The Entire Pizza Making Process I use at the Garage

[Everlast]

Thanks for the compliment and thanks for the input too. The dough was nicely extensible but probably could have used more warm up time. I think I'll try a full 4 hours tomorrow for warm up adjusting the time if needed.

[Don K]

Everlast, those pies look great! At first glace, I thought they were Craig's (that's a complement).

[Everlast]

Colonel_Klink, that is quite a compliment - thank you! I can't wait until my next pizza bake tomorrow. Now that I'm getting better at the dough thanks to Craig, I'm thinking about other things like really unorthodox toppings. One thought I have for tomorrow: brown butter base, ricotta cheese, topped with spinach and fresh sage. But I guess that's a topic for another post.

[Serpentelli]

Craig,

I'm working with a new bag of flour and a higher than usual fermentation temp (68-70F)

The dough is 63 / 3 / 1.5 (camaldoli)

Bulk was 24 and now I'm at 9 hours balled. Are these "ready" IYO?

Thanks,

John K

PS I am freezing these for use at a later date when I'll be cooking about 40-50 pizzas so I can't make all the dough at once. 

[TXCraig1]

From what I see, I'd say not quite. How big were the dough balls (g). Can you post a side shot too - and maybe another bottom shot.

[Serpentelli]

From what I see, I'd say not quite. How big were the dough balls (g). Can you post a side shot too - and maybe another bottom shot.

275-290 g each

The "stacks" of containers are starting to "lean" due to gas production/volume expansion within. None have popped open.

Thanks,

John K

[TXCraig1]

I let mine ferment more than that. for a 275g ball, I'd say my whole ball is at least as high as the highest point in your profile shot above. It's interesting, when mine is about where yours looks, my bubbles are smaller. It's about at that point where they really start getting bigger. When mine are ready, the bubbles are about the size and shape as you see in the bottom shot, but there are more of them and they go all the way to the edge. Similar to yours, they don't look as big on the profile shot as they do on the bottom.

I'd pop the tops. I usually don't close them all the way. I don't want the pressure build up holding the down down. I don't know if it makes a difference, but it might.

[Serpentelli]

I let mine ferment more than that. for a 275g ball, I'd say my whole ball is at least as high as the highest point in your profile shot above. It's interesting, when mine is about where yours looks, my bubbles are smaller. It's about at that point where they really start getting bigger. When mine are ready, the bubbles are about the size and shape as you see in the bottom shot, but there are more of them and they go all the way to the edge. Similar to yours, they don't look as big on the profile shot as they do on the bottom.

I'd pop the tops. I usually don't close them all the way. I don't want the pressure build up holding the down down. I don't know if it makes a difference, but it might.

Craig,

Concise and invaluable advice, once again. My hope is that by asking the question here as opposed to via PM is that others can learn right along with me!

My bubbles being larger due to the higher temp, you think?

Thank you again!

John K

[TXCraig1]

My bubbles being larger due to the higher temp, you think?

That would be my guess. The different culture might also play a role.

CL

[Serpentelli]

Craig,

Thanks again for your help. After 24 hour bulk and 14 hour ball, and your advice, I deemed them ready or the deep freeze.

I freeze them in their containers and then pop em out the next day.

They go into vacuum seal bags ( 4 per bag separated by parchment paper) until ready for use.

Day of use I pop em back into the containers and thaw.  No additional fermenting. Has worked pretty well in situations where I'm too busy during the week.

Again, many thanks.

John K

[TXCraig1]

More on opening and forming the skin:

The dough ball goes into the flour top down. Flip it and take it out of the flour. The top is now up on the work surface. Look at the underside of your hand - your fingers have three segments. With your fingers extended as far out and up as possible - so that your fingers have an upward bend, press your fingers into the dough so that the middle segment of your middle finger is the first contact point. With a tiny bit of rocking motion, roll your hand back towards you just a little pressing the dough slightly towards you. Your fingertips should never touch the dough. Using as light a pressure as possible, start inside of the cornice by about ½” – ¾” and work from top to bottom as described above protecting and forming the cornice at the top and the bottom. The pressure is not much more than the weight of your hands. Flip the dough and turn 90 degrees as you set it down. What was the left and right sides are now the top and bottom. Repeat the process. You should now have a cornice all the way around. Protect the cornice. Flip the dough again so that the top is back facing up. Use your fingers the same way to spread the dough a little more. It's OK to gently tug on the edges to stretch and round out the skin. If needed, place the skin over your knuckles and turn it 360 degrees pulling slightly apart with your hands as you go around but mostly let gravity work. If you do this, be careful as you can quickly thin out the enter with a supple dough. When you finish be sure you end up with the top of the dough facing up.

Remember that sliding the dough onto the peel and/or stretching the edge on the peel will also increase the diameter, so you don't need to open the skin to the full final diameter. Stretching to the final diameter on the peel has two additional benefits, 1) it does not thin out the center of the dough, and 2) you get to fix the shape so it goes in to the oven round - or oval as needed - the steep launch angle of a short peel into a home oven tends to deliver a round pie onto the stone round. The shallow angle of a long handle launching  pie deep into a WFO will elongate the pie along the axis of the direction the peel is pulled out from under it. In this case, a slightly oval pie with the long axis perpendicular to the handle of the peel will result in a round pie on the floor.