Thoroughly enjoyed Punch Pizza in Minneapolis. Those places were rockin' busy! Back to the grind this week for Pizza Thursday. I'll upload some photos when I have more time.
I have been using a RD "00" flour in my NY Style recipe for quite some time. Even though I'm using a countertop electric oven, I've found the dough opens easily and has good flavor and gluten development. With the addition of a little sugar, I get decent browning. Based on my research I decided this time to use a different flour, a Pillsbury High Gluten. I was hoping for more gluten development, and boy, did I find it. I'm using a 63% hydration percentage and using my small KitchenAid mixer and 1500g of flour with a live starter I had been maintaining at home for about 6 years, I do 4 batches and bulk ferment them overnight on the counter in a very large plastic container that I loosely cover with plastic wrap. Typically, the fermented dough barely reaches the top of the container. When I came in yesterday morning, the dough had burst from the container and onto the counter. I believe the higher gluten flour held more of the air from the yeast causing the flour to blow up like a balloon. I typically use very little of the starter, and didn't alter the recipe. The dough definitely had more elasticity, and I had good oven spring. Not sure if I'll continue with the HG flour, but it was fun to try something different. My customers could not discern a difference in taste or texture, so it wasn't a failure.
