dough scraper – everything you need to get started fermenting pizza at home!
At 13×17.75 inches (33×45 cm), the proofing box can fit around 6 dough balls. So with two trays, that’s 12 pizza doughs in total. Plenty for most home chefs!
The small size also makes it fit in most fridges, which is great for cold fermentation, one of my personal favorites.
The DoughMate Artisan Dough Tray is a convenient, solid, US-made pizza dough box that will improve the storage and handling of pizza dough. The perfect starter kit for those who don’t want to worry about crusting on their pizza dough!
The best pizza proofing box for professionals
The best pizza proofing box is Cambro Pizza Dough Box. This is a sturdy, air-tight, and easy-to-use rising box that keeps the dough fresh and prevents crusting!
A solid, stackable pizza dough box made in the US.
Cambro Pizza Dough Box is a stackable dough box that fits snugly on top of each other. This makes it easy and convenient to use!
(One thing to be aware of is that it doesn’t come with a lid, so you need one more dough box than you plan to use)
The boxes are air-tight and will preserve the dough during fermentation. The smooth edges also make it comfortable to use, and easy to move around.
At 18×26 inches (46×66 cm), the Cambro Pizza Dough Box can fit 10-12 pizza doughs. It’s also only 3 inches tall, which makes it, even more, space-efficient, when you stack the trays.
Conclusion
A pizza proofing box is not for everyone. If you make an occasional granny-style pizza or simply don’t bake multiple pizzas at once, you’ll probably not benefit much from using a proofing box. But in a professional environment, or for a serious home cook a proofing good box can mean the difference between failure and success! The ease of storage, moving, and getting the pizza out of the rising container makes it the ideal way to store pizza dough during fermentation.
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