First Cracker Style w/ Pics

[Steve973]

I followed the Pizza Inn recipe found on the recipe page of this site, and I enjoyed making it.  All in all it was a success, but the pizza was definitely underdone for the amount of time the instructions called for - ten minutes @ 375F.  When I make NY style pizza, everything gets hot enough for the cheese and sauce to sort of homogenize, but I will have to work on that aspect, and the browning/crisping of the crust on subsequent tries.  So, here are the links to the pictures:

Sheeted and trimmed dough:
http://i48.tinypic.com/2ikffrn.jpg

Side view:
http://i50.tinypic.com/rlax47.jpg

Dressed and in the oven:
http://i46.tinypic.com/2rn7bcj.jpg

Done and cut:
http://i48.tinypic.com/332ckqx.jpg

Slice on plate:
http://i47.tinypic.com/2nos4g.jpg

Tips, comments, and criticism are always welcome!

[JConk007]

Steve,
 Nice work and dont give up! I love this style crust and have it down pretty good it a house favorite now and I am making this weekend as shown here. Questions I have are
Did you use a dough Docker?
Did you par/pre bake crust?
Do you have a dark metal cutter pan?
What was the recipe exact you used ?
Here was my first attemp that cooked up in 10 min or less  but I did bake crust for few before topping.  http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7592.0.html
and this was my second attempt at this wonderful recipe. http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7872.0.html
 cutter pan not really required I used a deep dish for one but it does help.
good luck! keep posting!!!
John

[Steve973]

I used the Pizza Inn recipe on this site ( http://www.pizzamaking.com/pizzainnstyle.php ) and followed those directions exactly.  I have cutter pans on order from pizzatools.com, but I was anxious to try this, so I used a perforated pizza pan.  I didn't get any burn marks where the holes were, so that part was no problem.  The pan is fairly dark, but I can't yet compare them to the ones I'll be getting.  I parbaked the crust for 4 minutes before topping, then I baked an additional 10+ minutes at 375F.

[JConk007]

so you are good to go ! those are the pans I use as well.
Please post your successes.
John

[BTB]

Steve, it sounds like you took all the right steps, except . . . oven temperature.  It should have been baked at 475 degrees F, not 375.  Looks good but for the light color.

[Steve973]

BTB,

Hahaha, good catch!  That would definitely explain a lot.  Next time I will be sure to avoid that mistake!

[Pete-zza]

Steve,

What kind of flour did you use?

Peter

[Steve973]

Peter,

I used all-purpose flour.

[Pete-zza]

I used all-purpose flour.

Steve,

The recipe you used is versatile enough to be able to use with all-purpose flour, bread flour and high-gluten flour. However, I found the all-purpose flour to yield a lighter crust. In most of my experiments with the DKM recipe (detailed at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,5762.0.html), I used the Harvest King flour (now sold as Better for Bread flour) and thought that that flour did a better job crust color-wise. Other members in other threads have indicated a preference for high-gluten flour for cracker-style pizzas.

Peter

[Steve973]

Peter,

Thanks for the info.  Because of your suggestion, I made 2 dough balls today with King Arthur Bread Flour.  My cutter pans from pizzatools.com arrived today, so I will be using them tomorrow.  I am confident that your advice about the higher-gluten flour combined with the proper pans (and, ahem, the proper oven temperature) will surely spell out success.

On another note, I will be making two pizzas, and I will compare the sauce recipe described in the recipe section ( http://www.pizzamaking.com/thincrust.php ) with my own.  I'm skeptical about the proportion (and even the use) of thyme in the recipe, but I am open to trying it!  I'll post pictures and details tomorrow sometime after lunch.  Cheers!

[Steve973]

The cutter pans worked great, but I'm still not sure I'm getting the right results.  I made the dough with King Arthur bread flour, but I didn't get too much browning, and only the crust rim had appreciable crispness. 

[Pete-zza]

Steve,

Did you use the volume measurements specified in the recipe or the weight measurements where you weighed the flour and water using a scale?

Peter

[Steve973]

I used a scale for water and flour, and I used volume measurements for sugar, salt, oil, and ADY.  By the way, the ADY was rehydrated in the water prior to its addition.

[Pete-zza]

Steve,

Making the cracker style pizza in a home setting can be a bit tricky, in good part because the skins have to be rolled out using a rolling pin. By contrast, a commercial sheeter or roller can produce a more uniform skin thickness. With a rolling pin in a home setting, it is hard to get a consistent skin thickness and weight after it has been trimmed to size from a larger skin that may not always be of uniform diameter (i.e., it typically has a ragged edge). This can result in a finished crust thickness that is not always consistent from one effort to another. That might mean that you will end up with a thicker, more tender crust when you wanted a thinner, more crispy one.

As I noted at Reply 159 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,5762.msg71979.html#msg71979, I discovered that there were several types of cracker crusts, from a fairly thick and tender one to one that is fairly brittle and crispy, and others in between. I found that I preferred a more crispy cracker style crust than a tender one. So, to achieve that result, I lowered the thickness factor I used. Maybe that is something that you might try, if only to help you define what specific qualities, including texture, you want for your particular cracker style pizzas.

Peter

[Mad_Ernie]

Steve:

Are you adding any dusting flour to the dough as you roll it out to keep from sticking?  If so, how much?

-ME

[Steve973]

Peter,

Thanks - I'll try going a bit thinner next time.  I really hope I can get a bit more browning, too.  I even turned up my oven to 525 with convection, but it didn't make a ton of difference.  I think it's time to try (after the normal par-baking) dressing the pizza and cooking it on the stone.

Ernie,

I dust the counter a little bit, then roll the dough out.  When it is stretched pretty well, I flip it over and finish the rolling.  Then I put it into the pan and dock with a fork.  The rest is history.

[BTB]

I generally have no problem with getting fairly good color and crispness with my 14" nonperforated cutter pan, slightly oiled or with a sweep of shortening (sometimes with a little corn meal or semolina sprinkled over the pan), par baked for 4 to 5 minutes, dressed and baked on the bottom rack at 475 degrees F (if heating elements are visible -- mine are not -- up the rack level a little).  I usually add a tsp. of baker's NFDM to the formula.  I strongly disagree with the use of a home oven convection feature as it will only brown the top and leave the bottom of the crust less cooked.  The home oven convection feature is only a fan blowing warm air around and not getting deep into whatever is being cooked, roasts too.  I use mine very sparingly only to brown things up when not otherwise getting the color I want on its own.  A stone works for many, but I don't use mine much any more. As Peter said, getting it real thin is the challenge and his suggestion on warming the dough at roll out time is really helpful.  Trial and error is all you can do.