Norma,
It looks like you had a very good day yesterday. All of the pizzas look great including the ones you made to honor Steve and me. The Pete-zza TexItaliano pizza looks very appetizing. At first I thought that the green peppers were ordinary bell peppers. But it looks like they were jalapenos, and quite a few of them at that. I hope that that specialty pizza sells well and that the locals can handle the jalapenos. If the TexItaliano pizza doesn't sell well, my feelings won't be hurt if you discontinue it or modify it.
It was a lot of fun working with you on the Buddy's reverse engineering and cloning project. I think we both learned a lot of new things. However, it still remains that PizzaHog was the moving force and inspiration for what we did. He was the pioneer.
As usual, I have a few questions and observations.
1. From the dough formulation posted in Reply 1084 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,21559.msg230851.html#msg230851, you indicated a dough ball size for the 4-square of 9.5 ounces. For the 8-square, you indicated a dough ball weight of 18 ounces. Since Buddy's says that it uses twice as much dough for the 8-square, was there a reason why you went with 18 ounces instead of 19 ounces?
2. I assume that you used the same weights of cheese, sauce and pepperoni for the 4-squares as you have done before. Can you tell us which tomatoes you used to make the sauce and in what amounts, including any added water? As for putting down the sauce in dollops rather than pure stripes, that is often the way that I have seen it done with Buddy's pizzas, an example of which is shown at http://bp0.blogger.com/__XShj91sMpw/RlJCGZFbuCI/AAAAAAAAAk4/jIeRhr1ub-U/s1600-h/redwings_5.JPG.
3. With respect to placing the pepperoni slices on top rather than under the cheese, if you feel that the locals will favor the pepperoni on top you might consider emulating a Buddy's Detroiter pizza, which has the pepperoni slices on top. As you will note from a Buddy's menu, such as the one at http://www.buddyspizza.com/documents/Carryout101.pdf, the Buddy's Detroiter pizza uses a tomato basil sauce (their so-called Tomato Basil sauce), a spice blend and shaved Parmesan cheese. Using some fresh basil in the sauce might make for a nice touch.
4. Did you like going back to the use of salt in the dough?
5. I believe that the only loose ends in this project are the Kraft's brick cheese matter, the receipt and testing of the Widmer's brick cheese, and the possibility of testing the Stanislaus Super Dolce Super Sweet, Super Heavy Pizza Sauce (http://www.stanislausfoodproducts.com/_pdfs/Super-Dolce-Pizza-Sauce.pdf).
Peter
Peter,
It was one of my better days yesterday in that almost everything clicked about right with the Buddy‘s clone pizzas, with some minor problems like the hills and valley Buddy‘s clone pizza. Do you think that dough was tempered too long and that was what caused the hill and valley pizza? If it was, then timing will be very challenging when tempering the Buddy’s clone dough balls. Even the Buddy’s clone named after Steve, which was the last dough ball used didn’t have those hills and valleys. So far, (since yesterday) I know it might be possible to use the cold fermented dough balls until the evening if I am lucky. That would take me though the whole day with one dough batch.
I removed the seeds from the jalapenos so even if there were quite a few of them when they were diced the pizza wasn’t that hot. I don’t know how hot my customers might like their pizzas so I really wouldn’t want to offer a really hot pizza. Steve and I also like a little heat, but not a lot, so I think if Steve and I really liked the Pete-zza TexItaliano customers will also like it. The flea mill market manager and Dave really liked the TexItaliano. They also both said all the combination of flavors were fantastic. They couldn’t get over how good it was. I could also offer dhorst’s special sauce for customers if they like a little more heat to be drizzled over the baked Pete-zza TexItaliano.
I also have enjoyed working with you on the Buddy’s reverse engineering and cloning project. I agree we both learned a lot of new things on this thread. This thread was never meant to be a reverse engineering and cloning project though and if Trenton Bill wouldn’t have talked me into trying what he did, I never would have been making this Buddy’s clone pizza.
I know it still remains that PizzaHog was the moving force and inspiration for what we did. I give PizzaHog 5 stars or chef’s hats for all the work he did that finally got me into trying the Buddy’s clones.
If it wasn’t for PizzaHog, I wouldn’t be able to offer these Buddy’s clone pizzas at market. I can only hope if PizzaHog reads this post he will know how much I appreciate all of his hard work on the Buddy’s thread.
It still remains to be seen how people in our area will like the Buddy’s clones pizzas and if they will continue liking them, but so far it seems positive. For all of the comments made from customers so far it makes me feel very lucky that PizzaHog is a member and had posted about his findings on the Buddy’s thread.
Thank you PizzaHog from the bottom of my heart!!!
1. As you probably know there is no rhyme or reason why I tried 18 ounces instead of 19 ounces for the 8-square pizzas, but I was just curious if that would work. I know Buddy’s says it uses twice as much dough for the 8-square. I don’t know if I will change to 19 ounces next week or not. Do you think I should try 19 ounces for the 8-square next week?
2. No, I haven’t been using the same weights of cheese, sauce and pepperoni for the 4-squares as I have done before. I am into more free handing now and using less of the cheese blend than Buddy’s does. Since I am not a high volume pizza business like Buddy’s is, I have to try and use less of the cheese blend. I will have to weight what I use sometime, so I will know in the future of what to really use by weight. I used my regular market sauce made with Stanislaus Saporito Super Heavy Pizza sauce with my added ingredients and water which is a little more than 50%. I do plan on using whatever amount of pepperoni I think I need. Thanks for referencing that picture again of the Buddy’s pizza sauce with the dollops rather than pure stripes. That seemed to have worked well yesterday for the sag problems.
3. I will have to think about trying to make a Buddy’s Detroiter clone pizza to offer. I don’t want to have to offer too many specialty pizzas at first until I see what happens and what the customers reactions are. Also, I have to worry about my other two styles of pizzas I offer now. Trying to make 3 styles of pizzas with only two people might also be challenging when spring and summer comes. Steve and I were hopping yesterday to keep up with everything. When there are only two people to do dishes, make pizzas, warm-up slices, dress pizzas, cut them, use the cash register, make change and also make whole pizzas etc. it can sometimes get hectic and although I can move, at the end of the day I am really tired. At least for right now, I think the customers will at least be able to see it is a pepperoni and cheese pizza if the pepperoni if put on last. As I posted before, the pepperoni really can’t be tasted that much if placed under the cheese blend.
4. I don’t know if I like using salt in the dough more than not using salt. The tempering and doughs handled well though. What are you thoughts on why that happened. Do you think the salt helped?
5. In my next post I will explain more about the loose ends of the Kraft brick cheese and the Widmer’s brick cheese. I also have to call Stanislaus on trying to get a sample of the Stanislaus Super Sweet, Super Heavy Pizza Sauce. With the holidays and Steve not being at market, I didn’t get to try and obtain a sample of that sauce. I will call though next week about trying to obtain a sample. I have to help my one daughter move the rest of this week. I still have the Buddy’s extra sauce frozen, so it is in safe keeping for right now.
Thanks so much for all of your help on this thread! Here's to the Buddy's clone pizzas.
Norma
