2 Disasters in a Row

[Smith1026]

Oh the pizza looked beautiful in the official 16" cutter pan I was using. But there was horror lying beneath, ghost white crust. ARG!

I was able to save the meal by turning on the cook top and rotating the pan every minute or so, such that it browned up a bit. 

As far as I know, I followed the DKM recipe verbatum. My guess is that the heating element in my oven is not ideal. It is pretty much just a square that goes around the bottom edges of the oven. So there was no direct heat below the pan.

My only thought for a solution besides replacing the element (which I don't know if there are any better elements) is to use a stone as heat storage, preheat the oven for at least an hour, and lay the pan on the stone. Would this work at all or would it work to well and burn the bottom?

TIA,

Jeff

[Pete-zza]

Jeff,

I assume that you used the DKM recipe at http://www.pizzamaking.com/pizzainnstyle.php. Although that recipe calls for using all-purpose flour, when I conducted several experiments with DKM's recipe, as did several other members, at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,5762.0.html, I found that I preferred using a bread flour such as the General Mills Harvest King flour (now renamed Better for Bread flour). I believe that the higher protein content of that flour contributed to the final crust color. I might also add in this regard that DKM has indicated elsewhere on the forum that one can use all-purpose, bread or high-gluten flour with his recipe. Some of us also found that it helped bottom crust browning to coat the cutter pan with oil (fairly liberally) before placing the rolled out skin into the cutter pan. One member (Jackitup/Jon) used rolled-out skins that were brushed with olive oil or butter (or ghee) and placed on aluminum foil in lieu of a cutter pan.

In one case, I used another member's version of DKM's recipe in which I used all-purpose flour and pre-baked the skin--without first pre-oiling--directly on a preheated pizza stone for several minutes before dressing the pizza and finishing the bake, also on the pizza stone. As you will see at Replies 138/139 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,5762.msg53443.html#msg53443, the bottom of the crust, while fully baked and crispy, was still on the light side.

Peter

[Smith1026]

Actually, I used King Arthur Bread Flour so I guess I lied about the verbatim part. I am wanting to get more of a fried texture on the crust so I'll try the oil solution first. Thanks for the reply.

Jeff

[corduroy9]

I like to cook a pie (especially thin crust) in a pan on a stone until the cheese just starts to brown, then pull it out of the pan and place directly on the stone for 1-3 minutes to crisp the bottom.  You won't need oil to get a nice texture.  Good luck!

[JConk007]

You have to par bake this recipe. I use a very light touch o crisco on my DKMdid your dough look like the brain dough and did you roll it out. how thin? the pics in the deep dish pan are par baked you can see the bubbles that have formed to make the cracker crust here is a example of my 1st DKM a house favorite http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7592.0.html heres with a touch more experience I will be making this again soon after revisiting
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7872.0.html
John

[Smith1026]

It did have that brainy appearance. Again I have been caught in a lie about the verbatim thing, as I did parbake it, but perhaps not enough. It was about 1/8"-1/16" thick. There was not much crust for the cutter pan to remove so perhaps I need to go thinner on the roll out.

Thanks again all for the help.

[Mad_Ernie]

Smith1026:

1/8 - 1/16" is still too thick for this kind of dough.  We are talking probably even less than a few millimeters here, not English measurements, otherwise it will be too thick and won't properly bake the crust all the way through.  You'll end up with burnt cheese and toppings for a nice crust.  Par-baking is another good step.  Can you insert a thermometer in your oven to verify the temperature?  It should cook okay at 450 degrees, but higher is preferred.

[Smith1026]

I am not trying to be a smartass, but by my reckoning an 1/8" is ~3mm and 1/16" is 1.5mm, both would qualify to me as "less than a few millimeters." Did you mean less than 1mm?

[JConk007]

 Look at the last pic here again  dsc0003573  . http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7592.msg65181.html#msg65181
The dough is rolled out  as thin as my scraper! how many MM I have no idea but almost see thru! thinner than I ever though it should be, but thats the thickness you want .
Very THIN =Very YUMMY

[Smith1026]

10-4, I'll give it another whack if I ever get off the road.