Papa Gino's attempt with soaker and without soaker 7/3/2012

The two Papa Gino’s dough balls were used Tuesday (one with soaker and one without soaker). Both dough balls opened up easily and were left at room temperature (about 93 degrees F) for about 1 ½ hrs. They both felt about exactly the same, opened the same, baked about the same, and also looked about the same after the bake, although two different kinds of dressings were used on both of the pizzas.


The first pizza made was the soaker Papa Gino’s. The dressings were my regular tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella I had purchased at the 9th St. Italian Market at Reply , hand made pepperoni purchased from the Italian Market (pictured at Reply 22 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,19792.msg194195.html#msg194195 ) and my blend of cheeses. It was then dressed with fresh basil from my garden. The second Papa Gino’s pizza was dressed with my regular tomato sauce, Pancetta from the Italian market, fresh mozzarella from the Italian Market, my blend of cheeses, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano from the Italian Market and fresh basil from my garden added after the bake.

Although both pizzas looked the same after the bake, the soaker pizza rim crust was moister in the rim and also had a better taste in the rim. It also was interesting to me how the bottom crusts of both pizzas browned in my deck oven. Both pizzas were good, but since I never tasted a real Papa Gino’s pizza I am not sure if either of the pizzas tasted the same as a real Papa Gino’s pizza.

I had wanted save and bring home two slices for a reheat and even put two slices in a pizza box (on top of the pizza pans), but with the heat yesterday I was hurrying to clean up and get the other things ready to take home and forgot the slices of two experiments. I guess I won’t know how the two slices reheat. Darn the heat and making me forget the two slices. The homemade pepperoni from the Italian Market was really delicious and cupped very nicely in the deck oven.

The mistake I made in the amount of yeast that I added to both doughs didn’t seem to matter.

Dough formulation for the Papa Gino’s dough by Peter (Pete-zza) at Reply 79 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,8167.msg71404.html#msg71404 for a 14” pizza.
Norma

Papa Gino's soaker dough and final pizza.

Papa Gino's attempt without soaker.

Soaker with Bova 00 flour and Ischia Starter 6/24/2012

My “mystery soaker” dough was baked half in Bob’s Weber grill and half in Steve’s and Bob’s WFO. The Weber was only heated with wood and the bottom was finished before the top was done, so it was moved into the WFO. The pizza was dressed with tomato sauce, mozzarella, hot Italian sausage, and dried cherries that were soaked in white grape and pineapple wine.


Bova 00 flour was used for the dough and also the Ischia starter.

I thought I was only going to Bob’s to try out his Weber grill, but got the nicest surprise when I got to bake in Steve’s and Bob’s Airstream WFO Mobile unit.

Norma

50% soaker made with GM Full Strength Flour NY style pizza 6/12/2012

The pizza with the GM Full Strength soaker at 50% turned out well. I don’t use a lot of bench flour when trying to open any pizza dough and didn’t use much with when opening this dough ball. The dough ball was tacky, but was really easy to open. This pizza didn’t get a lot of oven spring, but the crumb was moist and tender. The bottom crust browns so evenly using the soaker method. I sure don’t know why that is. There is a very nice crispness to the bottom crust, but not too much. The slice had a nice taste in the crust and the slice was so easy to eat, being the crumb was so tender. Steve also liked this pizza very much. I didn’t give any of these slices to my taste testers because I was running out of dough balls, but I did save myself a slice to do a reheat later today. Steve and I didn’t reheat any slices at market either, because we were too busy. The extra slices were put into the heated case and my customers purchased them.


Norma