According to the document that I have "once the individual dough balls are formed, they are left in rising boxes for a second rising that lasts from 4-6 hours. By controlling storage temperature, these dough balls can then be used at any time within the following 6 hours." To me this reads as refrigeration (controlling storage temperature) But maybe I am wrong....
Edan,
I have nothing against you, but I have to keep warning people against the commercial interest of VPN that has nothing to do with preserving authenticity.
The letter is Registered (as any official letter from the Italian Government) with a unique number: Prot. N. 65175 Posiz. Dated 27 July 2004.
I do not like to disclose the details as I will publish the letter in full in my book, but there is a line that read ..."The use of Natural Yeast (AKA WILD) can be included in the specs but needs to include the caracteristics as to avoid old recycled dough being passed for "Natural Yeast"....
Anyway, all the documents produced by VPN, the "Comune" and the Ministry since 1984, calls for room temperature fermentation, ideally in controlled "fermentation room" at 25 C, that is not refrigeration (which would be at around 4C max 10C).
I already had bad reports about VPN America from more then trustworthy sources, but the latest stroke was meeting an American guy at the Pizzafest few weeks ago that had completed the course at Antica. He was shown and told all rubbish stuff... Hobart 8 minutes, forming the disc in the air NYC style, refrigeration etc.... Nothing traditional about that, and certainly the result could not be a Pizza Neapolitan....
I have been fighting on this subject for a number of years now....
I do not own a pizzeria, and work as a Proper Consultant
with new or already established pizzerias that want to produce authentic pizza Neapolitan. I now also collaborate with a company producing authentic Neapolitan ovens as well as selling mixers and other tools. Recently, I was involved with the opening of Bettola, in Birmingham (details here
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,3589.msg30313.html#msg30313).
The problems are not in the updates, but at the start with the representative, the training and the approval process... Hobart is not a mixer that should be approved... Any Neapolitan Pizzamaker in Naples will tell you that Planetary mixers should only be used by patisseries to produce shortbread pastry and whisk egg whites.... Also if the guy that train you do not know how to form a disc Neapolitan style, how is someone suppose to learn?
and if the main location doesn't even have a proper oven how can they pretend the members to have it.... Check the posts by Brad, Settebello's owner, about his oven... he has been approved, but He, having spent time in Naples, doesn't approve it himself and I know he got a replacement.... I got much more to say... Anyway, I am trying to get the other association responsible to reppresent the STG , to expand in America. They seam more serious about protecting the product. I will post in due course....
Have you been to Naples? Can you share your view?
