January 29, 2022 - 4:06am
Calm before the storm, pizza bake.
Friday night, less is more pizza pie. Three kinds of Italian cheese Locatelli Pecorino Romano, Grande East coast blend Mozzarella, and a hit of Parmigiano Regiano finishing cheese, (post bake)
Now That's-A-Nice-A-Pizza pie!
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Make that,
Calm before The Bomb
Hunker down, Your Majesty.
The effects of this particular storm were greatly exaggerated. At least regarding the NYC area. Good thing too, hard to hunker when your job called for a 5:00 AM start to keep ahead of mother nature. We all know that only works if she lets it! All that being said, I am for sure getting too old and damaged for this kind of physical work. My dream is to get out of Dodge, mostly intact, and open a one-man show micro-bakery. Part hobby part supplemental income.
Now you are baking my kind of pie! I’m salivating…
What formula did you use for this beauty? Did you roll the crust?
I’m a thin crust fanatic.
Hi, Dan.
The only things that changed in my dough formula are the thickness factor, and a couple of percentage points shaved off the hydration. Not, cracker-thin, definitely on the thin side for N.Y. style. (550g @ 18") Enjoy the redeveloped formula. The drop in grams per dough ball also allowed for one more ball per freezer batch!
Will, am I correct to assume the KASL for strength, the WW for flavor and texture, and the spelt for extensibility?
Never tried stretching a crust that thin, how would you describe the experience? Then again, my doughs are in the 45% hydration range, so 65% plus oil would behave quite differently.
Here’s repeating myself. That’s one good looking pie. Patsy and I want it for lunch, TODAY!
about the flour makeup. That is my thinking exactly! This formulation is very user-friendly. I am very used to working with the same dough week in and week out. 48 hours cold and one or two-hour warm-up are perfect. in case of a glitch and a 72 hr. cold ferment, I will most times stretch straight out of the refrigerator and stop a little short of the full 18". Then I make the final adjustments on the screen.
Will, does freezing the dough balls for later use have any affect on the flavor, texture or handling characteristics what so ever?
If they are unaffected by freezing, how long will they keep (in excellent condition) in the freezer?
Hi, Dan.
I have a pretty good handle on the fresh verse from frozen. Most of the time one dough ball from a batch goes straight into the refrigerator, the other six are frozen. I have not noticed any difference in the quality or handling between the two. As for how long a dough ball will remain viable in the freezer. I try not to push the envelope. Most of the time, they are all gone within eight weeks. I have gone double that amount of time, without any discernible change in characteristics. I have a feeling that they would last quite a bit longer. But that is just speculation.
Kind regards,
Will F.
Will,
I did neglect to elaborate on the end-game procedure. What works for me, and my normal modus operandi Is to move the dough ball, balls into the refrigerator 48 hrs before a planned bake. From there it works well to warm the dough for an hour or two on the bench or bake straight out of the refrigerator. I have done both. The only caveat is cold dough will cause bubbles to form during the baking. I have also on rare occasions taken the dough straight from the freezer to a room temperature defrost/ferment. Four or so hours at room temperature from frozen to baking. This has worked well too. My gage is no one complained! It really is a versatile dough.
Excellent looking pie. I’m in Patchogue and we’ve got close to a foot of snow already. Was hoping to keep practicing with my new Ooni oven but right now it’s in the garage until further notice🤨
Any chance you got the 16" Ooni Karu? I'm considering an upgrade from the 12" model, which we use in wood burning mode at our cabin. The property isn't accessible by car, so wood is more convenient and plentiful, but it takes lots of work to keep the little firebox stoked with tiny finger sized pieces of hardwood and synchronized with pie shaping.
I got the 16” gas model. I think I am close to getting the hang of it but I have to wait for some decent weather.
Thankfully, We here in the city are being spared the high numbers. The wind and drifting still make it a challenge.
This one even has has a NY accent. Classic!
Classic. As is a plain cheese pie!
I'd say that was a pie right out of the oven at Gloria Pizza on Queens Blvd. & 71st!