How to get a soft crumb?

[moose13]

I have made over 20 pizzas in the last 2 months and cannot get a soft airy crumb.
I like the bottom of the crust to be crunchy and am getting this but the edge and crumb are small and crunchy.
The taste is there, but is more like a well done breadstick. I am using a pizza stone with oven maxed out @ 500.
Am i not leaving enough dough at the edge? My last dough was cold fermented 2 days and had good air bubbles throughout.

Here is my dough

4.5 cups bread flour
1 tbsp salt
1 package ADY
1tsp sugar
1.75 water

Thanks for any suggestions!

[chickenparm]

How long are you baking?

[Jet_deck]

Do you think that more top heat would produce a better product? 

[patnx2]

Hi, I personally would not use as much salt or yeast. Maybe one and a half teaspoons of salt and one teaspoon (or less) of yeast for a two day cold ferment.  How do you mix and ball. This is information that others can comment on and offer ideas.That perfect pizza is a fun chase,so enjoy the ride. Patrick

[Jackie Tran]

Yes, the salt level sounds a bit high, so I would cut it back a bit as suggested by patnx2.

If you want a soft(er) crumb, try adding in 1-2 tsp of oil towards the end of your kneading process. 

Chau

[scott123]

Moose, I applaud your excitement and your love of all pizza styles, but I've read through some of your past posts and, honestly, you're all over the map. You're talking about a 'soft crumb' here, but I'm seeing you discuss 'Chicago Thin Crust' pizza recipes that aren't supposed to make pizza with a soft, airy crumb. I think there might be some confusion over the term 'Thin Crust.'  NY style pizza is characterized by a soft airy crumb with a thin crust.  Chicagoans, in their infinite wisdom, have attempted to abscond with the term 'Thin Crust' and apply it to their crisp/crackery (but not cracker style), longer baked, high oil, less airy crumbed pizza. On the East Coast, 'Thin crust pizza' is NY style pizza, but, in the midwest, 'Thin crust pizza' is Chicago thin crust pizza. Confused? Thank the good people of Chicago, who took a term already being used by millions of people to describe one thing, and used it to describe something entirely different

Anyway, if you want a thin crust pizza with a soft airy crumb, then you want NY style pizza. And the recipe you're using, is not NY style pizza.

Take a look at the NY style forum and the Lehman Recipe Sticky- and get a digital scale.  You'll never get consistent results measuring by volume.

[moose13]

Thanks for the replies.
Baking time varies as i only have a conventional oven with a max of 500. I would say 8-10 mins.
I was reading last night about adding a second stone above the pizza, i do have another stone so i will try this next time.
As well as less salt and yeast. Maybe i am confused or just new to this, but i don't remember ever trying for Chicago style.
I have only tried 3 different dough recipes, all being very similar. I will try the Lehman dough and see what i come up with.
Thanks!

[The Dough Doctor]

Moose;
Are you wanting to get a softer crumb? If so, the addition of oil or shortening/butter to the dough will give you that added characteristic. But I was also getting the impression that maybe the you wanted the cell structure (crumb) to be more open too? If this is the case, the you may need to add a little additional water the dough. You also brought up the question of do I have enough dough to get the desired crumb characteristic. Remember, you need dough to get an open crumb characteristic, so by all means don't be afraid to experiment using more dough to make your pizza skins.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

[moose13]

Thanks Tom,
Yes a softer more open cell structure.
I will try a bit more water and some oil.
I am off to the store with the wife today and will get a digital scale.
Thanks!

[chickenparm]

Shorter bake times might help you get a softer crust.If I cook a pie past 6 minutes,it begins to get crispier.By 8 minutes,its very crispy.Just something to try even if you are cooking at a bit lower temps than some others are.

[moose13]

I just answered some of my own questions.
I made two pizzas from the same batch of dough. The same recipe as in the first post.
The first i made as usual, pretty much the same results. Good crunchy small edge. No real "poof"
The second i left much more dough on the edge, at least an inch. (this now seems obvious, but never left that much)
I also cooked a few minutes less about 8 mins.
You can see from the pictures the second is much bigger softer and airier. Easily two or three times the crumb.
Now with your suggestions on less salt and yeast as well as a bit more water.  Next time i will experiment further.
Thanks for your suggestions!