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[Ronzo]

I've been hanging around for awhile but I really haven't tried to really make a pie yet, until tonight.


Here's my first real attempt at a NY pie.


I made the dough according to the NY pie formula on the main site here, but the stretching of the dough is the thing I had the most issues with. Maybe I didn't knead the dough long enough. Maybe I kneaded it too long... I dunno, but it just wouldn't seem to keep the form when it stretched (kept trying to shrink), and it kept sticking to my fingers. I couldn't get it thin enough and so it was pretty puffy and small.


It tasted great, but it wasn't "NY Style" by any means.

[Randy]

If you followed Steve's recipe using high gluten flour and used a KitchenAid mixer then you kneaded it long enough.  My guess is that the dough was too cold.  I take mine out of the cooler three hours before shaping.  Two hours will work but three is better.

As far as sticky goes, I make a mixture of one part flour, one part cornmeal and one part semolina flour to coat the dough ball with before shaping. I use a good bit and No sticky fingers.

Randy

[Ronzo]

I think you may have hit the nail on the head when you said 'too cold'.

I didn't let it rest out of the fridge anywhere near that long.



I'll try 3 hours next time.

[Ronzo]

Had one more chunk of dough left from that original batch and this time I let it sit and warm up more, and used a flour/semolina mix on the ball to make it easier to shape. It came out much better. I still need to work on my technique, but it was much, much flatter than the ones you see above, and it held its shape a lot better.

Forgot to take pictures... sorry.

[Randy]

If you get a chance go by a Papa Johns and watch them shape the dough.  Their dough is the only nation wide franchise that uses an overnight rise just like the recipe you just tried.
The next time you make that recipe use 9.7 oz of water and it will shape even better.  With a dough this wet turn it out onto a lightly floured surface to pick up a little surface flour for ease in handling.

After that try Peter's recipe for the next step up in the New York style.

Randy

[Ronzo]

"9.7 oz"? I don't have a way to measure out "9.7 oz".

[Randy]

If the budget allows, get you a scale and you will find making pizza a little easier.  Until then, on your measuring cup you should be able to eyeball around 9 1/2 oz.  You can tell after the ball forms while the mixer is running how wet the dough is by watching the amount of dough that stays stuck to the bottom of the bowl.  If no dough is stuck add a teaspoon of water at a time till it does.  If it sticks more than say mayonnaise jar lid then add flour.  You should be close but it will be sticky so shape it on a lightly floured surface before putting it into the cooler.

Randy

[Ronzo]

Do you recommend electric scales?

(please say yes so I can have an excuse to buy one - )

[apizza]

Yes I do think an electronic scale is the way to go. It made a huge difference in my pizza/bread dough. Start shopping now.

[Randy]

I agree, an electronic scale is the way to go.  Shop around.  Matter of fact why not post a question in the equipment section to see what everyone is using.

Randy

[Ronzo]

I found one that looks good (sleek and space saving) at one of the ad sponsors from the main forum page. It's less than $28, and has the function where you can zero it out with a container.

This is it

Probably going to order it later today.

[Randy]

You might look at the ones the post office sells if no one around your town sells them.  The difference in price might be made up for by not having to pay shipping,  We live in a small town and they keep them on stock.  Not sure it will do everything you want but worth a look anyway.
http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/display_products/productDetail.jsp?OID=4848743

[TimEggers]

You can tell after the ball forms while the mixer is running how wet the dough is by watching the amount of dough that stays stuck to the bottom of the bowl.  If no dough is stuck add a teaspoon of water at a time till it does.  If it sticks more than say mayonnaise jar lid then add flour.  You should be close but it will be sticky so shape it on a lightly floured surface before putting it into the cooler.

Randy

Randy why is the dough sticking to the bottom of the mixer bowl so important?  Isn't that little bit of dough not being kneaded?  I have been trying to avoid the dough sticking to the bowl at all and also letting it get to the point where the dough throws itself off the dough hook and slams into the side of the bowl before being reincorporated into the swirling dough ball.

Sounds like I am using dough too dry according to your comments above.  What am I missing out on by drying things out?  Your insights are much appreciated.  Thank you!

[TimEggers]

Randy,

I may have partially answered myself as tonight I made a pizza from dryer dough and the crust was tough and the dough very tough to work.  The dough I assume was too dry thereby tough.  The flavor was also very lackluster in the crust.  So I would then speculate that dough with a good hydration level (correct terminology?) would stick to the bottom of the bowl with a half dollar sizes contact patch.  Does that sound correct?

On a positive note while walking through Wal-mart I found (or rather my wife did) some 2% mozz. So I get to try that tomorrow for the first time.  I am also going to try wetter dough like that of your American recipe.

Thanks again my friend!

[Snowman]

Okay, on the Escali scale, if you order it, don't forget to tell them where you heard about their company.  Someone's gotta pay the bills here.

On the Post Office scales, the 10 pounder looks like a better deal than the 5 pounder, since I'm always weighing 10 pounds of yeast and all .  However, the warm up time of 3 minutes or less?  SERIOUSLY?  Some engineer must be all proud of himself for that little miracle.