Star Tavern Recipe

[marcparrilli]

I'm relatively new to the forum (today actually), and have a small tip to add if it hasn't been adressed before. French bread is French bread (baguettes) and not pizza, but when you are obsessed with perfect crusts, the best bakeries of these loaves use ovens that inject a little steam into the baking process, hence the cracked and crunchy exterior of the loaf. The steam really helps any type of crust shape up with wonderful texture and so a couple of years back I would throw a rum jigger of water into the bottom of the oven at least twice during my baking time for one or two pizzas. I finally realized that a better controlled release of steam was by throwing in a couple of ice cubes on top of the pizza stone that I keep on the floor of my oven to distribute heat better rather than bake on top of it. I still do this twice because i only bake at about 450 or thereabouts. The ice cubes melt and steam up quickly and there is a night and day difference in the crust with steam as opposed to without.

marc

[IEatPizzaByThePie]

BTB,

I took a stab at converting the Star Tavern dough recipe to baker's percent format, using the expanded dough calculating tool at http://www.pizzamaking.com/expanded_calculator.html. By way of explanation of my assumptions, I used the King Arthur bread flour (KABF) as a proxy for the (unnamed) bread flour in the Star Tavern recipe. I also assumed that the flour is measured out using the Medium flour Measurement Method as that term is defined in the Mass-Volume Conversion Calculator at http://tools.foodsim.com/. I used this method since most people seem to measure out flour by the scoop method rather than the Textbook method that flour marketers suggest (as also referenced in the Mass-Volume Conversion Calculator). For the water, I assumed that one cup of water weighs 8.15 ounces. That is less than the standard weight (8.345 ounces) for a cup of water, but in my experience most people do not measure out a cup of water with that weight. It is more likely to be around 8.1-8.2 ounces. Based on my calculations and analysis, the percent of semolina comes to 49.8% of the combined weight of the KABF and semolina flours. That may seem high, but several years ago I had a NY style pizza at a pizzeria in Massachusetts and the pizza maker told me that he used around 50% semolina in his flour (high-gluten) and semolina blend.

As the Star Tavern dough formulation below indicates, the total dough weight for six dough balls is 48.29 ounces/1369.16 grams. So, one dough ball weighs 8.05 ounces/228.19 grams. Using an 8-ounce or 230-gram dough ball should be close enough. According to the Star Tavern instructions, each dough ball is rolled out to about 14". At 14", the corresponding thickness factor is 8.05/(3.14159 x 7 x 7) = 0.05229. That number should be a pretty good number to use when making any desired number of dough balls. In your case, you may want to consider using your 14" PizzaTools cutter pan. You will also note that I did not use any bowl residue compensation. That means that a single dough ball may actually weigh a bit less than 8 ounces.

Without further ado, here is the final dough formulation:

KABF/Semolina Blend* (100%): Water (55.1334%): ADY (0.67638%): Salt (1.99774%): Olive Oil (4.83203%): Sugar (0.71151%): Total (163.35106%):

838.17 g  |  29.57 oz | 1.85 lbs 462.11 g  |  16.3 oz | 1.02 lbs 5.67 g | 0.2 oz | 0.01 lbs | 1.5 tsp | 0.5 tbsp 16.74 g | 0.59 oz | 0.04 lbs | 3 tsp | 1 tbsp 40.5 g | 1.43 oz | 0.09 lbs | 9 tsp | 3 tbsp 5.96 g | 0.21 oz | 0.01 lbs | 1.5 tsp | 0.5 tbsp 1369.16 g | 48.29 oz | 3.02 lbs | TF = N/A

* The KABF/Semolina Blend comprises 14.84oz/420.66g KABF and 14.73oz/417.5g Semolina; the Semolina flour represents about 49.8% of the combined weight of the KABF and Semolina flours
Note: Dough is for six roughly 14" dough skins, with a corresponding thickness factor of 0.05229; no bowl residue compensation

If you decide to try just one or a few dough balls, you will, of course, have to do the apportionment of the KABF/Semolina Blend, just as you have been doing with your deep-dish flour/semolina blends.

If you, or any other member for that matter, decide to attempt a Star Tavern clone, you may want to make note of any adjustments that you find necessary or useful in making the clone dough. This is something that is inherent with recipes where the flour and water are recited volumetrically. Also, using a different bread flour can also require some minor adjustments.

Good luck.

Peter

What would be the preferred method of baking to replicate the restaurant's pizza? Oven temp, length of bake, position in oven, type of pan or stone, and so on?

Also, what about mixing the dough?

[buceriasdon]

Ieatpizzabythepie This link to the method is buried in the thread that jumps from Slice to here to another blog or something like that. This is NOT Star Tavern's recipe, it is Doug's father's recipe. Anyways it gets complicated. Good luck.
http://www.rvafoodie.com/?p=2814

[IEatPizzaByThePie]

Ieatpizzabythepie This link to the method is buried in the thread that jumps from Slice to here to another blog or something like that. This is NOT Star Tavern's recipe, it is Doug's father's recipe. Anyways it gets complicated. Good luck.
http://www.rvafoodie.com/?p=2814

I see, thanks. I'll just have to do some digging!

[IEatPizzaByThePie]

I read through the posts. A few things to note:

In the instructions on the blog, Doug says: "Put the cooking stone in the oven, and turn the oven as high as it will go."
So, I assume he is cooking at 550-600 degrees Fahrenheit, but no precise temp. is given.

Also, in the picture posted, it shows the stone positioned in the middle of the oven.

He first cooks the pizza on the "guide tray" for 3 minutes, then removes the tray and cooks directly on the stone for an undisclosed amount of time. At that temperature, I'm guessing about 6 to 7 minutes.

With such a thin crust, I would recommend a minimal amount of sauce and cheese.

About sourcing the semolina flour: there is a brand called "Bob's Red Mill", and it is the only source of semolina flour I can find in my town. It's always in the section with other specialty flours/grains. I use it for Sicilian style pizza.

I'm anxious to give this recipe a try. It does look promising. Anyone who gives it a shot should post their results, too.

[buceriasdon]

Here in Mexico I have no access to semolina flour, see reply #14 on this thread so I set out making my own recipe for a bar style pizza which I am quite pleased with. Best of luck in your experiments.
Don

I read through the posts. A few things to note:

In the instructions on the blog, Doug says: "Put the cooking stone in the oven, and turn the oven as high as it will go."
So, I assume he is cooking at 550-600 degrees Fahrenheit, but no precise temp. is given.

Also, in the picture posted, it shows the stone positioned in the middle of the oven.

He first cooks the pizza on the "guide tray" for 3 minutes, then removes the tray and cooks directly on the stone for an undisclosed amount of time. At that temperature, I'm guessing about 6 to 7 minutes.

With such a thin crust, I would recommend a minimal amount of sauce and cheese.

About sourcing the semolina flour: there is a brand called "Bob's Red Mill", and it is the only source of semolina flour I can find in my town. It's always in the section with other specialty flours/grains. I use it for Sicilian style pizza.

I'm anxious to give this recipe a try. It does look promising. Anyone who gives it a shot should post their results, too.

[IEatPizzaByThePie]

Here in Mexico I have no access to semolina flour, see reply #14 on this thread so I set out making my own recipe for a bar style pizza which I am quite pleased with. Best of luck in your experiments.
Don

If you want to spend the money, you could have some semolina flour shipped by mail from an online store.
I don't know how far away you are, but you could also consider making a drive up to San Diego to get it.

[buceriasdon]

Thanks, I have no interest in spending that kind of money or going through the hassle. Like I said I came up with my own bar room pizza using cornmeal that I'm quite pleased with and have no inclination to change.
Regards, Don

If you want to spend the money, you could have some semolina flour shipped by mail from an online store.
I don't know how far away you are, but you could also consider making a drive up to San Diego to get it.

[IEatPizzaByThePie]

Regarding the bake temp. and time of this pizza, I don't know how accurate this is, but according to The Star-Ledger:
(from http://www.nj.com/entertainment/dining/index.ssf/2010/01/pizza_patrol_names_best_pizza.html)
"...in all, pizzas take 12 to 15 minutes to cook in the 650-degree oven."


If I bake a pizza, even with a high-hydration dough, it is done after 8 to 10 minutes at 550*...

[buceriasdon]

 It's been an interesting journey, from the original owner stating right out front, we don't make our dough in house to vauge Sliice articles to blog recipes by someone's father to this link statement that just doesn't ring true. It's plain, at least to me, Star Tavern is not interested in sharing their recipe or should they. They consider their recipe and method proprietary, most businesses do, so perhaps they are intentionally misleading.
Pizza goes on, I'm happy with my bar pizza. Doug's father's recipe still sounds like the best start. The rest......shrug.
Don

Regarding the bake temp. and time of this pizza, I don't know how accurate this is, but according to The Star-Ledger:
(from http://www.nj.com/entertainment/dining/index.ssf/2010/01/pizza_patrol_names_best_pizza.html)
"...in all, pizzas take 12 to 15 minutes to cook in the 650-degree oven."


If I bake a pizza, even with a high-hydration dough, it is done after 8 to 10 minutes at 550*...

[waltertore]

I grew up on star tavern pizza. It is a very atypical approach for a NJ pie:

women make the pies
they are rolled out and then stretched onto deep dish pans that have the sides cut off except for a small part of the sidewall that is for grabbing out of the oven.  
the pan is rubbed with olive oil and then put direct onto the oven stones.  After a few minutes the pan is removed and they are finished direct on the stones.  I was back there at thanksgiving (now live in columbus ohio area) and when I asked what temp they cook at they said 450.  The pie is done in well under 10 minutes.  Here are some videos that show some of the process.   I have tried to duplicate their recipe with the pan on the stone approach and it is real hard to not burn the bottom.  Star's crust in not at all burnt on the bottom so maybe the 450 is a legitimate temp?  They are scraping out the ovens all the time because they put the sauce and cheese right to the edge of the pies and it is constantly burning on the stones.  They will trim off the bad burned edges before serving them.  You can watch it all from where you order.  I just scored 2 blodget 1000 ovens for my special education high school class bakery.  We run a working bakery out of a commercial kitchen that teaches life skills.  We have been selling a few pizzas that were baked in a home oven with a stone.  Now with these blodgetts I am going to give the star recipe some thought and will study them closer next time I am there.  I believe they cook with 4 blodgett 1000 ovens.  Walter

<a href="http://youtu.be/3Cm_OiAr_ug" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://youtu.be/3Cm_OiAr_ug</a>

<a href="http://youtu.be/3Cm_OiAr_ug" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://youtu.be/3Cm_OiAr_ug</a>

[scott123]

Walter, I talked about this a little bit in your intro thread.  I think, if you want to master the Star Tavern recipe for yourself, that's a good goal, but, in an Ohioan high school setting, I think you're better off making something a little less niche.  Don't get me wrong, Star Tavern is a popular pizza and a crowd pleaser, but I think the appeal might be a little bit regional. I'm not recommending making something as watered down as a Domino's or a Papa John's clone, just something a little more regionally accessible, such as NY style.

[waltertore]

Hi Scott:  For about 30 years I have been making pies that are pretty close to what I grew up with in NJ/NYC in my home ovens and the ovens in my classrooms here in Ohio, and in Sonoma County Ca (where I taught before moving here 5 years ago).  Both places love them.  My star attempts were not at all acceptable to me but others really liked them.   What I like about the star concept is the rolling out of the dough. I hate to roll a dough (against my NJ religion) but Star reminds me the end product is all that matters.  My students can roll dough.  They can't toss.  I do that and they do the toppings. Luckily we don't have to turn a profit, pay rent, feed families, and all the other stuff that comes with running a business.  Our mission is to teach students entry level work/social/life skills so as to maximize their independence and quality of life as adults and to lessen societies financial burden with supporting this population of people.  Luckily our homemade dog biscuits baked goods and breads are big hits.  We use only the best ingredients ( our dog biscuits are made with KA whole wheat flour) and can sell them quite cheap because we have no overhead except the expense of ingredients.  We are self sufficient  and soon will be selling our baked goods in local markets, cafes, and grocery stores.  Our kitchen is brand new and state of the art.  By the start of school in August we will have our BOH and Dept of Ag bakery licenses.   We are going to stick to cheese and pepperoni pies.  That keeps us under the bakery license.  Once raw meats are used we need another license.  Anyway, it is exciting times and the ovens are going to be officially hooked up by a certified guy over the summer.  Thanks!  Walter

[buceriasdon]

Walter, I wish all the best.
Don

[waltertore]

thanks Don!   Here is a link to our kitchen, minus the blodgetts.  The pictures were taken before we got them.  They are now sitting where the 2 stoves are under the vent.  Walter

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/waltertore/my%20new%20classroom/

here are the blodgett 1000's with the control panels off for inspection before I bought them.  
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/waltertore/pizzaovensbeforerestoration.jpg