Norma,
I can't categorically say that dicepackage's data was wrong. For example, maybe Buddy's partially bakes the pizzas intended to be sold by the slice and then reheats the slices upon order. You can even see in Reply 127 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,3783.msg81715.html#msg81715 that Buddy's has a special container or miniaturized "box" for its slices. Also, as I previously noted at Reply 126 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,3783.msg81436.html#msg81436, Buddy's sells partially baked pizzas for its customers to use at home and they have special instructions for their customers to follow: http://www.buddyspizza.com/documents/HALF-BAKEDinstructions.pdf. So, they know a lot about partially baking pizzas.
As for the Carando pepperoni, to get a greater flavor impact you might try putting the slices on top of the cheese rather than under it, as Buddy's does for its Specialty pizza called the Detroiter (which also has some Parmesan shavings). A while back, I compared the Buddy's Nutrition information for slices of its cheese and pepperoni pizza and its Detroiter pizza and it appears that the same number of pepperoni slices may be used for a Detroiter pizza as for a cheese and pepperoni pizza of the same size. Also, I don't recall that you ever put the Vermont pepperoni slices under the cheese of one of your pizzas so your memory may be that the Vermont pepperoni was more flavorful than your Carando pepperoni slices bake under the cheese.
With respect to the brick cheese, maybe you can get a sample of the Foremost Dairy brick cheese for your future tests and maybe ultimately for use at market. And, if you can get a sample of the Margherita coarse grind pepperoni product, you will move even closer to a real Buddy's cheese and pepperoni pizza.
Peter
I didn’t mean to imply that you might of thought dicepackage’s data was wrong. I just know when I slice a Buddy’s clone I won’t get my slices in equal weights and don’t think Buddy’s would either. I have a leftover slice and didn’t think to weigh it, or the other slices from yesterday, but believe if I would have, they might all weigh different weights. I did note the pizza box that dice package had his slices in, but didn’t know those are special containers, or a miniaturized “box” for its slices. I guess only dicepackage, or another member that has purchased just slices could only give the answer if the slices are reheated, or if the reheats are to be done at home. I guess some customers ask for reheats where other customers might want to do the reheat at home. I also saw the instructions for Buddy’s partially baked pizzas for their customers to follow for half-baked and frozen pizzas. I looked at that when I thought of purchasing a Buddy’s pizza.
You might recall what I posted about the Foremost Farms brick cheese at Reply 205
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,21559.msg222298.html#msg222298 Robin told me the only way the Foremost Farms brick cheese could be purchased is by special order and that amount would be 4,000 lbs. I don’t think Foremost Farms would just give me a sample of their brick cheese when I already told them there is no way I would be able to use that much brick cheese.
As for the Magherita coarse grind pepperoni and a sample, I had 3 customer service people trying to help me find the Magherita coarse grind pepperoni in my area and so far no luck. I did ask among all the other questions I did about the Magherita coarse grind pepperoni if I could request a sample. All of the customer service reps had kept going over my email and none of them even mentioned a sample, so really I don’t know if I will be able to obtain a sample. There is going to be another salesman that calls me this week since he was on vacation last week.
If I put the Carando pepperoni on top of the cheese, rather than under it, won’t that also affect the final bake weight and then be more trouble to figure out if any of my cheese and pepperoni Buddy’s clone are similar in final bake weights? I would like to try a Detroiter specialty pizza, but then wouldn’t I also have to use shaved Parmesan cheese in combination with the brick cheese? I do have hard Parmesan cheese at market I could use. I also could use my regular pepperoni under the cheese if you think that might be a better option.
I never put the Carando pepperoni slices under the cheese until this thread, and that was only on my attempt yesterday and when I used the Carando pepperoni at my moms home, I used more pepperoni than I did yesterday at my moms home. There was a nice pepperoni taste in those 2 Buddy’s clone attempts at my moms home.
Norma