Papa John's dough ingredient

[earthisflat]

I just saw an "Unwrapped" episode on FoodNetwork entitled "couch potatoes". A segment was about Papa John's and after he mentioned an ingredient in his dough, the host/commentator said "he left the cat out of the bag" or something to mean he gave out an included ingredient in his dough. Does anyone know what ingredient John Schnatter(?) mentioned?
Thanks-zzamann

[Lydia]

I've been trying to figure it out too.
It sounded like "black seed" but was probably "Flax seed" but flax seed is most often used as an oil, and was I was understanding was that this ingredients wasused "in" the flour not an added ingredient.

 I recorded it and turn on the closed captioning.

"We use black river seed in the flour. I think its a little sweeter an it's got less of the skin on it so it doesn't got that bitter taste."  John Schnatter

Other tidbits for the episode
purified water
proofed to 55 degrees
5 oz. tomato sauce packed only 6 hours after harvesting
2 cups 100% mozzarella cheese
try to bake less that 6 minutes (5 minutes)
pepperoncini's label-

low carbs,
in the napa valley,
imported Greek Golden peperonicinis
Family owned 1935
finest quality

Tip from john

mozzarella provelone and Munster will get you close

what this means ...i dunno 

[ihavezippers]

Sorry to bring this post back from the dead, but wow...what a great find.  Does anyone have any wild guesses on the black seed, as to even a rough guess to the proportion in relation to the flour?

As for the Muenster/Provolone/Mozz mix, check out some of the older posts from a couple years ago...for a while we had a great dialogue going as to the right proporitions used.

[Randy]

Guys give my American style recipe a try, it is identical to Pappa Johns in looks and flavor before they went cheap on the flour.  Use KASL flour for a perfect match or use KABF for a close second.  Use a screen.  Let me know if you need it posted.

Randy

[pcampbell]

I'd be interested.. thanks.

[Randy]

Here is an earlier version which is closer to Papa Johns than my current version.  You must use the raw or turbindo sugar to get the right flavor.  Use a light colored honey.  You don't need the flax oil which I guess they started using when they went cheap on the flour.
Secret Pizza Dough Recipe
By Randy Dewberry
Final revision Friday, May 20, 2005



16 oz High Gluten Flour (Hard Red Spring Wheat)

9.7  oz Water by weight(warm 120deg.

2 TBS  raw sugar

1 TBS Honey

1 Tablespoon  Classico Olive Oil Not extra virgin

2  Teaspoon Salt

1 package SAF Perfect Rise or Gourmet yeast or any other instant yeast

Mix flour and salt.  Put yeast and half the flour in the mixer.  Mix the sugar and honey into the hot water.  Pour mixture into bowl and place mixer using dough hook on stir for about 2 minutes.  Stop mixer. Add Olive oil and the rest of the flour, then set mixer to knead.  Knead for 6  minutes stop mixer for 5 minutes then start mixer back on knead speed for 6 more minutes.  If the dough is sticking to the bottom of the bowl add a tablespoon of flour or more until the dough patch beneath the ball is say the size of a silver dollar.  You may need to add water.  Finish knead on a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball  Place in the refrigerator in a lightly sealed container coated with olive oil. for overnight or up to three days.

Remove 3  hours before panning
Remove from the fridge and either divide dough in half on a slightly wet marble or counter for two 12” pizzas or leave whole for one somewhat thicker 16” pizza.  Work each piece of dough into balls with wet hands.   

.
If using screens Preheat oven to 500 deg F  Mix together an equal mixture of Semolina, flour and cornmeal.  Liberally coat the dough ball and marble with the mixture. Shape dough and place on pizza screen and add what you want. Cook for 6-8 minutes on lowest rack in oven and WITHOUT a pizza stone.

Let me know how it turns out.

Randy
.

[earthisflat]

GREAT WORK EVERYBODY!!! THanks a mil. And Randy, thanks for the great recipe--can't wait to try it )

[Pete-zza]

Randy,

Would you mind starting a new thread under American Style and posting the recipe you presented earlier in this thread at the new thread? That should make your recipe more accessible to members.

I think your recipe is a good example of how one can make a Papa John's style pizza that is better than what Papa John's can make. You can make your dough and use it within a day if you'd like. Papa John's can't do that. It has to make a dough that will last several days (I have heard from 3-7 days, and in some cases, 9 days) so that the dough balls can be delivered (at refrigerated temperatures) to the various stores and be usable at the stores for a few days beyond delivery. To make dough balls like that requires using very small amounts of yeast, relatively low hydration percents, and keeping everything as cold as possible. As a result, almost by definition, the real Papa John's dough can't be as good as yours because of all of the compromising it has to do. Also, Papa John's, as with all of the other major chains, has to have multiple vendors of all of their ingredients in order to support all of their operations and stores. So, they will switch vendors and brands and even change their recipes (although I understand they are still using high-gluten flour). That is why it is somewhat a fools errand to try to copy any of the chain pizzas. I think it is better to just copy the "style" in the best way you can in a home environment, as you have done with such notable success.

Peter

[Randy]

Glad to Peter, but tonight I am dealing with a broken hot water heater and have a mess to clean up.  Maybe in the morning.  I posted my original recipe here because it produces the best match to papa Johns.

Randy

[Lydia]

Glad you brought this post back to life.

I forgot I found out that the pepperoncinis is a common product in Cal. stores. Its Mezzetta.

They can be ordered here online http://www.mezzetta.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=peppers