Norma and Biz,
I decided yesterday to defrost the MM test dough ball and to make a pizza out of it. I defrosted the dough ball in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. From that point forward, I used the dough ball to have fun. I started playing around with the dough ball while it was quite cold, in order to see how it would handle while on the cool side (around 55 degrees F). I tried to form a highly distinct rim as shown in some of the MM videos, and then stretched the skin to form the desired size (10") and I tossed and spun the skin with reckless abandon. The dough was very robust, even with the KABF, and it didn't stick to anything. It is essentially idiot-proof. In retrospect, I think it would have been wise to let the dough warm up some more before using since the cool dough ball was quite elastic with memory (springback). But even with the KABF, the gluten of the dough was highly developed and resistant to tearing or ripping. I know that there are some people who frown on commissary-produced frozen dough balls, but I can now see the logic and merit of that business model for a company with many units and using inexperienced and transient young people to make the pizzas.
After dressing the pizza (a basic pepperoni pizza), I baked it on a pizza stone that had been placed on the lowest oven rack position of my electric oven and preheated for about an hour at around 525 degrees F. After about five minutes, I checked the bottom crust and saw that it was quite dark, but not burnt by any means, so I moved the pizza to the upper rack position in my oven for about an additional two minutes. That gave more top crust browning. Overall, the pizza almost perfectly captured the look and feel of the MM pizza I had at the MM store in Florida, and as I have seen from some of the official MM photos. The rim was bulbous and it was chewy. In general, the texture of the crumb was like that of the MM pizza I had in Florida.
There were two areas where the pizza fell short, however. First, the crust was not particularly sweet. However, I expected that given Norma's recent results with her frozen MM clone dough ball. Second, the texture of the crumb was not quite there. It was chewy but still a bit on the soft side. I think that may have been because I was using KABF and even with the vital wheat gluten it was not enough to give the denser crumb that I was looking for. I think also that I may have to come up with a better way of baking the pizza in order to get the desired crust and crumb texture. It might be using two pizza stones or even a pizza screen and a different oven rack position and different bake temperatures and times. Even when you think you have the right dough formulation, there is always the task and challege of adapting it to a home oven.
Norma, my focus now is back to your next experiment once you get the ADM 65 DMP. Of course, I will do everything I can to help Biz inasmuch as he has been a valuable contributor despite his denials that he is not up on the technical aspects of the project. He is also highly motivated. And he hasn't abandoned us.
As for me at this point, I bought some Kretschmer's toasted wheat germ with added Vitamin E recently and plan to try using that along with the Brer Rabbit molasses, plus a few other things, to see if I can come closer to an authentic MM crust with those ingredients. I will engage in that effort on the side. As is my practice, I do not plan to detail my results as I work my way through the process. However, there is a lot of information in this thread to let those who are on the sidelines watching the action to do their own experiments and to report back on their results.
Peter
