Author Topic: Convergence (Read 2999 times)

TXCraig1 · « **on:** November 17, 2010, 12:55:50 AM »

Recently, I find myself making very few if any tweaks to my recipe. I seem to have converged on the following:

KAAP 100.0% (Regardless of what other flours I try, I always end up back at KAAP)
Water 62.0%
Salt 3.0%
Ischia culture 1.7%

Dissolve the salt in the water, add everything else, mix until smooth (KA w/ hook), then another minute or two in the machine. Finish with a half dozen hand kneads on the counter after a short rest.

24 hours in bulk at 74F
6 hours in balls at 74F (to about 1.7x)

~2.5 min at 750F in the BBQ mod.

The crust is super tender and very flavorful.

Craig

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #1 on:** November 17, 2010, 01:38:57 AM »

Stunning as always. You do not need a wfo Craig.

Thanks for the recipe and method. I will give this a try.

Chau

dellavecchia · « **Reply #2 on:** November 17, 2010, 06:40:14 AM »

I second Chau's remarks. I love the gentle leoparding and silky crumb. Your workflow and recipe are almost exact to what I have been doing for the last month using a wild yeast culture. The only variance is that I use 5% of flour weight for the yeast, as my ambient temp is hovering around 68 degrees. And I keep the culture I caught, which is fed Caputo 00, at a very "young" stage at all times. Each day 80-90% is discarded and replenished - kept out at room temp.

100% Caputo 00
60% Water
2.8% Salt
5% Starter (wild, flour weight)

Mix in the KA until homogenized, and then another 2-3 minutes. Finish by hand for a few minutes until glossy. Bulk 24 hours and 6-8 hours balled. I also get an amazingly light and tender pie, with great flavor (not sour). Around 60 seconds at 850 degrees in the WFO.

John

norma427 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 17, 2010, 07:59:21 AM »

Quote from: TXCraig1 on November 17, 2010, 12:55:50 AM

Recently, I find myself making very few if any tweaks to my recipe. I seem to have converged on the following:

KAAP 100.0% (Regardless of what other flours I try, I always end up back at KAAP)
Water 62.0%
Salt 3.0%
Ischia culture 1.7%

Dissolve the salt in the water, add everything else, mix until smooth (KA w/ hook), then another minute or two in the machine. Finish with a half dozen hand kneads on the counter after a short rest.

24 hours in bulk at 74F
6 hours in balls at 74F (to about 1.7x)

~2.5 min at 750F in the BBQ mod.

The crust is super tender and very flavorful.

Craig

Craig,

They are very tasty looking pizzas!

Great job. Interesting you find you like KAAP for making pizza.

Norma

Tscarborough · « **Reply #4 on:** November 17, 2010, 09:03:29 AM »

Beautiful pies, both of you.

Jet_deck · « **Reply #5 on:** November 17, 2010, 09:29:18 AM »

Quote from: dellavecchia on November 17, 2010, 06:40:14 AM

... Bulk 24 hours and 6-8 hours balled.
John

John, is all proofing done at room temp ?

Excellent job guys.

dellavecchia · « **Reply #6 on:** November 17, 2010, 09:43:27 AM »

Quote from: Jet_deck on November 17, 2010, 09:29:18 AM

John, is all proofing done at room temp ?

Excellent job guys.

Yes, room temp.

Craig - Is your 1.7% of flour weight or total? I am interested in trying the smaller amount and proofing at a higher temperature to try and get the results you are achieving. I also want to try a bake at 750.

John

pizzablogger · « **Reply #7 on:** November 17, 2010, 11:15:21 AM »

Mon Dieu!.....the only friggen' convergence that needs to be happening is for us all to converge at either Craig's and/or John's place to eat some of those gorgeous looking pies.

KILLER!

Hungry and envious --K

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #8 on:** November 17, 2010, 11:26:29 AM »

John your pie looks awesome - I can see you too are constantly outdoing your last efforts! It shows some similar characteristics to Craig's pies despite the different cooking vessels. I can almost see the small difference a WFO would make though. Also Craig is using AP flour which gives a slightly different look compared to caputo given the same recipe.

Which shows IMO, that technique can trump flour BUT given the same hands a higher quality flour will produce a better pie.

Chau

PizzaHog · « **Reply #9 on:** November 17, 2010, 11:34:33 AM »

Quote from: pizzablogger on November 17, 2010, 11:15:21 AM

Mon Dieu!.....the only friggen' convergence that needs to be happening is for us all to converge at either Craig's and/or John's place to eat some of those gorgeous looking pies.

KILLER!

Hungry and envious --K

Ageed, those pies are things of beauty!
I have never tried a long room temp ferment with KAAP but that is about to change.

dellavecchia · « **Reply #10 on:** November 17, 2010, 01:02:00 PM »

Quote from: Jackie Tran on November 17, 2010, 11:26:29 AM

It shows some similar characteristics to Craig's pies despite the different cooking vessels.
Chau

Thanks Chau. That was my intention - show the similarities in our pies using a similar workflow, even though the flour and baking temp were different. I actually did not mean to hijack this thread!

John

pizzablogger · « **Reply #11 on:** November 17, 2010, 01:52:40 PM »

Almost semi-chub looking at those beauties.....

Really ridiculous looking pies.

www.pizzablogger.org

http://www.pizzablogger.org/index.php/2010/11/17/home-pizza-making/homemade-pizzas-from-pizzamaking-com/

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #12 on:** November 17, 2010, 03:25:17 PM »

John, I didn't think you hijacked the thread and glad that you posted your pie, but then again I didn't start the thread so we'll see what Craig says.

PB, you are suppose to eat the pizza not.....

Hey cool blog, thanks for adding me on the celebrity list! woohoo!

gtsum2 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 17, 2010, 09:34:28 PM »

nice pies fellas..wow..they look fantastic

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 18, 2010, 12:29:16 AM »

Quote from: Jackie Tran on November 17, 2010, 01:38:57 AM

Stunning as always. You do not need a wfo Craig. Thanks for the recipe and method. I will give this a try.

Chau

Thanks Chau.

Interesting you say that about me not needing a WFO... I actually poured the slab for one a couple weeks ago. No promises on when I'll actually start on the oven, but I'm going to build it myself brick-by-brick.

Craig

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 18, 2010, 12:39:19 AM »

Quote from: dellavecchia

I second Chau's remarks. I love the gentle leoparding and silky crumb.

Quote from: dellavecchia

Craig - Is your 1.7% of flour weight or total?

Thanks for the complement on the pies John.

Yes, 1.7% of the flour weight.

Craig

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #16 on:** November 18, 2010, 12:43:39 AM »

Quote from: norma427 on November 17, 2010, 07:59:21 AM

Craig,

They are very tasty looking pizzas! Great job. Interesting you find you like KAAP for making pizza.

Norma

Thanks Norma,

For me anyway, it just doesn't get any better than KAAP @ 62% hydration. The dough handles the best, and it gives exactly the bite, crumb, and coloration I'm looking for.

Craig

Craig

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 18, 2010, 12:53:22 AM »

Quote from: Jackie Tran on November 17, 2010, 03:25:17 PM

John, I didn't think you hijacked the thread and glad that you posted your pie, but then again I didn't start the thread so we'll see what Craig says.

PB, you are suppose to eat the pizza not.....

Hey cool blog, thanks for adding me on the celebrity list! woohoo!

Chau, John, il mio thread è il tuo thread.

I second you on the blog - we better watch out - somebody might accidentally think we know what we are doing...

Thanks for all the other great complements too guys! They mean a lot.

Craig

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #18 on:** November 18, 2010, 01:07:54 AM »

Quote from: TXCraig1 on November 18, 2010, 12:29:16 AM

Thanks Chau.

Interesting you say that about me not needing a WFO... I actually poured the slab for one a couple weeks ago. No promises on when I'll actually start on the oven, but I'm going to build it myself brick-by-brick.

Craig

Craig, just b/c I don't think you need one, doesn't mean I don't want one myself. Congrats on the new project, I am very happy for you and excited to see your progress in the near future. I hope you will keep us all posted. I too had plans on building a low dome NP oven myself, until FB came out with their new Premio2g line. I'm looking at ordering the premio2g100 (40") model very soon, but this thread has me 2nd guessing myself.

Why shouldn't I go out and buy me a $400 grill with rear rotisserie burner to see if it wouldn't improve my MBE pies before pulling the trigger on a $4k oven (with shipping)? With the outdoor kitchen it will be double that I'm sure. But then again, I'm sure there is NOTHING quite like firing up a WFO and the aesthetics of looking at it in the backyard either. Why am I so torn? $:-\$ And I can't really poll you guys on what to do, b/c I already know what you all will say.

Chau

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #19 on:** November 18, 2010, 01:55:32 AM »

Quote from: Jackie Tran on November 18, 2010, 01:07:54 AM

Why shouldn't I go out and buy me a $400 grill with rear rotisserie burner to see if it wouldn't improve my MBE pies before pulling the trigger on a $4k oven (with shipping)? With the outdoor kitchen it will be double that I'm sure. But then again, I'm sure there is NOTHING quite like firing up a WFO and the aesthetics of looking at it in the backyard either. Why am I so torn? $:-\$ And I can't really poll you guys on what to do, b/c I already know what you all will say.

It will be $800 by the time you get done with the insulation and stone necessary to get the performance you'll want. If I didn't have the grill already (and it gets used as a grill much more than as an oven) or need to buy one regardless, I'm not sure I would have gone that way. I think I would have gone the WFO route. I've known since the first time I baked a pie in a WFO - which was before I modded the grill - that I was going to get one. The only question was when. Hopefully I'll be done with it before next summer. That will be about 3 years.

There is one nice benefit of the grill mod - you can keep it under a covered porch and bake rain or shine!

Craig