gemignani recipe

[mkacher]

I just came across a Pizza book cowritten by Tomy Gemignani.  He gives several dough recipes including one for Neaplitan.  It was 3 grams fresh cake yeast, 2 cups of water, 1 T salt and 7.25 cups of Caputo flour.  I think this works out to about a 52% hydration.  I haven't tried it as my oven is packed away for the winter, but it seems aweful low.  I ate in one of his restaurants last year and had a fantastic Margarita pizza.  My dough is generally in the 62% range.  Has anyone had any luck with a hydraton level this low? 

Thanks,
MIke

[TXCraig1]

I would say 52% is as high as the hydration could possibly be, and depending on how you measure your flour, it could be as low as 44% or so. This is why you should never measure flour volumetrically. 

52% seems a little low. I've seen his dough, and I would not have thought it was that low. Was the recipe written for use in a home oven?

[RobynB]

That book was co-written by Tony years ago and was aimed at the beginner home-baker.  The recipes in it are not in any way related to what Tony uses at his restaurants. 

[Pete-zza]

Mike,

I have the Morgan-Gemignani pizza cookbook and I can confirm Craig's suspicions and Robyn's comments. See Reply 2 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,2088.msg18385.html#msg18385 and Reply 10 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,1909.msg69536.html#msg69536.

A lot of water has gone over the dam since Tony co-authored the pizza book with Diane Morgan so I wouldn't look to that book as evidence of anything Tony is doing today.

Peter