More Charring, Less Browning

[s00da]

I use a high-temp oven (700-800) and I noticed different results in terms of charring and crust color. Sometimes the pies come more charred and whiter in color and some other time they are just a little less charred but more bread-brown colored. These results occur even within pies from the same dough.

How can I control that? Is it purely a temperature-related issue or it also has to do with hydration % and flour type?

[Pete-zza]

Saad,

All of the things you mentioned are factors but it is hard to generalize from them to specific situations. It is easier to address specific examples. For example, are you using sugar in the dough and, if so, how much and what is the fermentation protocol (e.g., room temperature or cold fermentation) and fermentation time?  Then, what kind of flour are you using? The hydration may be a factor (because of its effect on the rate of fermentation) but it is not quite as important as the residual sugar in the dough at the time of baking, the protein content of the flour, and the general baking protocol.

Peter

[s00da]

Pete,

Thanks for replying.

My dough is as follows:

50:50 (GM bread+GM AP)
Water: 66.67%
Salt: 1.66%
ADY: 0.54%

I use a 72 hours cold fermentation and I let the dough for 2 hours at room temperature before baking.

Saad

[s00da]

Ok I lied 

Sometimes I rush and use the dough after 48 hours of cold fermentation but never before. As for the pre-bake time, it's 1:30 to 2:30 hours depending on how much the dough has risen.

But my previous post is more generalized and is the actual case 85% of the times.

Saad

[Pete-zza]

Saad,

Since you are not adding sugar to the dough, and assuming that the flour or flour blend is a constant, then the varying crust coloration is most likely because of varying levels of residual sugar in the dough at the time of baking. After about two days of cold fermentation, the residual sugar levels will be lower (because of consumption by the yeast), manifesting itself by a lighter colored finished crust.

Peter

[s00da]

Actually my goal is to make it lighter in color than it is right now. I guess leaving it ferment longer wouldn't make much of a difference as I go up to 72 hours sometimes. Do I have other options?

[Essen1]

Question for you....

I don't know if I understood your initial post correctly but it sounds like you want a light-colored crust with some leoparding on it, correct? Like the pizze in Naples, right?

You might want to try a combo of 75% Caputo Pizzeria and 25% AP or Bread flour and combine that with a longer fermentation time. At least that's what I would start out with and adjust those two variables accordingly, one dough at a time.

[s00da]

Essen,

Thanks for using the term "leoparding" as it is the best way to describe what I have in mind. My current crust gets a nice "leoparding" but the rest of it is definitely not light-colored. I really want more contrast if I should say.

Can you please let me know the reason behind your suggestion? I would like to get a better understanding so I can better adjust my end results.

Saad