Author Topic: Dinner Tonight (Read 16327 times)

Glutenboy · « **on:** January 23, 2007, 04:15:58 AM »

This is my baby about to be born. Half sausage and mushroom, half peppers and onions, all delicious!

Pete-zza · « **Reply #1 on:** January 23, 2007, 08:48:15 AM »

Glutenboy,

That's a great looking pie. Is it one of your NewYork-apolitan pies using Harvest King flour? Would you mind sharing the details of your latest accomplishment?

Peter

MWTC · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2007, 10:57:45 AM »

Details,Details....Please!!!

MWTC

Glutenboy · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2007, 07:36:17 PM »

I scaled out my dough recipe to percentages, but I don't have them with me so I'll post a better version later. I used Harvest King flour. Hydration was between 65 and 66 percent, salt was near 2 percent, yeast I can't recall at the moment, but certainly under 1%. There was no oil. Quick and gentle mix (setting 1) in the KA 600 followed by a 10 minute rest. Then just a couple of minutes of rougher kneading with the KA (up to setting 3). About 1 hour counter rise. Scale into 315 g dough balls. I adapted Varasano's method of storage. Gladware containers with no oil, and into the fridge. They expanded in the fridge before the cold had a chance to slow them down. 2 days later I degassed the dough, pulled the doughballs tight, oiled them EXTREMELY LIGHTLY with evoo as well as their containers, and put them back in the cooler for 2 more days. Started using them at 4 days old. The pie in the pic is 6-day dough. Before using it I gave it about a 1-hour counter rise. It handled beautifully. Great extensibility and just enough elasticity. It knew when to stop stretching itself. The pie was about I'll say 16 inches. The sauce was Cento whole tomatoes, scalded for a few seconds with fresh garlic, crushed red pepper and salt (just long enough to carmelize a tad and absorb the flavors of the garlic and pepper -- about 30 seconds). No liquid from the tomato cans, just the flesh. Then I sauceified (new glossary term) the tomatoes with an immersion blender. That sits at least overnight. It gets better! Why? I don't know! Tomatoes go on the pie, freshly grated reggiano and pecorino romano, thinly sliced Belgioso cryo-pack fresh mozzarella, selected toppings, and finally a good drizzle of evoo before it goes into the oven. No screen, just quarry tiles on the bottom rack with the oven cranked up to broil. (My broiler's under the oven so it comes out to a very hot bake.) A scattering of fresh torn Basil on the way out of the oven and heaven is mine. I'll post a more precise dough recipe when I'm at home and can read it. Experts, what say you?

chiguy · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2007, 10:01:51 PM »

Gluten Boy,
A nice looking pie, looks like perfect timing on the bake. You have really absorbed the information here. I was curious scaled to 315 grams that is about 11oz dough ball which seems extremely light for a 16in pizza.
Is it possible the pizza was closer to 14-15inches? ?

Glutenboy · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2007, 11:09:22 PM »

Maybe, but my peel is 18" and the pizza looked about 1" from the border on each end. I didn't measure when I had the chance, and the evidence is somewhere in my duodenum so we may never know. I'll try to get an accurate measurement on the next pie.

-- Glutenboy

addicted · « **Reply #6 on:** January 24, 2007, 01:04:05 AM »

Very fresh looking!

Glutenboy · « **Reply #7 on:** January 24, 2007, 03:08:10 AM »

1) Pete-zza, MWTC, Chiguy, and Addicted: Thank you for the complimentary feedback. Made my day.

2) Chiguy: I made another pie tonight with another 315 g dough ball, and it did indeed measure in at 16". I do stretch it thin. you can definitely see light through the windowpane. But the weight was 315 and the diameter was 16. Next time if I can manage it, I'll try to get a photo of the stretch.

MWTC · « **Reply #8 on:** January 24, 2007, 10:59:25 AM »

Beautiful !!!

Just a few points of clarification.

What was the water temperature used in preparing the dough?

What type of yeast did you use?

No sugar and no oil, why?

How long of a preheat on the oven, and what was the temp. in the oven when you started baking?

What type of Harvest King flour did you use?

How did the flavor of the dough turn out?

Again, Very nice.

MWTC

Glutenboy · « **Reply #9 on:** January 24, 2007, 12:35:04 PM »

MWTC --

Thanks for the interest. Here's the poop:

1) What was the water temperature used in preparing the dough?

I didn't use a thermometer, but I'd say around 100 degrees.

2) What type of yeast did you use?

I'm ashamed to admit it on this board, but I did it old school with Fleischman's ADY. I used a packet, but it was for a rather large amount of dough (1260 g). It's kind of a high percentage for a long cooler rise, but I was in a hurry. There are 7 g in a packet which put my yeast percentage under 1% but not as low as most would advocate. Since it was ADY, I dissolved it in my H2O and let it sit for about 10 minutes before incorporating it with flour etc.. No sugar or anything. It's never been necessary.

3) No sugar and no oil, why?
I'm a big fan of old-school New York pizza crust the way Evelyn Slomon and PFT do it. I've made doughs over the years with and without oil and/or sugar and have come to my own personal conclusion that:
A) I never got any of the qualities I was searching for out of the sugar
B) Adding oil does produce a dough that handles more easily and rises more consistently, but as my confidence in making, gauging, and handling the dough has grown, I don't need the help of the oil anymore, and without it I get a much more rustic/artisan style crumb, texture, and chew, which is what I was after in the first place.

3) How long of a preheat on the oven, and what was the temp. in the oven when you started baking?

At least an hour, and my oven thermometer (hung near the bottom from the rack) reads just under 600 when she really gets going. I have an old gas oven with the broiler on the bottom, so I can set her on broil and let her heat til she can't no more.

4) What type of Harvest King flour did you use?

The Harvest King in the Ralphs supermarket (I live in LA) from Gold Medal. As far as I know, there's only one kind that's available retail, however I recently descovered that I am not infallible.

5) How did the flavor of the dough turn out?

4 days, outstanding -- light, crisp, chewy and flavorful, 5 days wonderful, 6 days tangy-licious, 7 days even better. I've never gone longer, but there's one 8-day-old dough ball left in the fridge that just might get tested tonight. So far, I've never kept one long enough to know when it hits the wall.

Okay. I'm going to stop this and work now so I don't get fired.

-- Glutenboy

MWTC · « **Reply #10 on:** January 24, 2007, 12:44:14 PM »

One more question. What type of camera did you use to get such a nice picture of you masterpiece? Any special technique used?

MWTC

Glutenboy · « **Reply #11 on:** January 24, 2007, 12:54:02 PM »

MWTC --

Yet another shameful admission: I used a Canon SD-600 set on full automatic. I opened the oven door, pointed, and shot. I'm not sure I could ever do it again. But it sure is a nice picture, ain't it?

Pete-zza · « **Reply #12 on:** January 24, 2007, 01:55:22 PM »

Glutenboy,

When you have some time, I'd like to see the quantities of ingredients you used. Since you said that you were scaling ingredients, I assume the flour and water are weighed and that the other ingredients are stated in volumes. That combination would be fine if you have it. What I am most interested in is what you did that enabled you to get 6, possibly more, days out of your dough. If there was anything unusual about your combining of ingredients, in terms of sequencing or mixing of ingredients, sifting the flour, or whatever, I's be interested in reading about those steps.

Thanks.

Peter

MWTC · « **Reply #13 on:** January 24, 2007, 02:36:40 PM »

Glutenboy,

I see that you use multiple rest/rise periods.

1. A ten minute rest after the gentle mix.
2. A one hour counter rise.
3. After two days in the fridge, you degass and pull the doughballs tight.
4. A one hour counter rise before baking.

Do you feel that these are all key ingredients to your success?

Also I see you oil after you roll tight the doughballs from the plastic containers. Is the oiling for a purpose other than just the ease of exit from the containers? And I see you use EVOO not OO any specific reason for this choice?

Thank-you for your willingness to share.

MWTC

Glutenboy · « **Reply #14 on:** January 24, 2007, 04:56:45 PM »

Peter and MWTC --

It's hard to know exactly which step is responsible for any given outcome, but there is a reason in my mind behind each one.

1) The 10 minute rest lets the flour hydrate and minimizes oxidative damage (something I learned here).

2) The counter rise lets the cell structure begin to develop and hopefully ultimately improves the crumb.

3) I don't oil the dough balls after scaling them and before the first refrigeration because I know that I'm going to degas and reform them, and I don't want to incorporate oil into the dough. The only reason I oil them at all is for ease of removal.

4) Why do I use EVOO? I suppose partially out of habit (it's what I've always used) and partially because I like the aroma and flavor. I am aware that many here don't share that preference.

5) Why degas after 2 days? Because when I first put the dough in the fridge, it takes time to chill, and during that time it rises. So what...? See below:

Peter -- If I could name one step that makes the dough last longer (in my opinion), this is it. Degassing prevents overrisen, blown dough. When it goes back into the cooler after degassing and oiling, it's still cold and so only rises minimally over the remainder of its stay in the fridge. In my mind, that buys extra time, though I know that eventually chemistry will finally kick in and kill it. My mixing procedure itself is pretty pedestrian. No sifting, no partial incorporation of ingredients. As far as the numbers go, I have them all recorded at home and will have to post them later, but I definitely will. By the way, it's all measured by weight. I have a digital scale and I converted all of my volume measurements when I made my last batch. I was surprised at just how high the hydration was, but that's what we're all shooting for, huh?

6) The final counter rise allows the dough to regain its volume and extensibility so that I can stretch it nice and thin without any worry of tearing. I've been getting a beautiful windopane out of it lately.

Anyway, more later.

-- GB

MWTC · « **Reply #15 on:** January 24, 2007, 05:20:10 PM »

-GB,

Thats the type of answers that are so helpful.

Thank-you again.

Another question comes to mind. Have you tried your dough with other flours like KASL, All Trumps and 00 type? And have you ever mixed flour types?

MWTC

Glutenboy · « **Reply #16 on:** January 25, 2007, 02:17:37 AM »

MWTC --

I haven't been too adventurous with flours yet. Used GM Better for Bread (discontinued and replaced by Harvest King), KA Bread Flour (didn't love it), and now Harvest King (like it a lot). I'm going to get ahold of some Lancelot and/or All Trumps next.

Peter --

Here's my formula for four 315g dough balls. Oddly enough, the weight of the final dough is a few grams shy of the combined weight of the ingredients. Is this common?

760g flour (100%)
500g H2O (65.789%)
20g sea salt (normal granular) (2.632%)
7g ADY (.921%)

Please comment...

Now, some pics made with the 8-day dough...

Glutenboy · « **Reply #17 on:** January 25, 2007, 02:21:19 AM »

And some more...

grovemonkey · « **Reply #18 on:** January 25, 2007, 04:22:54 AM »

wow.. I am in awe of that pizza.

MWTC · « **Reply #19 on:** January 25, 2007, 09:59:52 AM »

Once again, Beautiful !!! You are a SuperStar.

Nuf-Said

MWTC