charing

[jusapena]

Is it possible to get charing in a 500 degree oven? I have tried sugar and/or  honey in the dough. I even purchased a steel plate and used the broiler method. Nice oven spring but the pie just gets evenly darker and darker.
Any ideas?

[TXCraig1]

Blowtorch - seriously.

[jusapena]

TX Craig 1
I have seen some of your amazing pies and have read you reference using a torch,I thought you jest but I will try it this weekend-it may be the only way.
Thank you

[scott123]

Craig, I've never seen a blowtorch ever produce a pie that looks like yours- or any other archetypal Neapolitan pizza. I also strongly believe that combustion never consumes 100% of a fuel and, for some people, trace amounts of blowtorch fuel can be detected in the flavor of the crust.

[scott123]

Jusapena, how close are you baking the pizza to the broiler?  If there's any chance of top leoparding, the pizza has to be within an inch of the broiler. Even, then, though, only about 1 in 300 ovens has the power to do leoparding, so the odds are not good that your broiler is strong enough.

If you want charring on the undercrust, there's a chance you can get that at 500 with thick enough aluminum plate- maybe 3/4". How hot is the steel getting? Many 500 deg. dial ovens can reach 550 and higher. If you can hit 530 with 1/2" steel, you can definitely get some charring on the undercrust.

With the advent of steel and now aluminum as baking surfaces, oven mods haven't been discussed in quite some time. If your oven is one of the few 500 dial ovens that can only reach 500 or lower, then you might want to think of a trick, such as the frozen towel technique.

[TXCraig1]

Craig, I've never seen a blowtorch ever produce a pie that looks like yours- or any other archetypal Neapolitan pizza. I also strongly believe that combustion never consumes 100% of a fuel and, for some people, trace amounts of blowtorch fuel can be detected in the flavor of the crust.

For the record, I've never used a torch on any of my pies, though I'm pretty sure it has been done by members of this forum with good results.

I'm not suggesting it is the equal of an NP oven, but it is a viable option to supplement a home oven. Torches are used all the time in restaurant kitchens with no problem. For kicks and grins, I just squirted some liquid butane directly on my finger and then licked the spot and there was virtually no flavor. I then wet my finger and blew propane gas on it and tasted it, and again, nothing. I don't see a problem using a torch for taste reasons. 

[Bill/SFNM]

+1 on the torch. Here is little video I did for friend to help him with the pizzas he makes in his conventional oven.

<a href="http://youtu.be/lL-k3z5DHhc" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://youtu.be/lL-k3z5DHhc</a>

Absolutely no residual taste or smell from butane.

[TXCraig1]

+1 on the torch. Here is little video I did for friend to help him with the pizzas he makes in his conventional oven.

http://youtu.be/lL-k3z5DHhc

How beautiful is that? And added "oven" spring as an extra bonus!

[Bill/SFNM]

How beautiful is that? And added "oven" spring as an extra bonus!

And one of my secret weapons is that the extreme heat on the cheese brings out all kinds of wondrous flavors from the cheese. The difference between hot cheese and molten cheese is significant.

[scott123]

I've never tasted a butane scorched crust, but I have baked countless chicken breasts in a propane grill, and I can't cover the grill, because, if I do, the chicken tastes like propane. At least, it does to me.  I'm not saying everyone can taste the difference, but if you give me a torched pizza next to an untorched one, I'll bet any amount of money I can taste the difference, blindfolded.

And tasting butane, Craig?  Can you get any more manly?  

[Bill/SFNM]

IIRC, propane is "enhanced" with a detectable odor (ethanethiol) to alert the presence of leaks.  Butane is not.

[mkevenson]

then you might want to think of a trick, such as the frozen towel technique.

Scott  where can we find info on this technique?

Mark

[Chicago Bob]

+1 on the torch. Here is little video I did for friend to help him with the pizzas he makes in his conventional oven.

http://youtu.be/lL-k3z5DHhc

Absolutely no residual taste or smell from butane.

 Now that there is a thing of beauty....
Bill, Wow, that thing sounds like you could probably do a little fusion welding on the side with it....you know, help offset the high price of that VT pepperoni perhaps?  

[scott123]

Scott  where can we find info on this technique?

Mark

Modifying Oven to Get Higher Temps
Oven modification/Bosch Universal pie.
Last night's dough w/tricked oven
You love Neopolitan-style pizza, but don't want to invest in a brick oven.

[mkevenson]

Modifying Oven to Get Higher Temps
Oven modification/Bosch Universal pie.
Last night's dough w/tricked oven
You love Neopolitan-style pizza, but don't want to invest in a brick oven.

Thanks, now i got it

Mark

[shuboyje]

I have an Iwatani butane torch I use for searing meat cooked via Sous Vide.  It is a serious torch.  I used it on a pizza one time as part of an experiment, and the resulting pizza had an overly bitter acrid flavor that made it entirely uneatable.  I've mentioned this here in the past an pissed a bunch of people off for some reason, but that was my experience. 

For the record I recently did some soldering with the Iwatani and would venture to say it is 4 times more powerful then a standard plumbers torch.

[Chicago Bob]

I have an Iwatani butane torch I use for searing meat cooked via Sous Vide.  It is a serious torch.  I used it on a pizza one time as part of an experiment, and the resulting pizza had an overly bitter acrid flavor that made it entirely uneatable.  I've mentioned this here in the past an pissed a bunch of people off for some reason, but that was my experience. 

For the record I recently did some soldering with the Iwatani and would venture to say it is 4 times more powerful then a standard plumbers torch.

Jeff,
I know you know your stuff. I question if your butane runs hotter than a Mapp gas plumbers tool.
Also, it appears to get favorable results on S/V meat....why is it different on the food product...pizza?
Bob

[shuboyje]

The flame may not be hotter then MAPP, but it is MUCH larger and as a result produces way more heat.  I was soldering some large copper my MAPP torch has struggled with in the past, with the Iwatani I had the solder flowing in about 10 seconds. 

I've never had an issue with off flavors in my meats using this, it is a professional culinary torch used in commercial kitchens, but it did something to that pizza that was just vial, lol.   

[Chicago Bob]

The flame may not be hotter then MAPP, but it is MUCH larger and as a result produces way more heat.  I was soldering some large copper my MAPP torch has struggled with in the past, with the Iwatani I had the solder flowing in about 10 seconds. 

I've never had an issue with off flavors in my meats using this, it is a professional culinary torch used in commercial kitchens, but it did something to that pizza that was just vial, lol.   

Ok dude..torch on. Stranger things have happened, right?
Say, did I ever tell you about the time i was watching this drive in movie back in 1974 with my best girlfriend.....oh never mind. You're too young!