NY Style Pizza Dough

[Shawn W]

Originally posted by Chuck R:
If you want to get serious abut baking, check out the new MyWeigh KD-8000 bakers scale at http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-kd8000.aspx . It does percentages. I just ordered one for home pizza making.

I use a cheap scale in grams ... I think grams would be significant and accurate for the quantities done for home baking (maybe not 1 ton mixers). I must be missing something, why do you say the ability to measure percentages is for serious baking? How would that be helpful?

You know what I would like? A scale that does decimal partial ounces instead of fractional. My scale when used in ounces goes 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 7/8. It makes me bonkers trying to approximate say .59 ounces from a recipe on that scale

so I just convert everything to metric and go in grams.

 

[Rita Y]

Bryan, my wife told me that her mother told her

that salt slows the fermenting of the yeast.

Paul, your mother-in-law is correct.

Quote from Shawn: "I think grams would be significant and accurate for the quantities done for home baking"

I agree. The pros in bakeries use grams, as does the rest of the world. It's gaining in popularity for home use here in the States. It's so much easier to scale recipes and is more accurate than ounces unless you want to go out to 4 decimal places. Ugh! My first scale used fractions...never again.

BTW, if you're converting a bread recipe, I usually use an average of 4.8 oz (137 g) = 1 cup of white flour, scooped and leveled out of the flour bin. Some people use 5.0 oz (141.7 g). You might check how you measure 1 cup of flour. I've found it is a good starting point and comes pretty close in recipes that have no weights. You can adjust the dough with a little water or flour if necessary. Someone posted earlier in this thread that 1 cup of flour = 3 oz -- that must be for well-sifted flour. I don't know of anyone who sifts their flour for bread baking.

Rita

 

[r benash]

Originally posted by Alan S.:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by r benash:
Any special preference for type of cheese or blend to go with the pepperoni ?

One mix I have seen used a lot is a blend of mozz, prov, and Fontana. I'd say start with 1/3 each, then experiment to get it the way you want it. Buffalo mozz is also supposed to be very good. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Alan - we'll give it a try. Need to pick up some KA Bread Flour and give things a try in the next couple of weeks. Been really busy with work and other cooking activities over the last few weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to give Bryan's recipe and method a try. I recently picked up an old 14" round CI griddle (Wagner #14) that I also might try to see how it works instead of a stone in the oven. But will try screen only first.

 

[K Kruger]

I made 4 pizzas last night using a slightly modded version of this recipe. My changes: I upped the yeast to 1 t and replaced some of the water with 2 T evoo into which some dried herbs had been steeped. The increased yeast was because I was thinking I would only be able to cold hold for 1 day (it ended up being 2), the oil because I look for a less chewy finish, and because it is a ggod carrier for the flavor volatiles from the dry herbs I pretty much always add to crusts.

Very nice dough! My four:


Dijon- and evoo-marinated roasted asparagus with roasted potato and Parrano cheese over a goat cheese-cream-garlic base, sprinkled with Aleppo:

Sliced Campari tomatoes and smoked mozzarella over evoo base:

Sautéed andouille and caramelized onion with fresh asiago over goat cheese-cream-garlic base:

and, finally, roast turkey, caramelized onion and sautéed mushrooms over goat cheese-cream-garlic base with Parrano and aged asiago cheeses:

 

[Paul H]

Kevin, They look fantastic!!! How big were the pizzas? Did you use a stone or what to cook them on?

 

[Gary Bramley]

Wow, awesome! One large andouille w/camelized onion and asiago, please.

Gary

 

[K Kruger]

Thanks guys.

paul, probably around 9-10 inches. I just free-formed them and cooked one-at-a-time on a stone. I don't have screens anymore (lost in one move or another and never replaced) so it has been some time since I used one. One of these days I'll get screens again for the helluvit, but I am quite fond of free-forming so...

Leftovers for brunch soon!

 

[r benash]

Uh, Kevin - just spank me and send me home with any one of the 4?

Sheesh!

Good tips. I plan on keeping to 12" when I finally get around to some I'll probably be sticking to 12" size. Need to pick up some KA Bread Flour, only have all purpose right now. TJ's is the only place that carries it around me that I've found so far.

 

[Steve Petrone]

Kevin: Goat cheese-cream-Garlic base...ok now tells us just how to make that please. Thank you sir.

 

[Bryan S]

K, Pies really look fantastic.

I almost made some dough over the weekend, but got side tracked.

I'm hungry for my sausage gravy, scrambled egg breakfast pie.

 

[Shawn W]

I'll take two sausage and onion pizzas please Kevin. Is delivery extra?

My last pizza had fresh green peppers, onions and mushrooms, chorizo and mozza. It was too much fresh veggies for 550º (my ovens max). They let off more water than that temp could eliminate in the normal cook time, so the cook time was extended and I felt the crust was too dark. So I thought I should sautee first next time but wasn't sure how that would turn out. I was happy to see that you do that. I like the herb infused oil in the crust idea too.

the ability to measure percentages is for serious baking? How would that be helpful?

It occurred to me how this could be helpful ... say I want to scale this down for 12" pans, I can quickly estimate the surface area difference, then reduce the first ingrediant by that much (percentage) and the scale should do the rest of the work for me. Do the scales work that way?


Parchment: my pics show me using parchment paper ... I don't have the giant spatula so I just form the pie on the paper on the pan after stretching/tossing. I propose parchment is the Texas Crutch of pie shaping

 

[Chuck R]

Shawn, I don’t have the scale yet, but as I understand it, you measure out your flour and set it as 100%. You then add your other ingredients as % rather than volume, oz. or grams, which I think would be helpful when working from recipes with percentages. It also has oz and grams.

 

[Paul H]

Shawn, Tried cooking the veggies in a microwave. It softened up the green peppers so that they cooked on the pizza well and weren't crunchy. Wasn't to pleased with the onions though. I think if I left them in bigger hunks or rings they would have done better.

 

[K Kruger]

They let off more water than that temp could eliminate in the normal cook time, so the cook time was extended and I felt the crust was too dark. So I thought I should sautee first next time but wasn't sure how that would turn out. I was happy to see that you do that. I like the herb infused oil in the crust idea too.

I have a thing for herbed crusts. Good flavor that doesn't knock you over the head.

As for the vegs, I always sauté and/or take to the point of caramelization, for everything except for fresh tomatoes which I simply slice then salt and drain for a bit first. My problem with typical commercial pizzas has long been the vegs which tend to be sliced thinly so as to cook quickly but, still, the flavor ends up undeveloped or insipid.

I often sauté meats first too, depending on what I am using, so that there is browning and hence better flavor in the end.

 

[K Kruger]

Originally posted by Steve Petrone:
Kevin: Goat cheese-cream-Garlic base...ok now tells us just how to make that please. Thank you sir.

Either you can sweat a little minced garlic in a bit of unsalted butter or evoo, very slowly till sweet and fragrant, not browned at all, or you can use a little granulated garlic. If doing the former, when the garlic is sweet, add a 1/2 c or so of heavy and bring to a simmer and reduce a bit, about 1/4; off heat, stir in crumbled goat cheese and allow to melt. Season with salt to taste and white pepper. If using granulated simply start with simmering the cream, adding a little gran garlic to the cream as it reduces; continue from there.

 

[Steve Petrone]

mmmmmmmmmm...I can taste it now!

 

[Bryan S]

Originally posted by Shawn W:
I tried to use the last of the first four balls I made tonight. It was very sticky, the others were a little sticky but I could easily handle them, not this one! It's 10 days old now, is that normal?

Shawn, Prob from the heat cycle on the bread machine. I have no problem with stretching out a 10-11 day old pizza dough using this recipe. Although I store my dough in the very bottom and as far back as it will go, a 34-36º fridge that doesn't get opened all that much.

There's getting to be some posts in here about 1-2 day old ferments, and this recipe is NOT designed for such a short ferment as written in my first post, the dough will not taste all that good. There is NOT enough yeast in the recipe as written for such a short ferment. If you want to do a short ferment, then you'll have to up the yeast a good bit. I just don't want anybody to think they can make the recipe as written in my first post and make a great pie one-two days later, not going to happen with such a small amount of yeast. This recipe is designed for a long, cold rest in the fridge, before it's ready to make a pie with.

 

[Shawn W]

Originally posted by Bryan S:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Shawn W:
I tried to use the last of the first four balls I made tonight. It was very sticky, the others were a little sticky but I could easily handle them, not this one! It's 10 days old now, is that normal?

Shawn, Prob from the heat cycle on the bread machine. I have no problem with stretching out a 10-11 day old pizza dough using this recipe. Although I store my dough in the very bottom and as far back as it will go, a 34-36º fridge that doesn't get opened all that much...
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>Those ones were made in the KA, not the bread machine. I'm pretty sure condensation played a role, you said put each in a seperate container, but I should have mentioned I put 4 in one larger container, seperated by parchment. I put two in, in the fridge lid off. Then two more in and left the lid off for 3 hours or so. In the end it was probably my fault. I've been putting two together in a smaller container and it hasn't happened again.

 

[Jeff Smith]

Wanted to post a big THANK YOU to everyone on this thread. I finally had this pizza tonight and it was beyond good.

We have made homemade pizza before that was good (not great). Not only was this recipe easy but some of the best pizza I have had in a while.

A couple of questions, the crust did not turn out quite as brown as I thought it would. Does anyone brush the crust with olive oil before it goes in the oven.

Also, we are big fans of bread sticks. I tried to make bread sticks with the second ball of dough. They were more like mini loaves of bread. Thats not a complaint because they were still unreal but was going for more of a stick than a loaf. Suggestions?

 

[Shawn W]

About the browning, I've overbrowned a couple and I don't brush with oil. Try cooking a little longer, the cook time is a guideline. Thinner ones with less toppings need less time.

Also, we are big fans of bread sticks. I tried to make bread sticks with the second ball of dough. They were more like mini loaves of bread. Thats not a complaint because they were still unreal but was going for more of a stick than a loaf. Suggestions?

There are different kinds, the thin little crisp ones up to the big soft bready ones (sounds like this is not what you are looking for). Can you describe what you are looking for?

I think the answer might be to just roll them out a little thinner if using this dough, then vary the temp and cook time to suit what you are looking for ... if you want crisper go a little lower temp and longer.

It wouldn't suprise me if those pencil width super crisp ones don't use yeast ... baking powder maybe and wetter (I say wetter because they are so smooth on the outside) ... a different dough.