Author Topic: Finally some new photos (Read 4671 times)

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 21, 2012, 10:18:20 AM »

Quote from: RobynB 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?

I use crimini too. I slice some pretty thin (but not paper thin) and some a little thicker. That give you both a savory cooked flavor and also that fresher "meaty" flavor of the less cooked. I don't do anything to them before putting them on the pie, but I do put finely shredded parmigiano-reggiano on top of them. This is probably the color/cooked appearance difference you see as it browns up nicely up on top of them. My pies are topped in this order - crust + torn fresh mozz (about the size of a large marble) + mushrooms + parm + white truffle oil after the bake. The pie would suffer dramatically if any element was left out.

CL

pizza dr · « **Reply #21 on:** March 21, 2012, 10:42:13 AM »

yeah I think that the parm is the key that I was leaving out as I was having same issues as Robyn as far as the shrooms go. I went back to sautéing them in a little EVOO and garlic. I'm gonna give that a shot on Friday!

Scot

RobynB · « **Reply #22 on:** March 21, 2012, 03:39:36 PM »

I just went back and looked at the Garage thread again, at the mushroom pizzas. I think yours LOOK so much prettier, but maybe aren't actually cooked more than mine, and you're right, the parm is the brown I'm seeing. I do note that you use less cheese and less mushrooms on yours, so the drier base probably helps the mushrooms not seem so wet. I'm not usually a fan of truffle oil, but might try some other spiced/flavored oil. Thanks!

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #23 on:** March 21, 2012, 06:26:44 PM »

RobynB

Great looking pies! I've seen some of your's on SLICE/MPM and thought the name and look was familair. More, more!

thezaman · « **Reply #24 on:** March 22, 2012, 07:03:57 PM »

robynB, the mushroom look appealing on your pizza but a two minute bake might not cook them thru. a lot of wood pizzerias bake the mushrooms in a little oil,fresh thyme and garlic.this gives them a head start with such a short cook time.

The Gizz · « **Reply #25 on:** March 22, 2012, 08:37:56 PM »

Robyn,
Those pies look absolutely delicious...... I'm hungry now

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #26 on:** March 22, 2012, 09:40:38 PM »

Quote from: thezaman on March 22, 2012, 07:03:57 PM

robynB, the mushroom look appealing on your pizza but a two minute bake might not cook them thru. a lot of wood pizzerias bake the mushrooms in a little oil,fresh thyme and garlic.this gives them a head start with such a short cook time.

Larry, IMO, they are perfectly cooked in 60 seconds for the mozz, mushroom, parm, and white truffle pie. With other toppings, maybe pre-cook them.

CL

RobynB · « **Reply #27 on:** March 31, 2012, 01:24:45 AM »

Tonight it was just the two of us, so I made 3. Had to revisit the lemon & asparagus white pizza, and it was the clear winner again tonight. Gorgeous and delicious, and the crust was ridiculously good. Followed that by an eggplant parmesan inspired pizza: floured thin slices of eggplant and baked until dry and crispy (coated with lots of olive oil) on red sauce with aged mozz and dollops of ricotta. Finished with basil, EVOO and too much salt. Heavy and busy, but the eggplant tasted good. That one needs tweaking. Finished with an artichoke & lemon white pizza: first I rubbed prepped artichoke halves with a paste of fresh parsley, lemon zest and juice, salt & pepper. Placed them in a baking dish, topped with wine and more olive oil, and baked covered until all liquid was gone and artichokes are cooked and bronzed. Used those on the pizza with aged mozz, ricotta, slices of lemon and the usual salt and EVOO drizzle. Good but not as good as the asparagus by a long shot - the artichokes were better on their own than on the pizza, and the rest of the pizza was better without them. The artichokes just never melded with the rest of the ingredients...

PizzaVera · « **Reply #28 on:** March 31, 2012, 01:44:37 AM »

awesome looking pizzas Robyn, well done!

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #29 on:** March 31, 2012, 01:50:59 AM »

Yes, you are baking some of the most beautiful pies on the forum. More awesome photography too.

Is that two types of cheese on the white pies? Blanching the asparagus first? How do you like the baked lemons with the rind?

I've had the exact same feelings about my artichoke pies.

Craig

The Gizz · « **Reply #30 on:** March 31, 2012, 01:53:29 AM »

Beautiful! Just Beautiful! I must try that lemon & asparagus white pizza.

Tee

RobynB · « **Reply #31 on:** March 31, 2012, 02:03:21 AM »

White pies were aged mozzarella and fresh whole-milk ricotta. Asparagus was raw, but since the spears were thick this time, I did carefully slice them in half lengthwise and then placed them. That helped them stay in place, too. I love the lemon slices - these were Meyer lemons off our tree, sliced very thin, and they are just perfect on the pizzas. I don't know how I'd like a thick-skinned, more sour lemon, but the Meyers are wonderful.

Thanks to all for the compliments!!

dellavecchia · « **Reply #32 on:** March 31, 2012, 09:31:43 AM »

I think these are the most delicately beautiful pies I seen posted on the forum. Robyn, you have a masters touch with neapolitan pizza. Bravo to you!

I also love that you have odd-numbered items of ingredients - 5 and 7 for the lemons this time.

John

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #33 on:** March 31, 2012, 10:10:07 AM »

Very nice work Robyn. Did you change up your dough formulation or method? What was different about this time that made the crust so good? Texture? Flavor? Can you give us an idea of what you are doing with your dough?

RobynB · « **Reply #34 on:** March 31, 2012, 11:37:16 AM »

I'm pretty boring. I've experimented a lot with adding small amount (~2-3%) of buckwheat, or rye, or whole wheat, because with bread I'm a whole-grain baker all the way, but it's really different with Neapolitan pizza. I find I prefer 100% 00. I'm doing Caputo 00, usually 58-62% HD, salt @ 2.6% and small amount of IDY, mixed up in the Bosch compact mixer for a few minutes then it sits about 1 hour, then I ball it into one big smooth ball and bulk ferment at cool room temp (60-65 F) overnight. Sometime the next morning depending on the development of the rise, I divide and ball into the Madan Plastics Artisan trays. Sitting out all day was over-proofing the balls, so I've started putting the trays into the frige after balling and taking them out a few hours before cooking but I always seem to either take them out too soon or not soon enough, and I have a window when they're great somewhere in the cooking period... I'm getting better at that, but it's still an issue when I have more people over.

Last night was 58% HD which I prefer to last time's 62% (remember I am at sea level, literally, both altitude and humidity-wise; I'm 13 miles from the ocean). I only mixed 3 minutes in the Bosch Compact, which really is more of a mix than a knead when it's that short a time. My batches are usually a hair over 1600 grams total. Last night I made 400g balls, first time I've done that big. I took them out of the 'frige late, so they were a touch under-proofed but it was warm in the house so that helped. I do want to experiment more with other doughs but I'm really happy with this formula and enjoy the consistency. Flavor is good - more salt than some use but I don't use salt in my sauce so I think the aggressive salt in the dough works. I feel that they are pretty tender, and they stay relatively tender when cold. My office loves to eat leftovers cold, which tells me a lot

I don't think they are as tender and naan-like as some people using natural starters, but I'm okay with that for now. The crust is airy and puffy enough for me, and I love the taste.

JConk007 · « **Reply #35 on:** March 31, 2012, 12:42:18 PM »

Bravo Robyn ! yes crust looks spot on!
silly question do you eat the whole lemon like that ?

Ev · « **Reply #36 on:** March 31, 2012, 01:05:58 PM »

Really, beautiful pies there, Robyn.

thezaman · « **Reply #37 on:** March 31, 2012, 05:41:24 PM »

robyn, beautiful pizzas! what was your sauce recipe for the eggplant parm pizza,looks delicious.

RobynB · « **Reply #38 on:** March 31, 2012, 06:55:38 PM »

Larry, it looked better than it tasted

I decided not to make my usual sauce since it was just a small bake, so I used a can of domestically grown San Marzanos that someone gave me, just roughly pureed with a little cayenne and oregano. It looked nice but the can had salt added, and it was too salty for my tastes, and not fresh or sweet enough.

John, yes, you eat the lemon. Remember these are Meyer lemons which are milder and sweeter than regular ones, and I slice very thin, almost paper thin. They are delicious, trust me.

RobynB · « **Reply #39 on:** April 01, 2012, 11:53:16 PM »

Yes, I do make pizzas with meat occasionally

A couple photos from tonight - I made 11 pies but only got a few photos since we had guests. The first sausage & pesto came out beautiful, and the other photos was an experimental pizza: roasted poblano chiles, precooked yukon gold potatoes sliced thinly, and red onion with aged white cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and EVOO. I liked it, especially with Tabasco sprinkled on after slicing. Wasn't a huge hit with guests, they were wary of it