Used Pete-zza's Dough formulation with KABF and VWG for next Mack's attempt

The Mack’s attempt yesterday using Peter’s formulation, turned out well. The taste of the cheese was a little too strong and the Great Value tomato sauce could have either used a little more oregano, or should have been left to sit longer to develop a more oregano taste, but the crust turned out well with KABF and VWG. Steve and I couldn’t taste there was any VWG added in the crust. Steve even said that he thought the crust was better than when I used Kyrol flour in that it had a more wheaty taste. I thought the crust was good.


I couldn’t tell any difference in the handling the dough ball (from the time I went to open it) from Peter’s formulation (using KABF and VWG) from when using Kyrol flour. The dough ball opened the same, could be tossed and twirled and baked almost the same in my deck oven. The only difference Steve and I could tell was the bottom crust at the rim was a little crisper. The little bit of crisper rim crust could have even been from a different place I had it in the oven, or the amount of time it took to bake.

The overall weight of the fresh baked pizza after 4 minutes was 2.126 lb. The weigh did dropped after that though. It also weighed more right out of the oven (2.136 lb.). I used 10 oz. of grated cheese and 8.5 oz. of the one year old aged Nasonville cheddar (the same as my last attempt). The cheese and sauce were weighed on my regular scale, not my digital pizza scale. I don’t know why I used 8.5 oz. of sauce this time and only used 8 oz. in my last attempt.

Steve used the 12 oz. of Great Value tomato paste and it can be seen how much paste was left in the container. He added 9 oz. of water to the tomato paste. These weren’t measured on my digital scale, but on my scale that I used for weighing cheeses that are used on my pizza. Steve used my measuring spoons and measured ½ teaspoon of Morton’s Kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and 2 teaspoons of oregano to the paste and water. These were measured level in the stainless steel measuring spoons. We used the paste sauce within 15 minutes, so there wasn’t much time for the oregano to give the paste more flavor.

I got a bill from Nasonville for the 4 cheeses I had purchased yesterday and will post more about that in the next day, or so, after I call Nasonville. I think I was way overcharged for the shipping on the cheese. I will post about that on the Mack’s cheese thread.

Overall this was a very good pizza. Steve and I didn’t share any slices with our taste testers, because we want some slices to take home.

Norma

 

Peter’s (Pete-zza) idea to try the “entire enchilada” NY style soaker pizza 6/19/2012

Peter’s idea to try the “entire enchilada” method with the Kyrol flour worked out well, with one minor hitch. As I posted in my last post, I never try to use much bench flour in opening any dough balls and this one was not an exception, even if the dough ball is tacky or sticky. The dough ball opened up like a breeze, just like the other dough balls on this thread. Whenever I am trying an experimental pie, or a dough that is higher in hydration, I always make sure to do the shake, shake, thingy on the peel before the pizza goes into the oven, to make sure the skin isn’t sticking anywhere. I asked Steve if the skin was sticking anywhere because he applied the cheese and was going to slide the pizza into the oven. Steve said we will see right when he went to slide the pizza in. Well, it was sticking a little in one place so the pie didn’t get round. The final pizza did get a little more oven spring than the one using the 50% soaker and GM Full Strength flour. The bottom crust also browned nicely, but a little bit different than when using the 50% soaker method and using GM Full Strength flour. The crumb was moist and there was a good taste in the crust. The bottom crust was about the same in crispness though. I also didn’t give any of these slices to any of my taste testers, because we didn’t have time and I also needed a few more slices to sell. I did save a slice for a reheat today though. Steve said he liked the taste of the crust better using the “entire enchilada” method, but I am not sure about that. I really didn’t have enough time to think about it because I had to eat my slice quicker than I had wanted to. Using both of these methods seems to produce a pizza that might have tasted like a real NY style pizza made many years ago, but I can’t be sure of that because I never tasted a NY style pizza made many years ago.


Dropping the water temperature some on both of these experiments didn’t seem to change the results in the final pizza. I used regular warm well water right from my kitchen faucet for both of these doughs. My well water is very hard.

Thanks goodness I am not at market when the temperatures are supposed to be in the high 90’s. It was hot enough at market Tuesday being in front of that oven.

Norma

 

Tried a Cracker-Style Dough Formulation with the Ischia Starter, from Pete-zza thread 5/01/2012

First part of making the dough with the Ischia starter with pictures at Reply 42 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,5173.msg184979.html#msg184979

These are the results of the first attempt at a cracker style pizza with the Ischia starter.

The Ischia natural starter preferment cracker style pie turned out very well in the taste of the crust and was like a cracker style I would enjoy all the time. I am not still sure if I made a real cracker style pizza because I never tasted one before, but I will give this one a thumbs up. Steve even liked this pie, as did my taste testers. It was crackery as far as I know. The skin was par-bake without any oil and then the olive oil was brushed on the par-baked crust before the tomato sauce, blend of mozzarellas, cheddar, Swiss cheese and hard salami were added. I was afraid of how the dough looked to be fermenting last evening and put it into the refrigerator overnight. It was taken out this morning and left to room temperature ferment until about 3:00 pm today when the pizza was made. The rolled out dough was also docked lightly.

Thanks Peter for giving me this alternative cracker style pie to try!

Norma