18 Inch NY Street Style Pie/Slices

[chickenparm]

Hey Folks,

Many of you may have already seen these when I sent them to you in emails.I believe many of you are right,I should post my results here on the forum for others to see.

I was hoping to get the photo problems Ive been having,squared away first,but not yet,so hope you don't mind another link to click to see the pics.

I made these almost 2 weeks ago,using KABF.I also made 3 more pies exactly the same way that week,and they came out great and the same.I then had some cheese burning issues I posted about and that sort of put a halt on my experiments before I tried the Bouncer flour in the other thread.

Here is the recipe I used.

17 inch pizza dough.(stretched out for the 18 inch screen)

KABF,60% hydro.IDY

Flour (100%):    386.94 g  |  13.65 oz | 0.85 lbs
Water (60%):    232.17 g  |  8.19 oz | 0.51 lbs
IDY (0.3%):    1.16 g | 0.04 oz | 0 lbs | 0.39 tsp | 0.13 tbsp
Salt (2.0%):    7.74 g | 0.27 oz | 0.02 lbs | 1.61 tsp | 0.54 tbsp
Oil (2.0%):    7.74 g | 0.27 oz | 0.02 lbs | 1.72 tsp | 0.57 tbsp
Sugar (2.0%):    7.74 g | 0.27 oz | 0.02 lbs | 1.94 tsp | 0.65 tbsp
Total (166.3%):   643.49 g | 22.7 oz | 1.42 lbs | TF = 0.1


http://s1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff479/BillsPizza86/18%20inch%20NY%20Pizza/

I know many of you have already seen this,so I'm not expecting ya to post or reply here,unless you want to again.No biggie.Just wanted to show the work to others that haven't seen it yet.

Thanks for reading!!
 


EDIT***
I got a few loaded here now..the others are on the link.They are still too large for me to load here just yet,but finally got some of the pictures to post.

[chickenparm]

I wanted to add a little more.

I have a 15 inch stone.I'm not able to make larger pies than 16 inches with that,unless I use a round pizza pan first or something.While I was shopping around for a stone or steel plate that will allow me to make 18 inch pies,(the largest my oven will allow) I decided to try a screen first.It was cheap too,like 4 bucks or so.

I place the screen with pizza on top of the preheated oven/heated 15 inch stone and it still works very well.The crust is a little softer but still very good to eat.The stone sort of balances the large screen and keeps it steady on the metal rack.
 

[Pete-zza]

Bill,

I think you did a terrific job of capturing the look and feel of the NY street style. I especially liked the photos of the slices on paper plates, especially the photo showing the nine slices lined up on paper plates. They remind me of the photos I find on flickr and Google image search when I am researching the NY street style pizza.

Peter

[norma427]

Bill,

I agree, those pictures really do look like NY street style slices.

Great job! 

Norma

[chickenparm]

Thanks for your nice words Peter!

They turned out better than I expected and the family is asking me to make more all the time.

My old oven I cook with,the whirlpool super capacity 465,is still working very well.Its about 13 years old give or take.I need to replace it,but at the same time,I'm almost afraid to.

Its cosmetically ugly and wearing out,but still has plenty of room and still gets hot enough for my pizzas.I just bought us a new Maytag H/E washer and Dryer set,and now a new fridge and oven is next!It happens in 3's doesnt it?
 

That is more $$ spent and me  

I guess my wife is kinda wondering why I wont just go pick out a new oven with her yet...I tell her I'm comfortable with my pizzas from that oven,and she looks at me like,"Is that all that matters to you?" I'm like, "Yeah,why do you even ask?"
 
Sorry,went off the topic some.Thought it was funny to share it.
 

[chickenparm]

Thank you Norma! I look forward to your new pies as always!
 

[TXCraig1]

Bill,

Very cool. I agree with Pete, you have really hit the nail on the head with that effort.

Thank you for posting.

CL

[PizzaHog]

CP, your slices take me back to a NY pizza tour I took a few years ago. 

I tell her I'm comfortable with my pizzas from that oven,and she looks at me like,"Is that all that matters to you?" I'm like, "Yeah,why do you even ask?"

LOL.  My oven's 16 years old and I feel the same.  Don't look forward to the learning curve when it finally bites the dust.

[hammettjr]

Outstanding Bill! Picture perfect!

[Jackie Tran]

Great job Bill!  Your slices look outstanding!

Chau

[chickenparm]

Thanks TX,Hog,Matt and Chau and to all of you good folks for the nice words and encouragement to try harder,AND also get some pics posted as well.
 

Its hard to build a better mousetrap sometimes...I still have a lot to do and learn from all of you.

Thanks for all the support.
 
-Bill

[scott123]

I need to replace it,but at the same time,I'm almost afraid to.

I'm working with a 27 year old oven and, although the burners keep shorting out and require replacement almost 3 times a year, I have no intentions of purchasing something new.  Every new oven that I've had the 'pleasure' of using has been a disappointment.  I've used $2000 ovens that were stunningly beautiful and that had features up the wazoo, but when it comes to peak temp, the reading would say 550, but it never felt like 550 to me, plus, the time it takes to reach 550, forgetaboutit.  It seems to me that they make ovens these days for people that want something pretty and with lots of bells and whistles, but not something that they'd actually use to bake much. Everything's energy saving and thoroughly emasculated.

Maybe there's a brand out there with some cajones that isn't an arm and a leg, but I'm hoping that I can squeeze at least 10 years out of my GE before I have to go looking.

The one thing that I really miss is convection.  I'll gladly forgo convection, though, for an oven with watts.

[chickenparm]

Scott,
I agree with your post.This oven I have heats up very fast and gets over 620 degrees on its own,just using the bottom burner.I don't use the broiler burner on the ceiling because I just never had the need to.

It does not have a cleaning cycle,but it does have a small exhaust relief in the back,that lets heat out through a burner on the back.I have not blocked this off,But I believe I can get the stove hotter if I do so.

I'm not out to make hotter pies yet,but the stove has been very reliable.Its has never needed any repairs and cranks out the heat quickly.So far my pies have cooked nicely in there.Even the bad ones.

Does you,or anyone know,if I blocked off half the oven,say the middle rack with foil,would it allow the bottom to get hotter where I bake on top the stone?Its a large oven inside and I feel like theres alot of wasted heat lost at times that can be used a bit better.

Thanks.
 

[scott123]

Bill, on longer bakes one can forgo the broiler and use the heat radiating off the oven ceiling walls to brown the top of the pizza, but as you increase the heat from below and have direct contact with a conductive stone, you need to use the broiler or the bottom will brown too fast.

You can isolate the bottom of the oven with foil, but... as I said, getting the right top/bottom heat ratio is very difficult on faster bakes without the broiler in effect. Now, if someone doesn't have a broiler, then they have no choice but to have to play around with isolation, false ceilings and less conductive hearths, but since you've got a broiler, I'd go the far simpler route and just use it (when you've got the right stone).

The other aspect of a foil ceiling is that, in my experience, foil tends to bounce radiation in very harsh uneven ways.  Instead of covering the entire shelf with foil, one might consider using quarry tiles and then filling in the gaps with foil. But, like I said, that's more for the broiler-less folks.

[chickenparm]

Good info for me to think about Scott.So far the heat and methods I use are fine for my NY style pies.Would like to see what else I can do with it sometime down the road.
 

[scott123]

Sounds good, Bill.

Also, I just took a look at your undercrust and it appears that your stone is actually insulating part of the crust and shielding it from the heat.  Since you seem to have a nice hot bottom burner and a shelf that's relatively close to said burner, you might try it without the stone and just the screen.

The most important aspect, as I'm sure you're aware is that the pizza goes in when the bottom burner is red hot AND the the burner stays on for the whole time. This means pre-heating the oven to a lower temp and then cranking it right before the pizza goes in.

I spent a lot of time using this technique with aluminum baking sheets, and, although I couldn't break the 8 minute bake barrier, I think you're element pumps out more heat than mine. I'm also guessing that the open holes in the screen allow more radiating heat to the contact the undercrust than may solid aluminum pan.

[parallei]

I've never been to NY City, but those sure look like the photo's I've seen.....looking god Bill

[chickenparm]

Thank You Parallei.
 

Scott,
I think the crust will maybe burn if I remove the stone.That said,the stone keeps the screen steady,since the oven rack is higher and lower on opposing ends,and the large screen will tilt without it.A cut off tool can fix this,and I might try that soon.Cut the rack so its even on both ends.

I was going to try a pie without the stone,but I ran into the cheese burning last week or so and did not get around to it.Then I took a "break".
 

I will for sure,try an experiment anyway.I did have a pie I made,I cooked it longer,never took pics,and the outer rim where the stone did not shield the screen,was almost BLACK.Thats what made me decide the screen alone might either need to be moved higher or temps lower without a stone under it.I really wont know til I try.

In the early 90's in NY,I had a Favorite pizza shop I would visit like 3 times a week.Not just for pizza but for subs or Wedges,chicken/pepperoni rolls,calzones or etc.One day I noticed my friend/owner/and Pizzaiola, Lou,was using screens on his pies going into the deck oven.He never did that before.

He had deck ovens and always had fantastic pies.His new pies were a little softer,easier to fold,and not as charred on the bottom.I asked him whassup with the screens,and he said that a lot of folks were complaining the past year,the crust bottom was too cooked,too well done.They had never complained before.

Thats how they came out for years.Never burnt,but perfect is the way I would describe it.I still thought it tasted good with the screens,but his style of pies I was used to was gone.Of course he would cook me any pie without a screen,I just had to ask.

I found out all these new places that were opening up,some were chains,were using screens,conveyor ovens,and I guess the majority of customers seemed to like the sweeter,softer crusts that were coming out of there,and he tried to adjust to that market some.He was,after all,a businessman and trying to keep his customers happy and coming back.

Thats at least what I gathered from him he was trying to do.My own experiments confirm it somewhat with the screens.I do prefer,a NY style crust cooked straight on the stone over a screen in the long run.
Yet for now,this allows me to make those monstrous pies.
 

[jever4321]

Mmmmmmmmmmmm pizza. Great pictures Bill. This is your best looking pie IMO. Well done!

[chickenparm]

Thanks for the nice words Jay! I have alot more pics from other pies,may post them someday,now that I got the picture sizing problem I had fixed.