KA Bakerscatalogue

[DNA Dan]

Has anyone tried some of the pizza products through KA? They have one called "pizza dough flavor". Which looks like an additive to your regular dough.

There is also a "Perfect pizza blend". I assume this is a full dough mix. ?

Also has anyone tried their pizza seasoning in a good tomato  base for making pizza sauce? How does it taste?

[Pete-zza]

DNA Dan,

This is a subject that comes up from time to time. For all the gory details, see http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,2180.msg19197.html#msg19197, http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,1498.msg13640.html#msg13640 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,152.msg1044.html#msg1044 (first post), http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,1263.msg11331.html#msg11331, and http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,2656.msg23162.html#msg23162 (Reply 18).

Peter

[DNA Dan]

I ordered this "perfect pizza blend" last week and tried it yesterday. I personally did not think it was perfect in any respect. It resembled something more like "pizza hut" pizza. It was light and quite "bready" almost like regular white loaf bread. The crust was not chewy at all. While picking up a slice, the crust would not bend like a NY style, rather it would crack from the weight of the toppings. (Which wasn't much) This reminded me of pizza made using bisquick or something. It was nothing what I expected since it contains KASL flour. Very disappointing in my opinion. Here are some shots.

[DNA Dan]

and the slice shot, ala Pete-zza. lol You can also see that the crust absorbed grease easily. The structure of the crust would not stand up to the grease, it became soggy like a wet sponge and fell apart. Strange.

[Pete-zza]

DNA Dan,

Thanks for trying out the Pizza Blend and reporting back to us on the results. Do the ingredients on the bag list KASL as one of the flours? When I went to the KA website at http://shop.bakerscatalogue.com/items/Perfect_Pizza_Blend.html, I see durum and all-purpose flours.

Peter

[DNA Dan]

DARN!! I was going to get you a pic of the label but wife already threw out the bag. (We don't need no stinking imitations in this house!)

I could have sworn on the label the first item was "king arthur sir lancelot flour" then I also remember seeing maltose, barley and some levening agents.

Can someone with this pizza mix confirm the contents from the label?

I am curious now because if it does contain KASL, I was surprised at how different the dough was from the Lehman recipe. Clearly the other "stuff" in the package makes the KASL behave much more differently than in the Lehman recipe. I mean the dough from this mix was 180 degrees from that recipe in all respects. My impression of dough in general is that it take a serious shift in ingredients or method to produce such a noticable change in the dough. Can anyone confirm the contents of the "Perfect Pizza Blend" sold by King Arthur?

[abc]

mmm ur toppings look tasty...  your toppings made it look decent.   yuck on their product... clearly, it's for the 'American pizza' audience...  looks like a frozen pizza.

[DNA Dan]

So there is actually another blend they are offering now which I didn't notice before. This one is called "Classic pizza crust mix". Here is the info from their website:


Classic Pizza Crust Mix 

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King Arthur takes a soft Italian-style flour, and mixes it with semolina, tasty seasonings, and other special ingredients to make a delicious "pizza parlor" pizza crust mix.

•  King Arthur Classic Pizza Crust Mix is both quick and
    easy to use.

•  Just add water, oil and salt (yeast is included).

•  Then knead, allow to rise, shape and bake.

•  Can be used for pizza crust, breadsticks, rolls,
    focaccia, or flatbread.

•  Makes about two 12-inch thin-crust pizzas;
    or one 14-inch thick-crust pizza.

•  Store cool & dry 6 months.

SAVE 15% when you buy 5 or more King Arthur baking mixes!

 Item # 3385 Classic Pizza Crust Mix  $4.25
 
 
   
I assume this is going to be more like the "American Style" than the perfect pizza blend. I have some on the way so we'll see in a few weeks! Does anyone have any experience with their sourdough starter cultures? They have a "New England" type which they are calling the "classic", a french one claiming to have the lactobacillus San Francisco strain in it and another french one entitled " Pain de Campagne Starter" which is described as producing that "tang". Anyone try any of these yet? 

[conehunter]

So there is actually another blend they are offering now which I didn't notice before. This one is called "Classic pizza crust mix".

... I have some on the way so we'll see in a few weeks!

DNA Dan, have you tried the "Classic pizza crust mix" yet? I am going to order some KASL flour and I'm considering a bag of this also.

[DNA Dan]

I have not tried it yet, but I have it. I bought it with my last order. My gut feeling is that it's going to be more "Chewy" than the other one. I haven't had time to try it because I have been working on the Round Table clone and I can only eat so much pizza a week!