Those pies look great. What is your dough formulation and mixing procedure?
Thanks Tbomb!
It has taken a ton of pies but I think I have something decent to work with now. The last batch was a bit better yet
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,8443.0.html, and as usual, I learn something new every time. So even though I'm sure it will change again, here is the current formula and process. Excuse the volume measurements (still no scale) and the seemingly tiny amounts, but that is how I have been making adjustments a bit at a time. Actually, I believe this is pretty close to what you have been doing and posting about, minus the oil.
4 3/4 C + 3 Tblsps + 1 tsp KABF (textbook method)
1 2/3 C + 1 1/2 tsp water (cold, at fridge temp)
1/2 tsp IDY
1 Tblsp course ground sea salt
In KA mixer bowl, dissolve salt in water, add 3 1/2C flour, sprinkle IDY on top, mix with paddle on lowest (stir) speed until combined and no visible lumps of flour remain, should not yet look like a dough but more of a scraggy blob. Cover with kitchen towel for 20 min rest. Knead with dough hook on lowest speed for 3 minutes, will come together as a very wet dough that will cling to the sides of the bowl as the hook works thru it. At the 3 minute mark with the mixer still running on the lowest speed, begin adding the remaining flour a large spoonful at a time. With the KA C hook, things now get interesting. As the flour is added it will end up on the bottom of the bowl and as it incorporates these things will happen. The dough will start to firm up and begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl, the dough will start clinging to the hook and start crawling up the hook, and the bottom of the dough ball will start to become very dry while the top of the ball (now up high on the hook) will remain quite wet. Thanks KA for a great design
. This continues to worsen thru the process. For the first few additions of flour, no problem, but as soon as I notice the above starting to happen, I stop the mixer, slide the ball off the hook, reverse it so what was the top is now the bottom (more or less), then start mixing and adding flour again. The first time the above happens, the top of the ball is still way wet and sticky so it is a bit of a mess and reversing the ball is difficult, but just getting it off the hook helps. As more and more flour is added, the ball becomes easier to handle. Anyway, I end up repeating this off the hook reverse the ball thing prob about at least 6 - 8 times to get the last of the flour in. The idea is to get all the remaining flour in about 3 - 5 mins of actual mix time (not inc the off the hook reversal time). Once all the flour is in, reverse the ball as necs untill it is a consistent hydration. Then a final 30 sec to a min to make sure no lumps and looks smooth. Strangely, even though at this stage the ball is quite dry and stuck on the hook, it will now knead and work a little bit as the hook will squeeze the dough against the side of the bowl every few revolutions. This is the signal for the final 30 sec or so knead and done. The dough should be pretty easy to handle, good and tacky but not real sticky. Cover and 20 minute rest again. Form into 4 balls, place in oiled containers, then in the fridge for four 12-14" pies. Can be used next day, but really starts to hit its stride after 3-4, and I have gone as far as 10 days. Be sure to allow ample time out of the fridge to allow for a real good rise or oven spring will suffer. I have rushed this by boiling water in the micro then adding the dough in it's container with no ill effects, but at my room temp this time of year it is taking a good 3-4 hours.
I have found that to get this oil less dough to char decently without overbaking it to too chewy and dry, hydration is key (which I believe to be dependent on temp). Too hydrated = weak char or too chewy. As I continue to get closer to the right hydration, the char and chew are coming together and the bake time decreases, which is about 3 - 3:15 minutes currently in my oven. At this point this dough is pretty sweet. I would always like more char, of course, but the chew and moistness is very good, with more than a hint of Neapolitan/NY elite in there. Just something to keep in mind to gauge the result should you decide to try this in your oven.
Hog
