Author Topic: Help with Best New York Pizza recipe (Read 21314 times)

Randy · « **Reply #40 on:** May 16, 2004, 11:42:52 AM »

Rhienhart also recomends 60- 62% water to flour ratio.
Randy

Arthur · « **Reply #41 on:** May 17, 2004, 10:35:40 AM »

Steve,

Did you use a scale to weigh the 2 lbs of flour?
and was it Sir Lancelot?
Did you use active yeast or instant yeast?

Arthur.

Randy · « **Reply #42 on:** May 17, 2004, 10:52:16 AM »

Arthur a scale is really nice to have when making pizzas. A cup of flour is not a cup of flour the world round. It can vary from 4.25 oz to nearly 6oz depending on the individual. Heck, even DKM has got a scale now.

Randy

Steve · « **Reply #43 on:** May 17, 2004, 11:18:04 AM »

Quote from: Arthur on May 17, 2004, 10:35:40 AM

Steve,

Did you use a scale to weigh the 2 lbs of flour?
and was it Sir Lancelot?
Did you use active yeast or instant yeast?

Arthur.

I used a scale to measure both the flour (Sir Lancelot) and the water.

I used Red Star active dry yeast.

(Regarding the water -- I weigh my water because none of my measuring cups agrees with the other. A cup of water should be 8 ounces by weight, and 8 ounces by volume [fl. oz.]. So now I weigh everything!!)

Pizzaholic · « **Reply #44 on:** May 17, 2004, 11:49:45 AM »

For what its worth
I just switched to measuring and it has made a huge difference in my pies,
They are pretty cheap in comparison to mail order KASL flour!!
Pizzaholic

Steve · « **Reply #45 on:** May 17, 2004, 12:16:02 PM »

Quote from: Pizzaholic on May 17, 2004, 11:49:45 AM

For what its worth
I just switched to measuring and it has made a huge difference in my pies,
They are pretty cheap in comparison to mail order KASL flour!!
Pizzaholic

I assume that you meant to say "weighing" ... because if you didn't "measure" your ingredients, well, then you'd just be throwing them in blindly!

Pierre · « **Reply #46 on:** May 17, 2004, 05:09:14 PM »

I've found that weighing the major ingredients (at least the flour, water) is the only way to get consistent and reliable results. Slight adjustments may be needed depending on the flour you use since ability to absorb water may differ a bit (higher gluten flours being able to absorb more than those with less).

For Salt, Sugar, Oil you can use a measuring spoon. A measuring Teaspoon should have a volume of 5ml. A Tablespoon a volume of 15ml.

For large scale recipes it is better to weigh those ingredients as well. Especially if you are working with Bakers Percentages.

Pierre

itsinthesauce · « **Reply #47 on:** May 17, 2004, 05:53:49 PM »

You know it's amazing. My Mother never measured or weighed anything in any of her recipes and they never failed. Go figure!

Steve · « **Reply #48 on:** May 17, 2004, 07:08:52 PM »

Quote from: itsinthesauce on May 17, 2004, 05:53:49 PM

You know it's amazing. My Mother never measured or weighed anything in any of her recipes and they never failed. Go figure!

My mom was the same way... and I can tell you for a fact that her spaghetti was the best ever!!

But, it never tasted exactly the same each time.

And that's the problem... I want to achieve consistent results. I want my pizza crust to be exactly the same each time, and the only time it should be different is when I want it to be different!

itsinthesauce · « **Reply #49 on:** May 17, 2004, 08:53:07 PM »

I agree with you, it's got to be consistant. It's amazing, but if you don't control the measures, there is a difference.

By the way, just got back from 10 days in Florida.....there is no pizza there that comes close to tasting good, in my opinion.

Foccaciaman · « **Reply #50 on:** May 17, 2004, 11:23:42 PM »

There is one factor that cannot be controlled through weighing and measuring and that is the humidity level.
Now although I have never actually tested to see the difference, the amount of water used would change with the humidity due to the dryness of the flour.

I have noticed that sometimes I seem to need a tblsp. more or less of water.
I always atributed this to my inaccurate measurement of the dry ingredients, now I sometimes wonder if it is the humidity, it changes so often in my kitchen if I have the window open, or the heat on.
Guess I am gonna start weighing now and watch for differences.

Randy · « **Reply #51 on:** May 18, 2004, 08:18:09 AM »

The humidity is one of those urban myths used by cookbook publishers and TV cook show host to account for change in protein level of flour and the inequality of a measured cup of flour, that knew little of themselves.

Randy

Pizzaholic · « **Reply #52 on:** May 18, 2004, 09:10:46 AM »

Yep my bad
I do WEIGH the ingredients
OOOPs

Guess I think faster than my fingers, love that backspace key
Pizzaholic

Pizzaholic · « **Reply #53 on:** May 18, 2004, 09:15:11 AM »

By the way
I am stuck in the land of sunshine(Fl)
You are so right inthesauce there are no good pizza joints around
Pizzaholic

Foccaciaman · « **Reply #54 on:** May 18, 2004, 11:11:56 PM »

Randy: Just curious, where did you hear that humidity was and urban myth?
From a TV cook show host or a cook book?

Arthur · « **Reply #55 on:** May 19, 2004, 10:10:40 AM »

Quote from: Steve on May 11, 2004, 12:07:18 PM

Never mind, I answered my own question:

http://www.chefswarehouse.com/Catalog/DisplayDetail.aspx?prd_id=GT200

Steve,

Have you (or anyone else) tried the 7/11 sauce? It sounds like 6 in 1 is "chicago style". Is 7/11 more "new york style"?

Randy · « **Reply #56 on:** May 19, 2004, 10:53:37 AM »

Foccaciaman, it is just my own testing. If you notice very few recipes address what flour to use. Shirley Corriher in CookingWise said she gave up on the perfect cup of flour and now list her recipes by the scooping method. I find it hard to believe humidity makes as much difference as flout type and inconsistent measuring methods.

I found this quote from her to back me up.
(from Shirley Corriher). “.This means that a higher-protein flour absorbs more moisture than a lower protein flour. Baker's have blamed the difference in absorption on humidity which only makes a minute difference. This also means that a flour's protein level directly affects the ratio of wet ingredients to dry. For example, a batter made with 2 cups of high-protein flour absorb 1 cup of water to form a soft, sticky dough. The same recipe made with 2 cups low-protein flour and 1 cup water make a thick soup. It takes 1/2-cup more low-protein flour to get the same consistency as the high-protein flour. When recipes are written, one type of flour in used and the person baking it uses another. That's because they probably live in different areas of the country or their flour brand is milled in different places. “

Interesting topic.
Randy

Foccaciaman · « **Reply #57 on:** May 19, 2004, 12:17:10 PM »

:)True, it is a very interesting subject.

I am sure that if there is a difference it is almost to small to be noticed by regular measuring when making small 1 or 2 lbs batches of dough.
It was just the fact that most dry substances like four, sugar baking soda etc. left in the open will pull moisture from the air and retain it however small. How much and how long it would take I do not know.

But you are probably right about Humidity being used as an excuse by bakers for innacurate measuring in the first place.

nysauce · « **Reply #58 on:** May 19, 2004, 05:25:51 PM »

Was just reading through this thread and wanted to confirm something Canadadave said in one of the replys.

Quote

My mother is friendly with the neighborhood pizza guy who's been making pizza in New York for about 20 years, at least. She mentioned to him that I was still working on my version of a NY pizza, and he told her to tell me one thing he does....which is to use whole crushed tomatoes MIXED with pizza sauce.

Sorry I keep mentioning it (but I have to because I'm no authority on pizza making yet) and I swear I don't work for them, but the pizzeriapros video says to do the exact same thing. In addition they've e-mailed me back and said to use only California tomatoes for both the Crushed Tomatoes and Extra Heavy Pizza Sauce with Basil. They also don't cook their sauce. Hmmmm two different NY style pizza places mixing the two sauces, seems like we've got a bonified "trick of the trade"

RoadPizza · « **Reply #59 on:** May 19, 2004, 06:45:31 PM »

It really doesn't make sense to cook the sauce unless you were using raw uncanned tomatoes.

A 550 degree oven will do the cooking for you.

Quote from: nysauce on May 19, 2004, 05:25:51 PM

Was just reading through this thread and wanted to confirm something Canadadave said in one of the replys.
Quote
My mother is friendly with the neighborhood pizza guy who's been making pizza in New York for about 20 years, at least. She mentioned to him that I was still working on my version of a NY pizza, and he told her to tell me one thing he does....which is to use whole crushed tomatoes MIXED with pizza sauce.
Sorry I keep mentioning it (but I have to because I'm no authority on pizza making yet) and I swear I don't work for them, but the pizzeriapros video says to do the exact same thing. In addition they've e-mailed me back and said to use only California tomatoes for both the Crushed Tomatoes and Extra Heavy Pizza Sauce with Basil. They also don't cook their sauce. Hmmmm two different NY style pizza places mixing the two sauces, seems like we've got a bonified "trick of the trade"