Topic: Pizza from scratch

[JerryM]

Whandsy,

what hydration were you at. i ask as the mozza (nancy silverton) is suggested to be 78% which i've not mastered. i'm currently at 70% and it seems pretty good and similar to your result (the air bubble structure).

ps never tried calzone but can imagine how good it could be. actually got a pizza stuck on the peel once and it turned into a calzone but very poor one at that as not only did i get the pizza stuck on the peel it also then stuck on the stone too - it can go horribly wrong sometimes when you go off the comfort zone in search of improvement.

loving the pics.

[Whandsy]

Jerry

Below is the link for the pizza dough recipe I have been using. I actually have bread bakers apprentice ebook which is where the recipe comes from, I did notice however when searching the web that it has been posted so here's the recipe and method

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001199.html

Wayne

[Willyeckerslike]

Hi,

Enjoyed reading this thread as when I bought an outdoor table and chairs I got a free pizza oven thrown in .   I have used it a couple of times now and the pizzas are fantastic, much better than Dominos etc.  I have only tried the Jamie Oliver recipe for the base and sauce but with great success  

I have though made a few calizones but unintentional! ;D  the pizzas are a real pain to get off the paddle but I am getting better...ish at it.

These are infact the first Pizzas I made in the oven, not round but very very tasty

cheers,

Will

[Whandsy]

Good effort willy, looks great. Regards the paddle release, I use a combination of flour and semolina on the paddle and quite liberally too, sticking is a pain in the ass, especially with a wet dough!

W

[curryhell]

i'm no pizza fan, far from it.  I haven't eaten one for about almost three years.  But I sure wouldn't mind tucking into that little beauty.  All it needs is some freshly chopped chillis sprinkled on the top  ;D

[JerryM]

I got a free pizza oven thrown in .   

Will,

a photo of the oven would be appreciated.


ps Whandsy, will have good read up of the Peter link (he's the no 1 for me, via pizza quest). for info the hydration is 69% (14oz water divided by the 20.25 flour).

[Whandsy]

Whandsy,

what hydration were you at. i ask as the mozza (nancy silverton) is suggested to be 78% which i've not mastered. i'm currently at 70% and it seems pretty good and similar to your result (the air bubble structure).

Jerry

I have not come across the mozza pizzas til you mentioned it. The recipe for the dough does get rave reviews! What issues have you encountered? Is it the shaping and getting into the oven? That looks like it would be a tough task with so much moisture.

Are you trying to make it to exact spec with the wheat germ and malted honey etc? Am tempted to give it a go but, in truth, I'm happy with reinharts dough.

W

[Willyeckerslike]

Hi,

Here are two pictures of the Pizza oven.  As you can see it is a gas one. It can get up to about 700F but I generally cook at about 550F which cooks the pizzas in about 4 minutes but it needs 25 minutes to get to about 600F then by the time I get my pizza off the paddle it drops to 550F :.

[JerryM]

Whandsy,

there are about 4 off video by mozza this being my fav http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTxwYZwbolo

i've not added in the wheat germ and malt but need to. i looked on ebay but decided to look out for it locally (health shops). i currently use 5% rye which must be along the lines of the wheat germ so this would be the last to add in. the malt is a real priority for the curiosity and expectation.

i was holding back with the 2 off untried ingredients whilst i was trying to get the hydration up but then curry got in the way. the extra water at the 78% seemed to speed up the fermentation to the point that the dough had over fermented (prone to tearing)(i currently ferment 24 hrs, ie make in morning then in fridge over night and dough boxes out mid day ready for evening cook). i want to stick to 15-20% sourdough and need to perhaps reduce the time in fridge etc but not easy to do - need a few goes. need to get back onto it.

[JerryM]

Willyeckerslike,

really jealous. that heat up time is just perfect.

my do hutch oven is essentially same as yours but made of brick. i'm currently modding it and if that fails then might just have to get more info on yours (had quick dig and not looking good for uk and price would take some getting used to).

i'm also thinking of a mesh filled design as a fallback having gained inspiration from UB via the naan post.

mine currently has too much bottom heat and i'm essentially putting the shelf up a few notches.

many thanks for pick.