New Pizzas

[forzaroma]

Made some pies using the Varasano method. I posted this in the Neapolitan section because I feel my pies are neo style because I don't use sugar or oil and tried to use the cleaning cycle to cook at high temps so if you guys think I should move it I will.

Anyway I used 63% hydration made 5 pies 100% 00 Caputo and think I made some scaling error while measuring the flour so these were higher than the 63% they were meant for. I also made another 2 exact same method but using bread flour. The total formula:
 Filtered Water                                                     65.50%                    
King Arthur Bread flour, or Caputo Pizzeria flour         100.00%                  
Kosher or Sea Salt                                                3.50%                      
Sourdough yeast culture (as a battery poolish)         9.00%                      
Instant Dry yeast - Optional                                   0.25%              

[dellavecchia]

You pizzas look great! Is the crumb shot caputo or bread flour?

I have recently wondered about the Varasano method in regards to cold fermentation, salt levels, and "windowpaning". The process goes against some convention, but the recipe seems to work well enough to open a restaurant on. You might get more oven spring if you lower the salt to 2.5% or so. And if you do a room temp ferment with 9% starter, you may well get 18 hours out of it for some excellent flavor without the cold ferment. Varasano's sourdough, which is Patsy's I believe, may well stand up to 3.5% salt, but my starters would balk (as well as my taste buds!). And if you are developing the dough to "windowpane" as he suggests on his site, you may be over developing the dough. Just my take - like I said, he has taken the leap to serving the public with his recipe with very favorable results.

John

[forzaroma]

I thought the salt was high as well. The crumb is from the 00. My dough didnt windowpane as he said it would and I followed his mixing technique exactly as he said. This was all cold ferment besides the 2 hours before baking. I was wondering why he opened a place and didnt use a WFO anyone know the reason?

[scott123]

I have recently wondered about the Varasano method in regards to cold fermentation, salt levels, and "windowpaning".

I think it's important to recognize that Jeff hasn't updated his website recipe since '07.  I have no doubt that he does things a bit differently on the professional level.  For instance, his 'all flours are great' philosophy- I'm sure he's backed off on that. If his supplier arrives one day and says, "hey, we're out of Harvest King, I'm sure you wouldn't mind some Gold Medal All Purpose," he'd scream bloody murder.

Windowpaning cold fermented dough is, imo, the kiss of death for great crusts. I kind of doubt that he's doing that now, but, if he is, the damage might be mitigated by the acid in the sourdough and a lower protein flour.  It's also, within the general scheme of things, not that important.  His bake time is really the most critical aspect of his enterprise and he's gone through tremendous lengths to make sure he hits that mark.  A proper bake time will overshadow a lot of dough management ills.

[jeffereynelson]

Hey nice pizzas! I also agree with Scott about quick bake times overshadowing many of the flaws in dough recipes. I've personally noticed this in my pizzas.

My questions for you are, what were your rise times? How long was the cook time? And on what rack did you cook the pizza?

Jeff

[forzaroma]

Hey nice pizzas! I also agree with Scott about quick bake times overshadowing many of the flaws in dough recipes. I've personally noticed this in my pizzas.

My questions for you are, what were your rise times? How long was the cook time? And on what rack did you cook the pizza?

Jeff

My rising times were for the doughs made with 00 I made those Thursday night around 9pm and didn't bake them till sat at 5pm. I took them out at around 3pm and gave them a 2 hour warm rise. I used the cleaning cycle on first pie and like I said bottom charred to much and I had the oven rack second from closest to the broiler which goes on and off during oven clean cycle. I def need to keep foil on stone Right up until I bake the pies.

[jeffereynelson]

Did you make sure and put the pizza in so the top element was on the entire time the pizza was in? Also maybe put the pizza on the highest rack possible with enough room. I find with mine doing those two things, even though the stones are extremely hot, the top can be done in time. Also what was your bake time on the clean cycle?

Jeff

[forzaroma]

Jeff when my oven is on the cleaning cycle its unknown when the top element will come on it just alternates top heat and bottom heat. I hada cooking time of about 2 mins but bottom burned so I had to take it out right away coulnt get more color on the top.

[jeffereynelson]

I don't know when mine is going to come on and off either, but the cycles are pretty short, so I just wait for it and look, when it is on I pop it in. I think if you try it again, close to the top, you will see top and bottom even around 95 seconds.

Jeff

[forzaroma]

Ah ok I just didnt want to take chances ruining all my doughs I had a lot of people to feed so I gt scared never using this method before. I will try it again for sure .