Steve’s and Bob’s “Maiden Bakes” in their vintage Airstream Mobile WFO Unit 6/24/2012

I was invited to Bob’s (Steve’s friend and partner) home today for what I thought was trying to bake in Bob’s Weber grill. I was surprised when I arrived that they also had the WFO heating up in their vintage Mobile WFO trailer. They had started fires before in the WFO, but hadn’t baked in the WFO because they have been busy for months in trying to restore the Airstream and put the WFO in. Steve and Bob aren’t finished with all of the details of the build, but they are pretty far along. I think their Airstream with the WFO inside is so cool. I had seen it before, but sure wasn’t expecting to eat pizzas from it late this afternoon and early evening. Since this was Bob’s and Steve’s first bake in their WFO they were just testing to see how it baked.

I got to try out 2 ½ dough balls and Steve baked three of his dough balls. Steve doughs were made with Pizzeria flour and the Ischia starter Bob made his pizzas the way he always does with two bakes in the WFO and the dough was made with 50/50 Pizzeria flour and High Gluten flour. All the pizzas tasted delicious. What a nice surprise today.

I wish Steve and Bob the best of success with their new adventure when they are finished with the build!!

Norma

These are a few other pictures of when Steve and Bob first purchased the Airstream and all the work they had to do to get the Airstream ready for a WFO. Steve and Bob have spent a lot of hours fixing up the Airstream. The whole body of the Airstream was lifted off of the frame to be able to reinforce the frame for a wood-fired oven. The whole inside of the Airstream also was ripped apart to put in new electrical lines. A service window was also added. It is really good that Steve and Bob are both handymen and can build or do about anything. They both are also great at thinking ideas out.

Norma

New counter at service window added.  Great job Bob and Steve!

Continuing Garden Adventures 6/23/2012

The tomatoes are growing in my garden and even the one small San Marzano tomato plant, (that seeds were dropped from last year) now has some flowers on it. There are also a few other Italian tomato plants that have small tomatoes on the stalks. A few tomatoes may soon be ripe, but not many. The cayenne pepper still seems to be doing the trick with the groundhogs. I found a few beetles on my basil plants in the last few days and just late this afternoon also put some cayenne pepper on the basil plants to see if it discourages the beetles.


Another member on pizzamaking.com posted a link to places in the US that might have problems with tomato blight this year. My county is listed on the chart, so I sure hope I don’t have problems with tomato blight, but will have to wait and see.

Norma

Grotto's Pizza Slices 6/23/2012

My daughter did purchase two slices of Grotto’s pizza in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware for me to try and brought the slices home. She stopped at two Grotto’s and neither of them sell any of their cheese. It is a good thing she couldn’t purchase any of Grotto’s cheese because it doesn’t taste like Mack’s or Manco and Manco. The tomato sauce on Grotto’s slices is also a lot sweeter than Mack’s or Manco and Manco. I liked how evenly browned the bottom crust was on the Grotto’s slices. Even though the sauce is also applied in a spiral pattern, the taste of the whole pizza is nothing like Mack’s or Manco and Manco. I am posting about Grotto’s pizza because it also is a boardwalk pizza and I have always wondered what a slice of Grotto’s pizza tasted like. Grotto’s slices did reheat well. I thought the rim crust had a little sweet taste, at least in my opinion. My daughter told an employee at Grotto’s that she wanted the two slices to take home and not to reheat them, but she said they did put them though some kind of quick conveyor oven. I thought that was interesting because I didn’t know that did that for a reheat.


Norma