A note of thanks

[porfiry]

I've been picking my way around this site for quite some time now, and have finally gotten around to trying some NY pies in the past few days. The ones I tried a couple days ago were less than uh, acceptable, but tonight's were unbelievably tasty.

I've just been using the Lehmann recipe with ADY, and I think I put in the thinnest thickness factor. I use KA bread flour...it's fairly high in protein, and there's no way I'm paying $10 shipping for 5 lbs. of Lancelot. The bread flour is readily available locally, and it appears to work real nicely. I also used the optional sugar and oil, in mid-range percentages. A couple nights ago I used dough that had only sat in the fridge about 18 hours, but tonight's dough was made that night, and I think the approximately 44 hours in the fridge made tastier crust for sure.

I was dissatisfied with my oven's 550º max temp., so I decided to try the "cigar tube" method of thermostat trickery tonight. However, I find that a small stainless steel mixing bowl is maybe a better idea...a person is going to have a hard time boiling off that much water. I had the probe dunked from the time I turned the oven on, so the preheat light never even came on. I don't have a thermometer I can put in an oven that hot, but let's just say it was way, way hot. Hot enough that the house stunk with cleaning cycle-style smoke. Awesome oven spring as soon as the pies hit the stone. BTW, I have two stones, and I stack them one on top of the other for more heat-holding mass.

At any rate, a highly generalized thank you to posters in this forum...this is hands down the finest pizza I've ever made at home. There are a couple fairly good pizza places around here, but I've never had a real NY pie. I think I have an idea of what it's really about now!

[Pete-zza]

porfiry,

Very nice job.

I detected about seven principles that you appear to have picked up from your reading:

1) the significance of the thickness factor;
2) the significance of high-protein levels;
3) the benefits of long fermentation times;
4) increased oven temperature;
5) oven spring; 
6) increased thermal mass (the use of two stones); and
7) the value of a proven dough formulation

You have learned fast.

Peter

[porfiry]

Yes, I have a fair amount of experience with bread, and some of these factors go hand in hand. I've actually used my stones for temperature stability in breadmaking a lot more than I've put pizzas on them.

This is also not my first experience with the "possibly burn the house down" factor...I used to roast coffee in my garage using a rather modified propane grill. You should see what 900 F does to the lid of a $99 Kenmore grill after several months of regular use.

I am a firm believer in full geekery in the pursuit of great product. Geek sites like this one are truly one of the best things brought to bear in the internet age!