My Pizza D'Oh! (Or, Holey Crumb, Batman!)
My first attempts at baking bread-like objects involved pizza. About a year ago, Brother David made pizza. It was good. I mean, it... was... GOOD!!! I figured I could do that. So I asked a few (too few, I now realize) questions, and he pointed me to the Pizza Primer on TFL, where I found the Reinhart Neo-Napolitano recipe. I followed it (I thought) a few times, and the results were passable (I thought). The crust was thin (I like that) but not crispy and it didn't really get a big holey crumb around the edge. I sorta gave up on homemade pizza for several months.
Now as (both of) you who've been following my novice baker adventures know, I have recently come to realize that I had a defective baking stone. It was advertised as a baking stone. It looked and felt like a baking stone. Only problem was it didn't seem to get really hot. So, after many blond-bottomed breads with little or no oven spring, I've replaced it with one from NYBakers, and I'm making San Joaquin Sourdough this weekend for said Brother David to sample, critique, and hopefully enjoy.
But I couldn't wait for tomorrow to try the new stone in the old oven. And I happen to have Mozzarella, Parmagiana, Sweet Italian Sausage, Pesto, fresh tomatoes and Mushrooms in the house. So I set out on a preliminary test of the stone. I went back to look at the Reinhart recipe, and started to mix it up. It says "1 tsp instant yeast". I slapped by forehead with the heel of my hand (a gesture so common among us d'Oh Boys that we usually have very flat foreheads). Back before I started baking bread, how was I to know that the little yeast packet my wife had in the fridge was not instant yeast? Now I know better. I'd been making the dough with dry active yeast.
So tonight, armed with real instant yeast and my New York baking stone, I made magnificent pizza! Nice air pockets in the crust, big wholey crumb within the crispy rim. So was it the yeast? Was it the stone? Was it my much improved dough handling? I'm not sure I care. It was GOOD! The dough had so much pop, I think it's still expanding <urp!>
Tasha really wants some.
Anyway, it's always a comfort to know I'm not as stupid as I was before (at least in one respect).
Glenn
Comments
that Italian 00 flour is amazing stuff too ... i've tried lots of other combinations, from high-gluten to AP, and nothing comes close to the imported stuff.
Beautiful job, Glenn, and thanks for your support!
Stan Ginsberg
www.nybakers.com
This one was with AP. Next one will be 00 flour and no oil. Going for the crispy crackery crust.
Thanks for providing great quality stuff at a great price, Stan.
Glenn
one thing i'll suggest with the 00 flour is to use the vera pizza napoletana formula, which calls for around 57% hydration, 2% salt and 1/2% of fresh yeast, so about 0.2% instant. mix the dough in the morning and retard it for at least 7 hours .... you'll discover that it's incredibly extensible and a delight to work with.
SG
I just hopped over to NY Bakers and ordered the European flour package. Glenn's pizza looked too good. I've got the try the italian flour... See what you did Glenn? =) Pizza looks so yummy - I may have to go back and revisit that recipe and have pizza this week-end.
Trish
If you put meat and vegetables on a pizza, it's a wholesome meal.
Glenn
Where's the crumb shot?
David
I must've eaten it.
GS
I can just imagine on Glenn's face the oops-my-bad? look...you two are too funny ;-)
Toni
ps...we have a Tasha at our house too-Cruiser the Cat AKA Big Fat Kitty
You beat me to it... I was searching for it all over the screen... :-)
He will just have to bake it again, refrain from eating it, and give us reason to drool further!
That's one fantastic, yummy looking pizza! Hope the kitty got some! Darn that first stone! You can use IDY, just dissolve it in warm water first. Prepare to make your hydration changes with different flours. Welcome to the world of delicious homemade pizza's ; )
Sylvia
....and the best excuse for a missing crumb shot I've seen on TFL!
Larry
The kudos mean a lot coming from you. Especially the approval of my no-crumb-shot excuse. I'm making more pizza tonight, and will be sure to shoot the crumb.
Sylvia, I know ADY will work, but I got the quantity wrong. Any tips on hydration adjustment going from AP to 1/2 AP and 1/2 Tipo 00? Or should I just go by feel? I bet I know someone who has a spreadsheet.
Thanks.
Glenn
you'll get the bubbly crust, but you won't get the same thinness in the crust or the extensibility with 50-50 as you will with all 00. As for, hydration, keep it at between 56% and 60%, favoring the lower end of that range and bake as high as your oven will go -- I bake mine at 550.
Stan
I've never used a 50/50 mix with Tipo 00...in fact I hardly ever use 00 flour. It's shipping/expensive. As far as mixing 50/50, IMHO it would be a waste of a lovely flour. Recipes and info HERE on caputo flour. AT&T Yahoo has done a lot of things to my PC I haven't figured out yet, so if this doesn't work just go to http://www.fornobravo.com and in search type in 'Molino Caputo Tipo00 Pizza Flour' also at the bottom of article there is a recipe link for using the flour.
Sylvia
I made two more pizzas yesterday for David and Susan's visit. Same toppings. We loved it.
Here's the crumb shot.
Glenn
It's true!
David