Topic: Pizza from scratch

[StoneCut]

Thanks, Gav. Pretty annoying to resize pics with an iPad :/

Anyway, the 'Tipo 00' flour really does make a difference after all. Here's today's recipe - I had to aim high with the yeast because I only had 8 hours of proving time. I found an interesting maturation table (outlining the amount of yeast needed) and it really helps:

1kg flour Tipo 00
650ml water
2.5g fresh yeast
30g salt

Make a dough of all ingredients but only 60% of the flour, rest covered with a damp towel for 10 mins. It'll be a pancake-like dough.
Add the remaining flour in 100g steps while mixing until all flour is incorporated.
Let rest another 10 mins.
Perform some 'stretch and folds' and let rest another 10 mins. Look it up.
Divide dough into 200g portions and ball them up - hard to explain, check out some videos about it.
Prove the balls in well-oiled plastic containers for approx. 8 hours.
Once proved, Flatten the dough balls from the inside out sparing the last 1cm to create the cornicione (the crust).
Add tomato puree (San Marzano tomates preferred) and condiments, as well as plenty of shredded Mozzarella (and some Provolone if you have).
Bake in the hottest oven you can get your hands on. These were baked at 400 Celsius for just under 3 minutes.

The Pizza pilgrims method linked to above works great, too, though.

[StoneCut]

Here's my latest attempt at creating Neapolitan style Pizza:

[JerryM]

Stonecut,

well done - top notchy.

that G3 oven looks pretty good - 400C is impressive.

[StoneCut]

Well, my G3ferrari is heavily modified now. I replaced the top heating element (originally 600W) with a 1500W one. The pizza bakes in about 90 seconds now (as Neapolitan should). Only problem is: Now the damn thing gets so hot (600

[JerryM]

Stonecut,

thanks for extra info. will keep lookout on ebay. i've only used wfo 3 times this year. i'm planning on a UB replica to get it ready for the spring. if ebay comes up trumps on the money front then say no more.

i've got to 2 min and 2.5 min in the wfo and 90 secs is something i can't really appreciated - seems too fast to cook. i know of course different.

best wishes

[JerryM]

having tried out a few times have adopted the practice of starting the dough (minus the yeast) 1 day early ie 2 days before cooking.

Jeff Varasano alerted to the need of autolyse and typ 12 to 30 mins is quoted as norm.

the 24 hr autolyse has 2 benefits for me:
1) i use sea salt and this full dissolves over the period without the need for pre grinding or dissolving
2) the gluten seems to be more (more stretch)

the down side is that adding of the yeast/sourdough after the 1st 24 hrs is quite messy and appears as if it will never combine into the dough mass. after a few peter reinhart corner fold sessions it soon does.

probably only of interest to the few - this being at the marginal end of improvement

[StoneCut]

One thing that really does help is using the proper flour. It really has to be "Tipo 00".

I also bought a 25kg bag of Caputo Pizzeria (one of the most renowned flours for Pizza making) recently and it certainly imporoved flavour even more. It's quite hard to brown even in my G3ferrari, though. It needs a cold rise (in the fridge) for at least 2 days so I need to go down to about 1.5g of yeast.

In Naples, however, they apparently do a warm rise at room temperature for about 12 hours. However, I prefer the taste of cold-risen dough. I tried the dough as written in the EU directive for proper "Neapolitan pizza" and found my method better. (If anyone needs a link to that EU directive then send me a PM).

Anyways, I also tried some expensive italian "beer" yeast instead of the regular german cake yeast I normally use and I couldn't detect any difference whatsoever. They appear to be the same thing.

One other thing that really does make quite a substantial difference (besides the flour) is the tomato sauce you use. San Marzano canned tomatoes really are excellent albeit quite expensive.

Still looking for the perfect Mozzarella to use on Pizza, though. Right now I "kick it up a notch" by grating some fresh parmesan over the pizza once baked and also give a little swirl of extra-virgin olive oil on top after seeing that in a Pizza place I rate very highly.

[toddk63]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.230109417000351.69607.100000038825169&type=1&l=7648b64e35

Here is my "Poor Mans Wood Fired Oven"

Gas grill, pizza stone, wood chips.  Not shown is a foil backed fiberglass insulation blanket I throw over the top of the grill.

[Whandsy]

Really pleased with how my pizzas are turning out these days, i use my own sourdough starter and leave the dough fermenting in the fridge for 3 to 4 days prior to cooking. Wonderful base with a fantastic crumb structure!

This is the link for the recipe i base it upon.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/15844/sourdough-pizza-good-kitchen-oven-pizzas-get

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[natterjak]

Looks great whandsy. What method did you use to develop your sourdough starter?