My NY style test on a pizza screen

[MaximusTG]

In a few weeks we are going on vacation with a group of friends, 15 adults and some young kids. Been doing that for a few years now. And every year I cook the food. Which also includes a pizza night. Though I always had to rely on some of the others who did the shopping to get a good flour (which didn't work) and muck around with baking paper in the oven. They came out tasting ok, but not to the level of "perfection" I was used to at home.
The fact that they all wanted to top their own pizza's ridiculously full didn't help either though.
Now for this year I've ordered 3 pizza screens; 12", 30 cm diameter.
Never used one before, instead baking on a stone. Which still is my prefered method, but not as easy to take with you .

So I made a dough; 210 grams of flour, 0.8 tsp instant yeast and 210 grams of water, poolish in the fridge from 0:00 AM to about 9 in the morning. Then I took it out. At around noon mixed in some salt and another 96 grams of flour. Kneaded with dough hooks on handmixer. This I put in the fridge again until about 3 o' clock. Then separated into two parts, balled these up, and put them in individual oiled containers.
At half past five I formed the first dough, sprayed some oil on the screen, spread the dough out and topped it with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Then some chorizo, mushrooms, green bell pepper and shredded mozzarella.

Worked better than expected. Of course, bottom wasn't as nice as on the stone. But I think these will make my life a lot easier when I make pizza for all those people.

[MaximusTG]

More photos:

[tinroofrusted]

Congratulations Max.  That pizza came out great!  I'm sure they ate it up fast. 

It's always challenging when guests want to help in making the pizzas. If I have enough dough I will let the kids try to make a pizza but they always come out terrible. People don't realize that it takes a lot of practice to make a decent pizza. But you don't want to be a Scrooge about it either. 

Regards,

TinRoof

[MaximusTG]

Thanks! They tasted great too .
Yeah, you've hit it right on the nose; that's exactly the problem! You try to make nice dough, then they want to top them themselves. I usually put on the sauce though, because they always put on too much.
Last year I prebaked them with just the sauce, because topping with 4 people (those were larger, plate pizza's) just takes too long, and the dough would become wet and sloppy otherwise. Not to mention the huge stacks of toppings they like to put on .
Not sure what to do this year..
Year before that we took orders and I had my girlfriend help with topping the pizza's. That worked  ok, but took too long, so there were a lot of people eating at different times. I hope the oven in the house we are renting can fit all screens side by side, because then they can split one pizza between two people. And I can have them all eating in a few bakes.
A well, compromise compromise. I usually bake my own pizza at the end though, just how I want it.

[Morgan]

What is the main reason for using pizza screens ? I see lots of pizzamakers using it here.

[MaximusTG]

Well, I guess if you don't have a stone, then you have to bake directly on a oven pan or with some wax paper in between.
I think the pizza gets way more soggy if you do that. That, and you don't have to load the pizza in the oven with a peel.
Suppose people also see them being used in some pizza restaurants?
I can understand that it is much easier for your workflow to bake lots of pizza's after one another using these things. Especially with limited oven space.
Though I do prefer the stone. Gives a better bottom browning.
But since I am going to use them in a couple of weeks to bake for a large group (I'm hoping the oven there allows 3 pizza's side by side on the oven pan).
Today I did some more pizza with the screen. Baked with the screen on an oven pan. After the pizza was risen but not completely brown I removed the screen to give the pizza a bit more browning. This worked pretty well.

[mkevenson]

Max, the pies look great. I am sure your group will love them. If you get a chance can you take a pic of the bottom? Also what temp are you baking at?

The best to your venture.

Mark

[MaximusTG]

Thanks! Hmm, the one in the photo is already eaten . Did bake another one, but that one is already in the freezer. So photos will have to wait till the next bake.
Baked at 250 degrees Celsius, or 482 degrees Fahrenheit. Bottom looks of course like a negative image of the screens; without baking on the oven pan it was quite unbrowned and soft, but baking on the oven pan did give some more browning on the bottom. But could do a bit longer.

[dmcavanagh]

I use screens often in conjunction with my stone, after all, it's impossible to cook an 18 in. NY on a 16 in. stone! I just preheat my stone as always, prepare the pizza on the screen, place the screen on the hot stone, bake for a couple of minutes until the dough sets and then remove the screen and finish directly on the stone. Screens are "tools", nothing more , nothing less. You just have to use the right tool for the job!

[Chicago Bob]

Which still is my prefered method, but not as easy to take with you .

I would just put a few stones in a small suit case and cook my "preferred" pizza. 

[MaximusTG]

Well, I don't have a car, so I have to travel by train for a large part of the journey. Not so keen to carry a "few stones" in a suitcase .
Besides, the finesse the pizza stone gives the pizza is totally lost on this crowd. Nice people and all; but not when it comes to food.

[Tannerwooden]

It's always challenging when guests want to help in making the pizzas. If I have enough dough I will let the kids try to make a pizza but they always come out terrible. People don't realize that it takes a lot of practice to make a decent pizza. But you don't want to be a Scrooge about it either. 

I usually make one or two dough balls I don't need. There's one guest in every group who wants to try throwing it up in the air and I find it makes the party much more entertaining to see them try.

Tanner

[MaximusTG]

Did another test; dropped the hydration a bit. because the dough was a bit too flexible; It stretched really easy. Hydration was at 63%, with 270 grams of water on 430 grams of flour, for a total of 2 350 gram balls of dough, to be stretched to 12 inches.
On a sidenote - what is a good weight for 12 inch pizza? I upped the amount of dough a bit from before, because it got really thin; Maybe I'll try another with 65% hydration.

Dough was started yesterday morning; did a preferment of all the water and an equal amount of flour with just the yeast (about 1/5 tsp, this was for 1 dough ball). Left that to ferment for a couple of hours , then mixed in the remaining amount of flour and some salt.
Let it sit for a few minutes then kneaded with my handmixer.
Then, because my plans had changed, I put it in the refridgerator to cool down. Went out until late last night. Then I took the dough out, balled it and put it in an oiled container. Baked it for lunch just now.
Dough was a bit cold still maybe when I shaped it, but it was a lot less stretchy than before, but still stretchy enough.
Topped with tomato sauce, chorizo, mushroom, bell pepper and gorgonzola. Baked at 250 degrees celsius in the middle of the oven on a pizza screen a top a baking pan. Halfway bake I removed the screen and let the bottom brown some more on the pan.

Got some nice bottom browning, crumb was nice and open. Crust was not as neat and round as some of the pizza's I posted earlier, but that seems to happen when I don't put enough toppings on, the crust rises with the sauce.

[Chicago Bob]

Boy, that is a really nice looking pizza Maximus....great photography too, thanks!
Didn't take you long to figure out the screen trick(pulling it half through bake)  
I like to stretch the dough a little on the cold side. Can sorta man handle it a bit on back of knuckles and give a 'lil toss in the air...fun!  
Nice work here man. You should have some happy folks on your vacation.

Bob

[MaximusTG]

Thanks Bob!

I thought the last dough was a bit on the dry side, so I did a 65% hydration dough; Again, poolish of all water, equal amount flour and less then 1/4 tsp IDY for 5 hours. Then added salt and remaining flour. Autolyse 15 minutes and then knead with mixer. After about 1,5 hour, kneaded into ball and put in oiled container:

[mkevenson]

Wow! Very nice pies, I'm hungry

Mark

[Smokepit]

Man those are some nice looking pies. I have some new dough in the fridge for tomarrow night, can't wait to see how it turns out!! If it comes out looking like them I will be very pleased.

[Vesuvi0]

Excellent work.  I'm a big proponent of the pizza screen myself.  In fact, started using it for the same reason you have!