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[November]

Red November "Kiss My Grass" Dough

Description
This dough has a uniquely themed "grass and foliage" formula.  It's understood that many may not have access to the ingredients listed, but I'm posting this for those who are curious about what my favorite pizza dough is to date.  Besides making a great tasting crust with a texture consisting of a crispy exterior and a soft, large void interior, it's also meant to be healthy for you.  The following list of ingredients is for making two (2) 14" pizzas.

Ingredients
 576g   ( 100%)   high-gluten flour
 356g   (61.8%)   cold-macerated green tea
   12g   (2.08%)   rice bran oil
   12g   (2.08%)   cane sugar
     7g   (1.22%)   kosher salt
     3g   (0.52%)   active dry yeast

High-Gluten Flour
Rather than use a 14.2% flour such as King Arthur's Sir Lancelot, I chose to customize King Arthur's Bread Flour (12.7%) with vital wheat gluten (VWG, 75%) to achieve a 14.0% flour.  This choice of flour customization and percentage is due to the process I use to combine the ingredients.  Since water is required for gluten to form, I give gluten the best opportunity I can by adding the VWG directly to the water before adding the water to the mixture.  Using this technique provides an advantage that easily closes the 0.2% gap between the commercial and custom flour.  The individual amounts are:

 564g   bread flour (12.7%)
   12g   VWG (75%)

Cold-Macerated Green Tea
This is prepared by steeping one green tea tea-bag in 365g of water, and storing for 4 hours at 41-50 F.  After the maceration is complete, remove the tea-bag and lightly squeeze some of the tea out.  9g of water/tea is expected to remain in the tea-bag.  If one elects to steep the the tea-bag in 185 F water, the result will of course be a tea with a stronger flavor, but with the side effect of a beer-like aroma later in the fermentation process.  I'm sure few will object.

Rice Bran Oil
There isn't much to say about it except that it's probably the best oil on the market for just about any purpose.  It has a ridiculously high smoke point, very neutral flavor, and is much healthier for us than almost all other oils.

Instructions
In an auxiliary bowl, whisk to combine sugar, salt, VWG (if used), ADY, and 41 F green tea.  Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes and whisk again.  At this point everything should be dissolved.  Allow the mixture to sit until it reaches 53 F, during which time sift the flour into the main mixing bowl and add the oil.  Whisk the liquid solution once more before pouring it into the main mixing bowl with the flour and oil.  Mix/knead for a minimum of 7 minutes.  The finished dough temperature should be 68 F.  At this point I allow the dough to rise on the bench for six (6) hours at 68 F before shaping it.  Cold fermentation could be utilized, but the ideal temperature for this is between 41 F and 59 F as a compromise between reduced yeast activity and productive enzyme activity.