Author Topic: Finally some new photos (Read 4588 times)

RobynB · « **on:** March 13, 2012, 12:19:51 AM »

I haven't posted any updates in a while, waiting to get a new camera and figure out how to use it. Still learning, but... here's some pizzas from last night. I'm really happy with where I am now with my basic formula and workflow. Soon I will start experimenting with variables like starter, but I wanted to have this dialed in first. My go-to formula currently is 100% Caputo, 58-62% HD (these were 59%), 2.6% salt, and IDY. Mixed for ~4 minutes in Bosch Compact Mixer, gathered into rough ball and sits for 30-60 minutes, then into a smooth ball and bulk ferment at room temp 8-14 hours depending on temp of room. Then balled and either kept at room temp if it's cool, or into 'frige for a few hours then out until cooking.

There were only 3 of us last night so only made a few pizzas. These are margherita, then a white pie that was fresh ricotta, Parmesan Reggiano, and some aged mozz topped with fresh asparagus and paper-thin slices of Meyer lemon and a little more mozz. That was my favorite pie of the night, marred only by the bad decision to take my perfectly done pizza and briefly dome it on the way out which put brown bubbles on the mozz. Dang it. Then a somewhat heavy pizza of red sauce, pistachio pesto, mozz/parm, roasted eggplant slices and red onion. Last a white pesto pie with cheeses and red onion - I liked the ricotta under the pesto but others did not.

RobynB · « **Reply #1 on:** March 13, 2012, 12:22:22 AM »

Then I tried Craig's dumplings, but hubby threw some wood on right before I was ready to launch these and the over turned into a furnace! and they got slightly torched. Fun, though! These were stuffed with aged mozz and Parmesan Reggiano rolled in a big basil leaf. A little dry, next time I will use a more moist filling.

jever4321 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 13, 2012, 02:18:41 AM »

Great pictures! All your offerings look absolutely delicious!

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #3 on:** March 13, 2012, 02:27:20 AM »

Good looking pies and dumplings. Fantastic photography as well. What cheese is that? I like the way it melts.

Pizza Napoletana · « **Reply #4 on:** March 13, 2012, 06:17:03 AM »

Quote from: RobynB on March 13, 2012, 12:19:51 AM

Here's some pizzas from last night. . . .

Dear Robyn, thank you for the nice pizzas and photography. I assume you baked all the pizzas inside your kitchen with the mouth of your WFO sticking through the kitchen wall. That must be convenient! Good day.

RobynB · « **Reply #5 on:** March 13, 2012, 11:16:35 AM »

Chau: Which cheese? The cheese on the margherita is Galbani fresh mozz, which sucks but is all the local store carries. Gets rubbery and has minimal flavor, can you tell I'm not a fan? The other pizzas have Precious whole-milk dry mozzarella. Galbani and Precious are made by the same company, but Precious is good basic dry mozz.

Kostakis1985 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 13, 2012, 12:44:36 PM »

WOW those pizzas look fantastic I really like the way the crust looks on the picture third one down with the red onion! How did you get it so pretty looking?

RobynB · « **Reply #7 on:** March 13, 2012, 01:34:21 PM »

Got sloppy with sauce and smeared some accidentally on the rim

I think that's what you're seeing.

pizza dr · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2012, 01:48:13 PM »

Awesome!!

Can you describe how you did those dumplings... must have missed Craigs. Thanks

Scot

RobynB · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2012, 03:00:05 PM »

Craig's are WAY better than mine: http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,17511.0.html

Kostakis1985 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 13, 2012, 03:02:37 PM »

Quote from: RobynB on March 13, 2012, 01:34:21 PM

Got sloppy with sauce and smeared some accidentally on the rim I think that's what you're seeing.

Theres beauty in imperfection, thats why that pizza looks absolutely stunning

tinroofrusted · « **Reply #11 on:** March 20, 2012, 08:49:43 PM »

Hi Robyn,

I've been following your progress on the oven and photography. Those pizzas are beautiful, and so are the photos. You got that nice "bokeh" effect. Must be a good lens.

Regards,

TinRoof

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 20, 2012, 09:25:36 PM »

Robyn, how did I miss this thread? I guess I was on vacation when you posted it. AWESOME pies! That asparagus and lemon white pie is on my list of best looking pies EVER! I saw it on Slice and was going to ask you why you didn't post it here? But I see I just missed it. I'm drawn back to look at it over and over. It is so beautiful. I know you were a little dissapointed by the browning on the cheese, but I think it adds a ton of depth, contrast, and character.

Glad to see you tried the dumplings. They look great too!

Is the sauce on your Margherita cooked before it goes on the pie?

Your photography is awesome too. 50mm f/1.8 lens? Is there a lamp making the circle of light over the pies?

CL

RobynB · « **Reply #13 on:** March 20, 2012, 10:36:16 PM »

Hi Craig,

Thanks for the kind words. I have to say, that pizza is haunting me a little too. It was truly good.

Yes to the lens and the "lamp" is a flashlight, but it worked

I'm still figuring out that lens, just got it the day before that was taken. I was trying different apertures and not getting quite what I wanted, but I'm still happy.

The sauce is not cooked, it's my usual: half Stanislaus Super-Dolce and half Strianese passata, with a little freeze-dried oregano (which I know isn't traditional but I like it) and a little cayenne (ditto). I don't put any salt in my sauce since I sprinkle all the pizzas with finishing salt, and we don't eat much salt normally.

This weekend it was just my husband and I but I wanted to cook, so we did a sampling of nontraditional pies: no red sauce, just some vegetable combos and he topped a couple with prosciutto afterwards. Nothing was quite like that asparagus and lemon... I only took a few photos, camera on full auto. Here are basil pureed with olive oil, topped with dry mozz, cherry tomatoes, and red onion; then asparagus, red onion and mushrooms over mozz & parm (boring) and then my favorite of that night, precooked then thinly sliced yukon golds over Irish cheddar cheese topped with kale marinated in EVOO and lots of salt and pepper. We also made a rosa and the cherry tomato one with added Kalamata olives. Your mushroom pizzas always look so good - mine always disappoint me. I'm not sure what you're doing that I'm not?

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 20, 2012, 10:54:41 PM »

You are making some of the best pies I've seen anywhere, IMHO. Seriously, that's top 1% stuff there. I bet you are ecstatic with your FGM.

And, with the possible exception of Bill, you're taking the best pictures too. I'm going to have to put a little more effort into my photo game to ~~keep~~ catch up!

CL

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 20, 2012, 10:55:20 PM »

What are you doing on your mushroom pie, and what about it is disappointing you?

JConk007 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 21, 2012, 12:04:59 AM »

WOW Robyn !! Cudos
I was abou to bug you again for some progress shots. But appears you went 0 to 60 in a few months!
I agree with all the comments posted as well. I LOVE the lemon Pie as well. I am Glad you went with that oven! sure seems to be working out well, and cooking like a dream! Please keep the posts coming !
JOhn

Jet_deck · « **Reply #17 on:** March 21, 2012, 12:23:33 AM »

RobynB, I am guessing that you are super happy with the FGM oven. I have begun looking at them and they seem reasonably priced. Do you have any "Do Over" suggestions?

I agree w/ Craig that they look (and I am sure tasted) in the stellar range. Kudos for the top notch pictures. Any possibilities for a bed, bath and oven ?

Don't even temp us.

RobynB · « **Reply #18 on:** March 21, 2012, 12:43:47 AM »

Wow, thanks all! Craig, your photos and Bill/SNF's and a few others are what made me save up for the camera. Honestly, I don't have a clue what I'm doing, I'm just figuring it out. Just like the pizzas

The oven is great. If anyone hasn't seen the finished photos of it, they're at the end of the build thread now. Hubby did a gorgeous job finishing the outside (as he did on everything else) and it looks wonderful.

Jet-Deck: We went with the 95cm oven, and would not go with the smaller one for sure. This one is a nice size; bigger is probably better but I'm very happy with the 95cm. If you read the build thread, you know that we upgraded the floor and that was the right solution, no question. I love the floor we had laid, it is a huge improvement over the one that came with it and was not a big expense. We added extra insulation under and around it and I think that might be an improvement - I know this thing holds heat for days. The insulated door that it comes with (that goes inside the cast iron hinged one) needs a better handle - it comes with a slot in it and a metal removable bar that you insert into it and then use to lever it out, total PITA and dangerous because the door is HEAVY and gets HOT. That is the next thing we need to improve on. When we did our research, the closest competitors that we compared it to were FB's Artigano and the Cirigliano Forni from Euro Solutions. Both were more expensive than the deal we got locally on the FGM. I really wanted the Cirigliano, but I have since cooked in one and I'm not sure it's any better than the FGM, at least for home use. Honestly, I love love love the oven. Feel free to contact me with any specific questions!

RobynB · « **Reply #19 on:** March 21, 2012, 12:50:12 AM »

Craig: re: mushroom pizzas - I don't know what it is. I know you don't precook yours, you slice really thin, and you're cooking a little faster than I usually do, I think. Yet yours look cooked and mine are just limp and sweaty and boring. Blah. Just something I want to pick off and leave. I've had mushroom pizza at one local NY style place here where they slice paper thin but put a ton on, and they cook and taste good, but they're also cooking at probably 650-700 for 8-10 or more. I'm slicing mine thin but not paper thin, I guess I need to try that...? I'm using crimini. Do you toss yours in olive oil first, or salt them, or anything?