hey folks. first time posting in this section, wanted to share some good results on my pies last night. i've been using a sourdough starter for years, and it's only in the last few months that i finally feel i'm employing it correctly, to the point where i'm no longer adding dry yeast to the dough for that extra oomph. i've also started adding oil, and have been slowly bringing my hydration % down (i guess i finally admitted to myself that my NYC apartment doesn't have a 900 degree wood fired oven, so no sense making dough that fits that style of baking).
i wish i took more precise measurements, but i have this batch at about 52% hydration. these were balled (310g for the pictured pie) and left out at room temp for about 2 hours before going in the fridge for 3 days. they were taken out roughly 5 hours before use for that final rise. it really handled beautifully.
also, for years i've kept my stone at the bottom of the oven, near the heat source, but i finally moved it up to the top. it seemed to create a little oven-inside-an-oven effect, and i was able to get close to 600 for the first time. i can't help but think the radiant heat from the top also helped improve the color.
anyways, the taste and look of these was excellent, as was the crumb. the second pie was a LI Grandma style, which also came out well, so i'll post that over in the Sicilian section.
