Mack's Attempt with Dietz and Watson's Sharp White Cheddar 11/15/2011

The Mack’s attempt with the Dietz and Watson’s sharp white cheddar went okay in terms of the crust and sauce, but the flavor of the Dietz and Watson’s sharp white cheddar didn’t taste like the cheese Mack’s uses.  The Dietz and Watson’s sharp white cheddar was a very creamy and a buttery cheese when baked on the Mack’s attempt.  If anyone likes a different flavor when making a pizza in the cheese, the Dietz and Watson’s sharp white cheddar is a good cheese to give a try.  It melted very well, was greasy, didn’t break down, and added a very delicious taste to the pizza.  Steve, Randy, my taste testers, and I all enjoyed this cheese on a pizza.

The sauce used was the Great Value tomato paste from Walmart.  It also was very good and close to the taste of a Mack’s pizza.  I added a fair amount of dried Oregano, a little dried basil, salt, pepper, and water to thin the paste.  The Great Value tomato paste also is a good paste to use for sauce for a pizza in my opinion.  After adding the spices, the sauce sat for awhile and it really changed the flavor profile.  We thought the flavor profile really became better.

We all enjoyed the Mack’s attempt with the Dietz and Watson’s sharp white cheddar, but I should have put less cheese on the Mack’s attempt.

Randy, a friend of Steve’s and mine, that comes to market each week, seems to be very knowledgeable about almost anything, and we all were talking about maybe what kind of white cheddar that might have been used back in the 50’s for a pizza businesses.  Randy mentioned Cooper American sharp cheddar, because he knew it was made years ago.  He said Cooper American sharp cheddar does have a tang and is creamy.  I checked on the web about Cooper sharp cheddar and found it was made in the Pa. area in the 50’s.  http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_makes_cooper_sharp_cheese  I can easily purchased some Cooper sharp cheddar to try on a Mack’s attempt maybe for another week.  If anyone has access to Cooper sharp American, maybe they might want to try the cheese on a Mack’s attempt.  Cooper sharp cheddar is like an American cheese with a tang, but I am not sure if Cooper sharp cheddar is manufactured by Schreiber Foods, Inc. or not.  This is a picture of 5 lb. of Cooper Sharp American cheese and it can be purchased at Walmart.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cooper-Sharp-American-Cheese-5-Lb/15136820  I would guess, but don’t know, if the Cooper Sharp Yellow American might taste like the Cooper Sharp White American. http://www.shoprite.com/pd/Cooper/Cheese-Sharp-Yellow-American/1-lb/277747000000/  Another link for product finder for Cooper Sharp American cheese, if anyone is interested. http://www.hannaford.com/product/Deli/Cheese/Slicing-Cheeses/Cooper-Sharp-Cheese/c/28189/sc/46299/ssc/46308/794622.uts?refineByCategoryId=46308 

Norma

My Continuing Saga with my Market Scale 11/17/2011

The adventure with the preferment Lehmann dough, and my market scale not working right, is still continuing.  The service manager has been emailing me, and he thinks my AC adapter went bad.  He said I would need to go though the dealer that I purchased the scale from and request a replacement adapter.  He said they could ship it from their company, but their policy now is they have to go though the dealer for any parts.  I called the dealer I bought the scale from (they do have a place where they repair equipment) and they told me they can’t get in contact with the company that sells the scales.  I said I had no problems getting a hold of the company that sells the scales to other places and they are willing to send me another AC adapter, but it would have to go though them.  The business I bought the scale from did have their contact number on the bottom of the scale if something went wrong.  The dealer I bought the scale from told me basically what I bought was a throw away scale if something went wrong with it and they can’t do anything about it.  Finally the service manager at the company that sells the scales to dealers told me today he is going to send me a replacement AC adapter, but he has to send me a used on that works, because that is the only way to get around the system. I did give the service manager the contact numbers of the dealer I bought the scale from and the place that does repairs for them.  The service manager also told me once I get the AC adapter to let him know if it works.  What a mess!

Well, luckily my batches of preferment Lehmann dough were okay this past Tuesday.  I could tell they were different in how the dough felt, but they made what appeared to be the same pizzas.  Thank goodness for that.  At least the preferment Lehmann dough is okay to be modified some.  Randy told me on Tuesday that since my kitchen scale is only rated for 6.6 lbs. of weighing, it might not be accurate over that amount.  Maybe that is why the preferment Lehmann dough didn’t turn out the same. I did add more preferment than I usually do to the final mix though. At least I know what my dough is supposed to feel like when it is mixed.

Some pictures how some of the pizzas turned out on Tuesday.  I guess I will have another week of not having my market scale to weigh my ingredients for the preferment Lehmann dough.  If I don’t get the AC adapter, or it doesn’t make the market scale work until later next week, I am going to purchase a new scale.

Steve, Randy, other taste testers, and I tasted some pizzas and they did taste okay.

Norma

Next attempt at a Luigi's Pizza with 2% sugar in the dough and 65% hydration with the Power Flour 11/15/2011

The attempt with the Luigi’s pizza went better yesterday with the suggestion for 2% sugar added in the formula by Peter.  There was better crust coloration on the rim, and bottom crust, but I am not sure if it still was enough.

The Luigi’s dough ball was left to ferment beside the deck oven for about 4 hrs.  Gene’s idea of letting the dough ferment beside the deck oven went well, and the dough ball didn’t over ferment or get top bubbles.

The dough ball was very easy to open and could be tossed and twirled easily.  In my opinion, there is great strength in this dough.  The Luigi’s pie did turn out good in the flavor of the crust, and also the crispness in the crust and rim.  Steve, my taste testers, and I enjoyed this pie.  There was one thing I didn’t understand about this pie though.  I didn’t eat a reheated slice, but Randy did, and he said after the slice was reheated the pie became more chewy or was tougher to eat.  Randy said the pie made last week was better after the reheat.

This is a video of the Luigi’s attempt being cut by Steve.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyjiLGo4mLM 


Norma

My market scale broke!! :( 11/15/2011

My market scale broke Friday, and the market scale wasn’t fixed as of today.  I did use the contact page to contact the company that sells my scales in the US over the weekend, and I received two replies as maybe why my scale wasn’t working right.  I guess they must not know what is wrong with my scale, because they said it should work without the battery.  The tech told me to take the battery out, and the AC adapter should make my scale work, but that wasn’t the case.  The digital display just went dead.  Then they told me to it might be my display is bad, or maybe my AC adapter might be bad.  Third they told me maybe my AC adapter isn’t making contact where it is plugged in.  After my last contact, and me asking more questions, they haven’t returned any more calls or a emails.  I didn’t go to battery warehouse, because I am not sure it is the battery that is causing the problems.  I might go to Battery Warehouse on Wednesday, and get them to see if a new battery (if they have about the same kind of battery) would solve my problems with the scale.

So, it was onto market today without my market scale.  I looked at my small kitchen scale over the weekend and it said has a 6.6 lb. capacity.   I thought I could try that scale at market.  I put some things on my home kitchen scale over the weekend and it could weigh over 7 lbs.  I though maybe it would work at market, so I took it along today.  I don’t know what the heck happened, but my different dough batches felt different in hydration.  At least my preferment did bubble okay with using only my other scale.  I have no idea how my pizzas will turn out tomorrow, but it should be interesting.  One other time, (awhile ago) I had decided to try to mix a 7 ½ lb. batch of dough for market, because I just wanted to see what would happen.  That batch of dough did turn out well, but I knew I couldn’t ever duplicate that.  I guess I will see what happens tomorrow.

These were a few pictures  from today of the preferment and some pictures from two batches of dough I mixed using my kitchen scale.  I never thought I would miss my market scale so much.  I felt lost without it.

Norma

Weekend of working outside and making pizza dough 11/13/2011

It has been another weekend of trying to get things cut down outside and also raking leaves.  I am almost finished cutting plants down outside, but still have more leaves to rake, and also some hoeing to do.  It was a beautiful weekend in my area of the world.  The sun was shining and it wasn’t too cold.  I love working outside and soon that will be over, except for shoveling snow.  My garden and flower beds look so barren now.  Winter will last awhile, so I will enjoy the nice crisp cool days.

I think about fall and all the seasons and there is beauty in each of them.

I guess I am in the Fall of my life.  I am not really old, but getting older.  It is something like Fall in our area, where everything looks golden, by the leaves changing colors.  I also guess there is a balance in our lives like there are balances in seasons.  Since day light saving time has changed the light of the day is shorter, and so it must be.  In the spring everything comes alive again, even after winter has shed its dark side on us.  Life moves on and so do all of us.

I also made two doughs for pizza this weekend and do enjoy learning what goes into making dough and then how the final pizzas turn out.  It is very enjoyable to me to learn something new.  I guess I do become too involved with learning about pizzas sometimes, and I guess I should just let it alone more than I do.

Norma