Getting KASL flour for market pizza and other pizzas 8/19/2011

This is the kind of flour I used to make my preferment Lehmann dough at market.  I do also like KASL for making other kinds of pizzas.

I get my KASL flour from C.O. Nolt & Sons, Inc. and the flour comes in 50 lb. bags. http://www.conolt.com/  These were 3 bags of KASL I purchased today, and the place where I buy the flour.

C.O. Nolt & Sons, Inc. even have a place to hook and tie up buggies for Amish people that buy flour from them.

Norma

Les's Tomato Sauce Again..This time for pizza sauce and spaghetti.. 8/18/2011

Les's sauce on pizzamaking.com has become my very favorite all around tomato sauce for pizza and many other foods.  It is easy to make, is very delicious, and is made with fresh tomatoes, then a can of good crushed tomatoes are added.  The sweetness of any tomatoes or brought out by slow baking in the oven, with olive oil, sea salt, a lot of garlic, fresh basil, and fresh oregano.  There is no need to add any sugar to Les's sauce, because it is naturally sweet in taste.

Since I have so many tomatoes growing in my garden, Les's sauce is now made about twice a week or more.  At least I will have frozen tomato sauce all winter long.  I made more of Les's sauce last evening and this time I had it with spaghetti.  It was delicious!  The pictures don't give justice to how red Les's sauce was, because my camera is not the greatest in taking pictures when there isn't enough light.  I like the sauce a little chunky now, so I don't let food processor run as long as before.

Thanks Les, for your great all-around sauce!  I just used your sauce on a Greek pizza I made this past week at market.

Norma

Happy "89th" Birthday Mom!!!!! 8/17/2011

Happy Birthday to the worlds greatest Mom!  My mother has supported any decisions I made through my life, and has helped me become the person I am. She always for there for me, which I appreciate greatly.  She never was a person that wanted expensive things, or wanted to go to expensive places, although her and my dad did travel to South Carolina a lot of summers for vacation at Myrtle Beach. My mom and dad did travel to western states to visit my brother, and then visited many other states with him. Her and my dad are the ones that introduced me to Mack's pizza. We visited Wildwood, NJ for many summers. We even got to visit Niagara Falls. She was brought up during the Great Depression, and those times are still with her in her thriftiness and how she lives and values others.  It it wasn't for her, I might have become a different person.  She supported me with love, all though my life.  My mom is getting older, and just until a few weeks ago was driving and doing most of her work herself.  Now the time has come to help take care of her.  I don't feel bad I have to help take care of her, but feel badly that she realizes her mind is failing her some now.  It was a sad day when the doctors diagnosed her. I saw the look in her eyes when the doctor talked to us. Her doctor tried to explain to her that as we age, changes do occur, and now those changes are happening with her. She realizes her mind confuses her some now, and with each day she seems to change some, and seems to get frustrated what is happening. Each time now I take her to an appointment, get groceries for her, take her food, or generally help her she apologizes for what I do. I keep telling her, she has done all those things for me for so many years. I could only wish and pray she will get though all this okay. Hopefully I can help my mom get though all this.  Just a few years ago, my mom did help me build my small pizza stand at market.  That was when she was in her eighties.  She helped me lay the tile on the floor, and I never will forgot the memories of that and us getting our hands so sticky from the gook, used to lay the tiles. My mom and dad have helped at our other market stands, too, and also when when we had a concession trailer.  There will always be memories of all the laughs we had, and how much my mother and father have supported me.  There were also many hours of help when we made clear toy candy.  There was much bagging and trimming to be done. My mom and I did take many long walks together, just a few years ago. Now, that isn't possible anymore. My mom keeps asking me, why she was so well, just a short time ago.  I don't know those answers, to what happened since then, except she is getting older now. Only God know why things happen.  At least that is my opinion.

There is nothing like a love of a great mother!  My mom and dad will always be my inspiration.

Love you so much Mom!

Norma

A Crazy "Monster Dough Sukie Pizza" 8/16/2011

I received different dried samples from businesses that sell those for either pizza mixes or for other products.  All the ingredients were dry.  I think about 10 dry ingredients were used for this mix.


This post is just to report on how the “monster dough” Sukie pizza turned out yesterday.  All the dry ingredients added to the mix, in combination with the water, did seem to turn out better than my last attempt, but I do think more attempts might be needed in terms of more water added to the dough and maybe also changing or tweaking the flour ratios.

I basically just added 6.83 oz. of water to the “monster mix Sukie” and mixed with a rubber spatula.  I let the dough sit a little to hydrate the flour more, and did hand knead after about 15 minutes.  The dough then still looked too dry so I added a total of 7.3 oz. of water. Not that much more water, but that is exactly how much water I added to the dry mix. The water used was hot.  The dough was then sticky, so I gave it a few stretch and folds.  The dough seemed fine, and I let it sit and rest another ½ hr.  The dough then looked normal, so I did ball and oiled the dough.  Altogether, the dough rested or fermented for 2 hrs., before the pie was made.  In hindsight, I think I should have added more water.  I don’t know if all the dry ingredients added make the dough drier after a while or not, but does seem that way to me.

A new friend that Steve and I are helping to learn to make pizza and stretch dough gave me the lovely peppers yesterday, so I thought I would add them to the “Sukie” pizza  pictures, because they are special too!

Pictures of the process and how the “Sukie Pizza” turned out.  “Sukie” and her relatives were happy to come out of the drawer yesterday to see their pizza....lol

Norma

Two More Greek Pizzas Made 8/16/2011

I tried a couple of different things when making two Greek pizzas yesterday.  I first turned my oven down in temperature a little.  I used corn oil in my steel pans, as the oil in coating the pans for the Greek style pizzas.  I generously coated the steel pan with oil for the first and second Greek style pizzas.

The first Greek style Lehmann dough pizzas dressings were various cheeses, my regular tomato sauce, and spinach under the cheeses.  I had brushed garlic and herb infused olive oil on the crust first, before any of the other toppings.  When baking the first Greek style pizza, the bottom crust did become browner than before, but not as brown or crisp as I wanted.

For the second Greek style pizza with the preferment Lehmann dough, I turned my oven down lower, (about 500-515 degree F) and baked the same way as the first Greek pizza.  By turning the oven down the bottom crust did become browner and crisper.  I also notice that when using the new steel pans, I purchased not to long ago, the more times they are used and seasoned, they seem to work much better with each bake. I have used the round steel pan also for some cracker-style pizzas, in addition to using the steel pan for Greek style pizzas.  I just started experimenting with my square steel pan for other pizzas and I don’t think it is seasoned as well.  I will see if the pizzas baked in the square pan will get browner also the more I season it. I didn’t bake a Greek style in the square steel pan yesterday, but I did bake another pizza, and the bottom didn’t get as brown or as crisp, even though I did bake at lower temperatures. The other pizza wasn’t using the preferment Lehmann dough, but I did oil with the same oil and the same amount.

The second Greek pizza was dressed with almost the same dressings as the first, but sliced yellow zucchini (on the mandoline), Feta cheese and pepperoni were added to the second pie.  I thought the second Greek pizza was delicious.  I also used fresh Les’s sauce I made on this pie.

What I find odd or either interesting, is my regular preferment Lehmann dough pizzas baked at the lower temperatures did seem to turn out well.

Pictures below and last two pictures are of the round and square pans today, with the round steel pan first.

The Greek Pizzas reheat extremely well.  I had a slice I reheated the next day and it was delicious.


More Greek Pizzas

http://learningknowledgetomakepizza.blogspot.com/2011/03/greek-style-pizza-by-steve-my-pizza.html

http://learningknowledgetomakepizza.blogspot.com/2011/07/test-greek-style-pizza-7122011.html

http://learningknowledgetomakepizza.blogspot.com/2011/07/still-trying-to-get-consistent-results.html


http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/03/mpm-20110328-slideshow.html#show-149373 My friend (Ev) Steve's Greek pizza


http://learningknowledgetomakepizza.blogspot.com/2011/02/sicilian-pizza-greek-style-pizza-made.html 

http://learningknowledgetomakepizza.blogspot.com/2011/02/greek-style-pizza-282011-using.html 


http://learningknowledgetomakepizza.blogspot.com/2011/01/greek-pizza-made-1292010.html

Great thread on pizzamaking.com for learning to make Greek pizzas.


http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,691.0.html 



Norma