New York for a day-suggestions

[pizzablogger]

I want to taste Totonno’s pies.  Since you have lived in NY, I am sure you already know how long it takes on the train (subway) to get from Manhattan to Coney Island.  It takes a long while in my opinion.  New York City is really big, as you already know.  I wonder if Totonno’s is where your uncle ate some of his best pies.

Norma, agreed it takes a long time to take the subway out of Manattan to Coney. One reason it
is good to visit a few places deep in Brooklyn, since you are on the train for over an hour anyway.

The Q Train takes you from Manhattan to the Stillwater Ave (Coney Island) stop, which is a short walk from Totonno's Coney Island. That same train stops earlier at Avenue J, where DiFara is a literal stones throw from the elevated station.

On the way out of the Stillwater Ave/Coney Island stop, you can catch a train which drops you off close to L&B Spumoni Gardens for some good Sicilian and a tasty Spumoni Ice to cap off the pizza eating.

Totonno's is definitely worth a visit. No fancy bells and whistles, just really good, no nonsense coal oven pizza day in and day out. --K

[norma427]

Norma, agreed it takes a long time to take the subway out of Manattan to Coney. One reason it
is good to visit a few places deep in Brooklyn, since you are on the train for over an hour anyway.

The Q Train takes you from Manhattan to the Stillwater Ave (Coney Island) stop, which is a short walk from Totonno's Coney Island. That same train stops earlier at Avenue J, where DiFara is a literal stones throw from the elevated station.

On the way out of the Stillwater Ave/Coney Island stop, you can catch a train which drops you off close to L&B Spumoni Gardens for some good Sicilian and a tasty Spumoni Ice to cap off the pizza eating.

Totonno's is definitely worth a visit. No fancy bells and whistles, just really good, no nonsense coal oven pizza day in and day out. --K

pizzablogger,

Thanks for your help and telling me about more pizzerias in NY.  I understand the train system, but haven’t visited any of the places you mentioned. I will copy your directions for the train, when I can visit some of those pizzerias. I might visit some of the places you mentioned next spring or summer when the weather is warmer.  I have tried many pizzerias in Brooklyn over the years, but can’t remember their names.  Some were in the Bed-Stuy area of Brooklyn.  Those pizzas were really good when I tasted them, but now since I make pizza and have tasted Keste’s, I don’t know if I would like them as much. 

I never tried any coal oven pizzas, and appreciate your advise on visiting Totonno's.  I would like to try coal oven pizzas. 

Norma

[norma427]

This was posted on Slice today about Jim Lahey making the kind of pizza my daughter and I tried at Sullivan Street Bakery.  I had really like this Pizza Pomodoro when I tasted it at Sullivan Street Bakery.

This video shows how Pizza Pomodoro is made.

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/12/-ready-video-jim-lahey-making-pizza-pomodoro.html

Now to figure out what formula to use for Pizza Pomodoro.

Norma

[Matthew]

This was posted on Slice today about Jim Lahey making the kind of pizza my daughter and I tried at Sullivan Street Bakery.  I had really like this Pizza Pomodoro when I tasted it at Sullivan Street Bakery.

This video shows how Pizza Pomodoro is made.

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/12/-ready-video-jim-lahey-making-pizza-pomodoro.html

Now to figure out what formula to use for Pizza Pomodoro.

Norma

Hi Norma,
I'm pretty sure that the formula is in the book.  If I get a chance I'm going to run into Chapter's & pick up a copy.  Because of course, you can never have to many bread books, right

Matt

[norma427]

Hi Norma,
I'm pretty sure that the formula is in the book.  If I get a chance I'm going to run into Chapter's & pick up a copy.  Because of course, you can never have to many bread books, right

Matt

Matt,

You are right that you can’t ever have too many books about bread or pizza.    I just wonder if the real formula is in the book. 

I would be interested in hearing what kind of formula might be in Jim Lahey’s book about Pizza Pomodoro.  That pizza was one of the most different pizzas I have ever tasted.  It was thin, but was crunchy on the bottom crust, as I posted first with pictures at Reply 20 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,12388.msg117783.html#msg117783 and then again with the slice at Reply 22  http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,12388.msg117785.html#msg117785 and what my thoughts were about Jim Lahey's pizza at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,12388.msg117797.html#msg117797

The crust also had a very good taste. 

From the video posted on Slice, I guess Jim Lahey does use a steel pan to create the Pizza Pomodoro.  The dough does look like a fairly high hydration, but I wonder why the crust had such a good taste.  Maybe if we both work on this, we could find a formula to try. 

Thanks for looking into this kind of pizza. 

Norma

[norma427]

Matt or anyone else that might be interested.  I think this is the same video on the bottom of the first link, that slice posted.  I don’t know if you or anyone else think this is a good starting point or not for a Pizza Pomodoro.

http://www.chewswise.com/chews/2010/01/really-easy-pizza-jim-lahey.html

These are also other links for a Pizza Pomodoro

http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2010/01/pizza-pulp-fiction-jim-lahey/

http://tfl.thefreshloaf.com/node/15877/jim-lahey039s-pizza-patate-quotmy-breadquot

http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2010/02/pizza-via-jim-lahey-where-have-you-been.html

Norma

[Matthew]

Matt or anyone else that might be interested.  I think this is the same video on the bottom of the first link, that slice posted.  I don’t know if you or anyone else think this is a good starting point or not for a Pizza Pomodoro.

http://www.chewswise.com/chews/2010/01/really-easy-pizza-jim-lahey.html

These are also other links for a Pizza Pomodoro

http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2010/01/pizza-pulp-fiction-jim-lahey/

http://tfl.thefreshloaf.com/node/15877/jim-lahey039s-pizza-patate-quotmy-breadquot

http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2010/02/pizza-via-jim-lahey-where-have-you-been.html

Norma

Norma,
This is the same recipe in his book which I just started to read & is quite good.  When are you going to make the Pizza Pomodoro?

Matt

[norma427]

Matt,

I might try to make Pizza Pomodoro over the weekend if you think one of these recipes are good.  I did taste the real Pizza Pomodoro at Sullivan Street Bakery, so I know how they should taste.  Right now I don’t have a steel pan, but have a deep-dish pan I could try to use.  I did purchase a 17x1" steel deep-dish pan on Ebay last week to try Greek Pizza, but it hasn’t arrived as of today.  The shape of the pan shouldn’t matter.  I just would like to be able to create this kind of pie.  I also do have some heavy sheet pans, that I used before for Sicilian pies.  They did work okay. 

The one recipe in the one article is posted in grams. Do you know how to convert the recipe to baker’s percents so it is more accurate. 

Good to hear you purchased the book and you are enjoying reading it.  I have always been interested in no knead dough, but never tried any.  Do you have any idea when you might try the
Pizza Pomodoro?  If you try the recipe from your book, what kind of leavening system are you going to try?

Norma

[Matthew]

Matt,

I might try to make Pizza Pomodoro over the weekend if you think one of these recipes are good.  I did taste the real Pizza Pomodoro at Sullivan Street Bakery, so I know how they should taste.  Right now I don’t have a steel pan, but have a deep-dish pan I could try to use.  I did purchase a 17x1" steel deep-dish pan on Ebay last week to try Greek Pizza, but it hasn’t arrived as of today.  The shape of the pan shouldn’t matter.  I just would like to be able to create this kind of pie.  I also do have some heavy sheet pans, that I used before for Sicilian pies.  They did work okay. 

The one recipe in the one article is posted in grams. Do you know how to convert the recipe to baker’s percents so it is more accurate. 

Good to hear you purchased the book and you are enjoying reading it.  I have always been interested in no knead dough, but never tried any.  Do you have any idea when you might try the
Pizza Pomodoro?  If you try the recipe from your book, what kind of leavening system are you going to try?

Norma

Norma,
The Formula is bakers % is as follows:

Flour 100%
Water 60%
IDY 2%
Salt 1%
sugar .6%

I might make some next weekend for my son's birthday party.  I'll probably use fresh yeast, I'm not sure yet.  I am interested in what you think as you have tried the one from his baker.

Matt

[norma427]

Matt,

Thanks for figuring out what the formula is in baker’s percents.  I still have those darn problems with my math.  I had my oldest daughter trying to help me with math last week.  Maybe one of these days I will get it.   

Great to hear you might try Pizza Pomodoro for your son’s birthday party next weekend.  If you want to start a thread about Pizza Pomodoro, that is okay with me.  I will also go on the journey to try and made a  Pizza Pomodoro. I only tried one slice at Sullivan St. Bakery and if I would have had time to go back before I left NY that day, I sure would have bought more. I know I don’t know about every kind of pizza, but that slice I had sure was different than any other pie I ever made.  I really don’t know how their bakers got the good flavor in the crust, but I think if we experiment enough, we might be able to recreate the Pizza Pomodoro.  The bottom crust was crunchy when I ate it.  The slice wasn’t warmed, when I bought it from the bakery case, so it was just eaten cold, but still was excellent.  I don’t know how they kept the crunch when it was cold.  Do you have any ideas on that?  My daughter just had the plain tomato sauce on her slice and also thought it was excellent and she isn’t even a pizza freak like me.  I got her to taste my slice and she really liked it, but didn’t want to eat too much, because mine had a really garlic taste, and she didn’t want to get any stomach upset while in NY.  It is hard to find a bathroom while visiting and walking from place to place.  I also tasted her slice and it was also good, but I liked my slice better with the toppings. The pie really didn't bend, but still was somewhat moist inside. I don't know how their pies can be somewhat moist and still have the bottom crust crunch. Many other customers were coming into the Sullivan St. Bakery and buying many slices of Pizza Pomodoro.  When you look at all the kinds of pies that I posted pictures of, do you know why there are different names for the pies?  Is it the toppings that then give the pies the different names.  I am not good with Italian, so I don’t know about that.  All the pies looked like they were about the same thickness factor.  Do you have any idea about what thickness factor to use?

Sullivan St. Bakery probably does use fresh yeast.  It seems to be the easiest way to go about recreating their pie.  I had wanted to purchase some fresh yeast for Paul’s flour, but my local store was out of fresh yeast last week.  I might go again and see if they now have some in. 

If I have time this weekend I will give this a try.

Norma

[Matthew]

Norma,

The trick to maintaining a crispy bottom is to remove the pizza from the pan as soon as it's done & immediately place it on a cooling rack.  Jim's pizza's are named after their toppings, the base dough remains the same.  The thickness factor will be .0604.

Good luck!

 

[norma427]

Norma,

The trick to maintaining a crispy bottom is to remove the pizza from the pan as soon as it's done & immediately place it on a cooling rack.  Jim's pizza's are named after their toppings, the base dough remains the same.  The thickness factor will be .0604.

Good luck!

 

Matt,

Thanks for telling me what the trick to a crispy bottom is and also the thickness factor to try.    I didn’t understand why the pizzas were named different.  Thanks for explaining that also.  I wish I
now would have tried more varieties of Jim Lahey’s Pizza Pomodoro and examined them more, but I needed to get back to Port Authority to meet my other daughter and family.  Wouldn’t you know it, her trains were running bad and I had to then wait for her for over 45 minutes. 

Best of luck to you too!

Norma