“It’s a nice, spongy, airy dough,” Cookson said. Detroit-style dough is a new item for the bakery, and so far, it’s been well received.

“As far as I know, we’re the only company doing a sheeted Detroit crust,” she said. “You can actually buy the pre-formed crust and just proof it in the pan. There are no dough balls, no labor. And anything I can relieve for those restauranteurs as far as labor goes, we want to make it as consistent and simple for them as possible.”

As pizza outlets struggle to find labor to create scratch dough in the back of house, companies like Baker’s Quality are becoming a valued resource.

“I have heard several people say they can’t find people to make their crusts,” Cookson said. “They say, ‘If I need dough made on Tuesday for Friday, I can’t find anyone to come in and make it because they don’t understand the science behind making dough, and it’s not consistent.’ They need something to simplify the process, and they’re often willing to pay a little bit more per crust to avoid that constant cycle of labor.”

With increased business from the pizza operators, Baker’s Quality is considering adding a second shift to its operation. While the Detroit-style crust is currently trending, the bakery is also seeing increased demand for frozen dough balls.

As needs increase for pizza operators, automation needs increase for the bakers who supply them.

“You have to start thinking about what’s next,” Cookson said. “You have to look out five to 10 years in the future and really think about where you want things to go.”