Bottom or Top??

[Prefessa]

Guys:

From what I read...when proofing dough in the fridge, that the side of the dough ball that is exposed to air is supposed to be used for the crust side of the pizza and the bottom that was attached to the proofing tray is supposed to be the side that holds the toppings when you stretch out the skins...

Is this a real convention in the Pizza trade?? Or is this another Internet urban ledgend?

[AimlessRyan]

Sounds like you've been reading something I said.

Most people don't expose their dough to air until shaping. I, on the other hand, like to expose my NY style dough balls to air for at least half an hour before I knock down the dough. But I don't do this until the dough balls have been out of the fridge for at least an hour. While they're in the fridge, I never leave them exposed to air.

If you do it how I do it, the top side of the dough ball becomes the bottom of the pizza, specifically because the dried, crusty dough is very easy to slide off a peel, usually without even using flour. This also gives the bottom of the crust an interesting texture.

[AimlessRyan]

Is this a real convention in the Pizza trade?? Or is this another Internet urban ledgend?

I've seen this done in at least a few pizzerias in New York, and one of them was my favorite pizzeria. (Ray's of Greenwich Village, on 6th Av and 11th Street. They closed last year, but not because their pizza wasn't good. Google it.)

It most definitely is not an urban legend.

[TXCraig1]

Actually, it is the opposite (for Neapolitan anyway). The top of the ball is the top of the pie.

[scott123]

This is one area that I haven't watched that closely, so I can't comment on how NY pizzeria owners do it.  I get the feeling, like most things, that they probably don't care.

I do know, from my own experience, that the bottom of the dough is pitted/not that aesthetically pleasing, so if I use the top of the dough for my rim, I get a prettier rim.  This is also a strong impetus to ferment in trays rather than in containers, since it maximizes the smooth, top of the dough, surface area.

[TXCraig1]

This is one area that I haven't watched that closely, so I can't comment on how NY pizzeria owners do it.  I get the feeling, like most things, that they probably don't care.

I know this is how Roberto Caporuscio does it, and he does care.

[AimlessRyan]

And if I was unclear, I'm not trying to say my way is the way to do it. I'm just saying it's a way to do it.

[buceriasdon]

1 vote: Top of dough ball, top of pizza.

[scott123]

I know this is how Roberto Caporuscio does it, and he does care.

Technically, Roberto happens to own a pizzeria in NY, but he's not, imo, a 'NY pizzeria owner.'  He would be a Neapolitan pizzeria owner 

I get the feeling that most Neapolitan pizzeria owners probably care about what side of the dough ends where.

[TXCraig1]

Technically, Roberto happens to own a pizzeria in NY, but he's not, imo, a 'NY pizzeria owner.'  He would be a Neapolitan pizzeria owner 

I get the feeling that most Neapolitan pizzeria owners probably care about what side of the dough ends where.

Fair enough.