Tommy's Pizza (now Pizza L'oven) circa 1960's Exeter PA (NEPA) redo!

[bdal1]

Made a tray of white pizza w/ broccoli & garlic last evening. I pattern my pizza after Victory Pig (one of the originators of the style in that area), same style as Tommy's.  A 67% hydration dough, some garlic oil, rough chopped broccoli (florets only) and my usual cheese blend, baked in blue steel pans with lots of peanut oil. Very tasty!

steel_baker

Steel baker
Do you use Sourdough Girl's recipe just bumped up to 67% or are you using a whole different formulation?
something like this?
Flour (100%):     566.65 g  |  19.99 oz | 1.25 lbs
Water (67%):     379.66 g  |  13.39 oz | 0.84 lbs
IDY (.33%):     1.87 g | 0.07 oz | 0 lbs | 0.62 tsp | 0.21 tbsp
Salt (2%):     11.33 g | 0.4 oz | 0.02 lbs | 2.36 tsp | 0.79 tbsp
Total (169.33%):    959.51 g | 33.85 oz | 2.12 lbs | TF = 0.13195

I have a 19X13.5 blue steel pan

[steel_baker]

No, it's my own recipe at 67% hydration.

steel_baker

[Motorpies]

I've been lurking on this for the past few months, and would someone, anyone please share the secret cheese blend? lol   I hate to resurrect an old post, but if people realized what Pizza L'Oven tasted like, they'd understand. I grew up a few blocks from their Carey Avenue location, and seeing this made me homesick. I know what I'm making for dinner tonight. :-)

Great thread.

[steel_baker]

I've been lurking on this for the past few months, and would someone, anyone please share the secret cheese blend? lol   I hate to resurrect an old post, but if people realized what Pizza L'Oven tasted like, they'd understand. I grew up a few blocks from their Carey Avenue location, and seeing this made me homesick. I know what I'm making for dinner tonight. :-)

Great thread.

I use a 50/50 mixture of mozzarella & white cheddar. It seems to provide the right flavor & texture. I believe that VP uses all white cheddar. They buy it in blocks and slice it paper thin on a meat slicer.

At some point, I plan to start a new thread on this style of pizza with an emphasis on Victory Pig. After all, most of the similar style pizzas in the area are reproductions of VP. Pizza L'Oven was the first of the "copycat" restaurants. The owner's mother was a friend of my mother. Apparently he worked at VP as a high school kid and learned how to make it. After he left, went to school, etc, he started Pizza L'Oven and his first store was on Wyoming Ave in Forty Fort, PA. As the popularity grew, he spread out to more stores (Carey Ave, Exeter, etc) and other "copycats" popped up (Pizza Perfect, Januzzi's, Tommy's in Kingston).

The style is definitely unique to the area and I have never seen it anywhere else. I've been able to duplicate it myself and it's not hard. At some point when I start the thread, I'll lay out the entire process along with recipes & ingredients.

steel_baker

[Motorpies]

Thank you very much for the reply Steel_Baker.

I've used a 75/25 blend in the past, and will definitely try a 50/50 as you suggest. I have been getting a very consistent crust and sauce with those blue steel pans you listed earlier, using 1/4 cup of peanut oil for each 12x17 pan, but could never quite nail down the cheese blend. You wouldn't happen to have any experience with a Revello's style pie? I always wondered what the "creamy" component of their cheese was, it's similar to VP yet very different at the same time.

I am in Oregon now and to be able to replicate that taste of home would be wonderful. I'm thinking of introducing Old Forge style at my local shop and it will be interesting to see how it will be received. Needless to say, I can't wait to read your thread. Thanks again!

[steel_baker]

Regarding Revello's, I believe that most of the Old Forge style pizzas are made using "Cooper" cheese. That's the regionally made white cheese that is sold in bricks and looks & tastes very much like american cheese, hence the "creaminess" when it melts. I know over the years so many people have commented about those places using american cheese on their trays, that's the Cooper's brick cheese.

BTW, regarding peanut oil in the 12x17 pans, once those pans are well seasoned, you can cut way back on the oil. I made a tray of white w/broccoli & garlic last night and only used 1-1/2 oz of peanut oil. The tray browned up beautifully and slid right out of the pan.

Here's some pics from last night

steel_baker

[Motorpies]

Thank you for the reply Steel_Baker.

Aha! I suspected an American-style processed white cheese, but never thought to try Cooper. It makes sense. I'll have to set up a supply line to Oregon with my mom back in W-B. :-)

I'll do as you suggest and cut back on the oil, that's a great tip and I do appreciate it. My main pan is fairly well seasoned at this point, and I'll try the 1.5oz of oil on my next batch. Your broccoli pie looks perfect, I can almost taste that crust. *sigh* Take care.

[NepaBill]

Old Forge pizza does not use Coopers cheese..  The majority of O.F. pizza shops use a cheap American cheese called Hillview®..  I don't think Cooper cheese was even around when Old Forge started making pizza..  As for the cheese used on Pizza L'oven style pizza..  It is a mild cheddar..  It is most likely Land O'lakes cheddar..  City Mager in Wilkes barre carries this product and will sell Joe-Public (me)  5lb blocks..  They sell ridiculous amounts of this cheese to local pizza shops every month..  Sysco, and Maines also carry this product, but will not sell anything less than the the 40lb blocks..  This cheese is tasty creamy and not at all stringy like Mozzarella, unless you overcook it and turn it into vulcanized rubber..