What is a dough flattening machine used for in a bakery?

A dough flattening machine is used to turn divided dough pieces into even sheets at a controlled thickness. Bakeries and pizzerias use it for pizza bases, flatbreads, wraps, buns and sandwich rolls so that products bake consistently and can be produced faster than hand-rolling.

How is a dough flattening machine different from a full dough sheeter?

A dough flattening machine is usually narrower and simpler than a full dough sheeter. It focuses on quickly reducing dough to a set thickness for products like pizza and buns, while large dough sheeters are wider, heavier-duty and often used for laminated pastry lines that require repeated folding and longer belts.

Should I choose a manual or electric dough flattening machine?

Manual dough flattening machines suit start-up bakeries and pizzerias with smaller daily volumes and limited power capacity. Electric dough flattening machines are better when staff are rolling dough for long periods, when there are multiple product types to prepare each day, or when labour cost and speed are more critical than the initial equipment price.

What causes dough to stick or tear in a dough flattening machine?

Sticking usually comes from dough that is too warm or too wet, combined with insufficient flour and build-up on the belt or rollers. Tearing often happens when the roller gap is tightened too quickly, the dough has not rested, or the gluten structure is weak. Improving dough condition, using smaller gap changes and cleaning the contact surfaces normally fixes these problems.

How often should a dough flattening machine be cleaned and checked?

The machine should be wiped and cleared of dough and flour at the end of every production day, with rollers, scrapers and belts cleaned using a damp cloth rather than high-pressure water. On a weekly basis, bakeries should inspect belts, chains, scrapers and safety guards, and report any unusual noise, misalignment or slipping before the next busy period.

Can Yuemen supply dough flattening machines along with other bakery equipment?

Yuemen Baking Equipment can provide tabletop and floor-type dough flattening machines together with mixers, proofers and ovens. By sharing your product list, dough weights, daily flour usage and available power, you can receive a configuration that matches your bakery workflow instead of buying equipment that is oversized or difficult to integrate.

How to Use a Dough Flattening Machine: Simple Operating Guide for Bakeries and Pizzerias

Yina Huang
Dec 7, 2025
7 min read

1. What Is a Dough Flattening Machine (In Practice)?

In catalog language, you will see many names: dough flattening machine, dough roller, pizza dough roller, and small dough sheeter. In the daily bakery work, they all do the same basic job: They take a portion of dough and turn it into a flat, even sheet at a repeatable thickness.

Typical uses:

Pizza bases and flatbreads
Burger buns, sandwich rolls, submarine rolls
Simple pastry and cookie sheets (without full lamination)

Compared with a full-size conveyor dough sheeter, a dough flattening machine is usually:

Narrower (often 330–520 mm working width)
Simpler to operate, often tabletop
Focused on fast flattening instead of complex lamination

For many small and mid-size bakeries, this is the main “workhorse” between the mixer and the oven.

Mastering Dough Flattening Machines China

2. Before You Switch On: Dough and Setup Checklist

Most “machine problems” typically begin with poor dough or improper setup. Use this quick checklist for every shift.

2.1 Dough condition

Dough is slightly cool, not hot from the mixer and not rock-hard from the fridge.
Gluten has rested:
- Pizza / flatbreads: 15–30 minutes after dividing
- Buns / rolls: at least 10–15 minutes after dividing
Portions are weighed consistently (for example, 230 g for a 12-inch pizza, 300 g for a sub roll strip).

If the dough is too warm, too tight, or too sticky, the machine will only amplify the problem.

2.2 Machine and workspace

The machine stands on a stable, level surface; wheels are locked if it has casters.
Correct power supply is confirmed (220 V / 380 V as required).
Safety guards and scrapers are installed correctly.
The table or bench has enough room to lay out finished sheets.
A light dusting of flour is ready nearby (not a mountain of flour that will dry out the dough).

If any of these are wrong, fix them before the first batch. Stopping mid-rush to adjust power or move the table is exactly what kills efficiency. Next, let's dive into how to use a dough flattening machine.

3. Step-by-Step: How to Use a Dough Flattening Machine

This is the core operating routine you can train every new staff member on.

Step 1: Set the starting gap

Turn the thickness knob or lever to the widest or one of the thickest settings.
Do not start thin “to be faster”. The first pass is only to pre-shape and square the dough.

Think of the first pass as alignment, not final thickness.

Step 2: Pre-shape the dough by hand

Press the dough into a rough rectangle or oval close to the belt width.
Avoid feeding an uneven lump; very long or very narrow shapes will always give uneven sheets.

If your machine is 330 mm wide, do not feed a 10 cm wide stick of dough and expect a perfect rectangle on the other side.

Step 3: First pass

Place the dough in the center of the intake side.
Feed it straight in; do not push from one side only.
Let the rollers pull the dough. On manual models, turn the handle at a constant speed. On electric models, guide lightly and do not fight the belt.

After the first pass, you should have a thicker, reasonably square sheet.

Step 4: Progressively reduce thickness

Tighten the setting one or two steps at a time.
Pass the dough again at each setting.
If the sheet starts pulling to one side, rotate it 90° and center it again before the next pass.
Stop when the thickness matches your recipe; do not keep passing out of habit.

Over-rolling wastes time and tightens the gluten, which is bad for both pizza and buns.

Step 5: Trim, cut, or send to the next station

Depending on your product:

Pizza: cut to size or press into pans, then rest briefly before topping.
Flatbreads: cut or dock as required and move to proof or bake.
Buns / subs: cut into strips and send straight to the molder or manual shaping.

The key is to handle the sheet with two hands or a tray, not stretch it again when lifting.

4. Practical Settings for Pizza, Flatbreads, and Buns

Every dough and oven is different, but these ranges are a realistic starting point. Adjust, then lock in what works for your bakery.

4.1 Pizza dough

Thin pizza (crisper style): finish around 2.5–3.5 mm
Standard pizza: finish around 3.5–4.5 mm
Pan pizza or focaccia-style base: finish around 5–7 mm before panning

Notes:

If crusts are tough and dense, you are probably rolling too thin and/or overworking the dough.
If crusts balloon randomly, check that the thickness is even and the dough is not under-fermented.

4.2 Flatbreads and wraps

Soft flatbreads and wraps: usually 2–4 mm
Thicker flatbreads (naan-style, manouché, etc.): 4–6 mm

Many bakers underestimate how much these products puff in the oven. Always test-bake a small batch before locking in the thickness.

4.3 Buns, burger rolls, and subs

The flattening machine is usually used to prepare strips or slabs for molding:

Sheet thickness before molding: 6–12 mm, depending on bun size and dough strength.
For long sandwich rolls: slightly thinner strips give a tighter crumb; slightly thicker strips give a softer bite.

Once you find the sweet spot, write it down in mm or machine “setting number” and train all staff to use the same combination of dough weight + setting.

5. Quick Troubleshooting for Dough Flattening Machines

The goal here is speed: problems, causes, and actions your team can remember.

5.1 The sheet is thicker on one side

Likely causes:

Dough is fed into the rollers at an angle
The dough shape before the first pass was very uneven
The machine is not level on the floor

What to do:

Force yourself to feed from the center only.
Pre-shape more carefully; fix the lump before it enters the machine.
Check the level and adjust the machine feet or casters.

5.2 Dough tears or forms holes

Likely causes:

The gap was reduced too aggressively between passes
Dough under-rested or too cold / too stiff
Very high hydration dough with weak gluten

What to do:

Use more intermediate settings instead of jumping from thick to very thin.
Give the dough more bench rest; do not go straight from the mixer to the machine.
For extreme hydration doughs, keep batches smaller and use shorter total rolling distance.

5.3 Dough sticks to rollers or belt

Likely causes:

Dough too warm or too wet
Almost no flour on surfaces
Dried dough and flour build-up on scrapers and the belt

What to do:

Cool the dough slightly; avoid leaving it under hot lights or next to the oven.
Use a light dusting of flour; more is not always better.
Clean the scrapers and belt as soon as you see build-up instead of waiting until the end of the shift.

5.4 Sheet shrinks back after rolling

Likely causes:

Gluten not relaxed
Too many passes through the machine

What to do:

Let the sheet rest for a few minutes on the bench or trays, then size and cut.
Plan your passes to reach the final thickness in as few steps as possible.

6. Turn the Machine into a Simple SOP for Staff

A dough flattening machine only brings real value when every team member can use it the same way. Turn the points above into a basic SOP.

6.1 At the start of the shift

Check power, guards, belt, and scrapers.
Confirm today’s products and target settings + dough weights.
Do one test run and bake or fry that sheet to confirm thickness.

6.2 During production

Always feed from the center and keep dough shapes consistent.
Stick to the agreed number of passes; do not “play” with the knob every time.
Watch for early signs of sticking or tearing and fix them immediately.

6.3 After production

Switch off and unplug electric machines.
Wipe rollers, scrapers, and belt with a damp cloth; no high-pressure water.
Brush excess flour from the corners and under the belt.
Note any strange noise, belt slip, or alignment issue for follow-up.

Once this routine is written, printed, and taped near the dough flattening machine, new hires can reach acceptable results in a few shifts instead of a few months.

7. Manual vs Electric Dough Flattening Machines: When to Upgrade

You may already own a small manual roller. At some point, upgrading to an electric dough flattening machine stops being a luxury and becomes a pure labor and consistency decision.

Consider moving up when:

Staff spend more than 1–2 hours per day rolling dough by hand or manual crank.
You run multiple products (pizza, flatbreads, buns) in one day and need a fast changeover.
You are turning away orders or delaying bakes because dough prep cannot keep up.

Typical progression:

330–450 mm tabletop rollers
- For start-up pizzerias, cafés, and small bakeries.
- Good up to several dozen pizzas or trays per day.
520 mm tabletop or floor models
- For shops doing mixed products and higher volumes.
- Easier to lay multiple pieces across the belt per pass.
650 mm and above, floor standing
- For central kitchens and bakeries feeding multiple outlets.
- Handles larger dough blocks and long production days.

If you are already considering this step, it usually means you are paying for the upgrade anyway through overtime, inconsistent quality, and staff exhaustion.

8. Choosing and Using a Dough Flattening Machine With Yuemen

A dough flattening machine is not just one more stainless-steel box. Used correctly, it:

Cuts dough prep time sharply
Stabilizes thickness and baking results across different staff
Reduces waste from trimming and failed batches

If you are planning to add a dough flattening machine to a new project, or upgrade from a small manual roller, Yuemen Baking Equipment in Guangzhou can size the machine to your:

Products (pizza, flatbreads, buns, simple pastry)
Daily flour usage and working hours
Available power and kitchen space

Send your product list, typical dough weights, and estimated daily output. You can then get a clear, realistic recommendation on whether a 330 mm, 450 mm, 520 mm, or 650 mm dough flattening machine makes sense for your bakery, together with matching mixers, proofers, and ovens so the whole line works as one system.