Why and when do you need to dock dough?
When making a pie, you almost always have to make holes in the dough with a fork. This is called docking.
What is the exact reason for doing this? Are there kinds of pastry (puff, short crust, flaky) where this isn't necessary? Do you only need to do it when blind-baking? When you're using baking weights, does it still make a difference?
Best Answer
Doughs are docked to keep them from blowing up with steam while they bake.
Thus- you only do it in applications that you don't want blown up- like blind pie crusts. Puff pastry applications, for example, you usually do want to blow up so you will get a lot of light layers.
If you are baking a pastry with a filling then the filling will keep this from happening. If you are baking blind, even with pie weights, you should dock because the weights might not weight evenly and you might still get a bubble.
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Quick Answer about "Why and when do you need to dock dough?"
To "dock" a pastry means to prick a pie crust with a fork before baking. This technique is a simple way to poke holes in the pastry dough. This allows the steam to escape so that the pie crust doesn't puff up in the oven. Usually, this technique is used when blind baking a pie crust before filling.Is it necessary to dock pizza dough?
To prevent severe bubbling, the fresh crusts and crusts formed from dough balls need to be docked before the pizza is sauced and topped. The parbaked crust has already been docked, if large bubbles typically form in your oven pop them as needed.Why do you dock bread?
Docking BreadsA loaf that expands too exuberantly in the oven will often crack and split, creating bulges that ruin the bread's symmetry. That's irritating at home but intolerable in a bakery, so bakers cope with it by docking -- slashing -- their loaves.Why do you perforate pizza dough?
Use a pizza stone or perforated pizza panThe steam from the base can't escape, so it condenses on your crispy surface and turns it wet and soggy. Use a pizza stone or a pan with holes to get a crispy pizza crust. A pizza stone will keep your pizza hot and its porousness will absorb some condensation.Why Does Bread Dough Need To Rise Twice?
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Answer 2
I can offer an example from work experience. When making flatbread, I shared this with a co-worker. We were docking the rounds to keep them from puffing up like little pillows, for this we want flat breads that are flat. Docking correctly allows for small "pillows" of air, yet the overall product does not rise much. I baked one without docking to demonstrate how that flatbread would turn into a pita. The entire thing puffs up, separating the top and bottom layer, creating a void. Once cooled, a nice pocket is there for sandwiches. I know this is not a pie answer, but I hope that the visual example helps explain why we dock.
Answer 3
Docking is used in order to get the air bubble pockets out of the crust. Depending on when the dough was made, to the temperature of the dough itself, you can use anything to dock a pizza including your fingertips as if you are clawing at it. It is the same as edge stretching except you are putting holes in the dough to release air and gases.
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