Grimaldi's Spice Blend recipe (and other ingredients/brand)

[stamina888]

Grimaldi's Spice Blend Recipe: Pecorino Romano Cheese, Black Pepper, Oregano, Powdered Cellulose.    (much simpler than I thought it would be)

The other ingredients and brands I've seen in the storage

Yeast: Red Star Compressed Fresh Wet Yeast
Ricotta: Polly-O (5 lbs)
Green Olive: Roland Pitted Queen Olive (4 lbs, 9oz)
Kalamata Olives: Roland (Pitted) (dr wt. 4.4 lbs)
Anchovies: White Crown (in soy oil) (1 lb, 12 oz)
Heavy Whipping Cream: Nature's Best
Caesar Dressing: Ken's Gourmet Caesar Dressing (1 gal)
Lemon Vinagrette: Ken's (1 gal)
Pesto: Roma Bastil Pesto Sauce
Proscuitto: Citterio
Ham: Natural Choice Premium Cherrywood Smoked Ham
Butter: Clover Dale Salted Butter (1 lb)

Fresh tomatoes and red peppers are imported from local wholesaler; this varies depending on the location.

[Yeller]

The Mediterranean salad dressing is Ken's Raspberry Vinegarette...They buy alot from Roma

[Farmageddon]

The Grimaldi's right down the street from my house uses Ardent Mills high gluten flour. They use AP as bench flour. The manager told me. He also told me they use 14 quarts of water for every 50lb bag of flour, which makes a 58.4% hydration.

They also use locatelli Romano cheese.

And Carmelina San Marazano tomatoes to make their sauce.

[SonVolt]

Any idea if they add oil to their dough?

[Farmageddon]

I just stopped by and one of the cooks was smoking out back, and I asked him. Apparently, they use 11 ounces of oil for every 50 pound bag of flour and 14 quarts of water.

[Farmageddon]

They won't actually give me the recipe, so I'm trying to get one piece of info every time I go up there so I can eventually get the whole thing.

[SonVolt]

56% hydration
1.4% oil

[HansB]

56% hydration
1.4% oil

Closer to 59% hydration.

[Farmageddon]

This is the recipe that I've come up with, although I'm missing the exact yeast and exact salt. Perhaps someone can go ask one of the cooks in their area? I should probably be able to get the exact information within a few weeks or months. I almost never go up there. I just had an errand to do today and saw these posts right before I went, so I asked when I was up there.

Here is my guess for a 50 lb. bag of flour:

Hi Gluten Flour - 22, 680 grams (50 lbs.) - 100% (confirmed)
Water - 13, 249 grams (14 qts.) - 58.4% (confirmed)
Red Star Fresh Cake Yeast - 339 grams - 1.4% (guess)
(If using IDY - 113 grams - .5%)
Salt - 454 grams - 2% (guess)
Olive Oil - 312 grams - 1.3% (confirmed)

Probably a 1-3 hour RT proof and an overnight cold ferment.

That's my best guess.

[Farmageddon]

I can confirm the exact amounts of flour, water and oil come directly from the cooks working at the Grimaldi's near my house. I've just never asked about the salt or yeast. Although, I'm planning to the next couple times I'm up there.

[Pete-zza]

I don't know if this will help but several years ago I went to a Grimaldi's in Scottsdale, AZ, where I had a chance to speak with a Grimaldi's employee and to get information about their pizzas. Soon thereafter, I posted on my visit, at Reply 16 at:

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=3669.msg54056#msg54056

Peter

[SonVolt]

Closer to 59% hydration.

Yikes! I didn't realize using Ounces yielded such drastically different baker's % than Grams.

[Farmageddon]

I don't know if this will help but several years ago I went to a Grimaldi's in Scottsdale, AZ, where I had a chance to speak with a Grimaldi's employee and to get information about their pizzas. Soon thereafter, I posted on my visit, at Reply 16 at:

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=3669.msg54056#msg54056

Peter

It was that post that inspired me to go all deep cover snooping around my local Grimaldi's!

[Farmageddon]

Because Pete confirmed in the aforementioned thread that an 18 inch pie is 14 oz, here is what I'm guessing the exact measurements are for 1 18 inch pizza:

Total weight - 14 oz - 397 grams

Hi gluten flour - 245 grams - 100%
Water - 143 grams - 58.4%
IDY Yeast - 1.2 grams - .5%
Salt - 4.9 grams  - 2%
Olive Oil - 3.3 grams - 1.3%

[Farmageddon]

I just made two pizzas using this Grimaldi's dough formulation above, (except I used IDY and I upped the salt to 2.5%) and I can confirm - it's 99% exactly the same. Virtually indistinguishable from the ones I get at the restaurant. They even looked exactly the same.

I forgot to take pictures. :/

I'm actually making a couple pizzas using Andrew Belluci's dough recipe and technique next. After I make those,  I'll make some more using the Grimaldi's dough recipe next week and upload the pics.

Thanks for all your help, guys! This is such a wonderful resource.

[Pete-zza]

Thanks for all your help, guys! This is such a wonderful resource.

Farmageddon,

You are not too shabby yourself .

I look forward to the photos.

Peter

[SonVolt]

I just made two pizzas using this Grimaldi's dough formulation above, (except I used IDY and I upped the salt to 2.5%) and I can confirm - it's 99% exactly the same. Virtually indistinguishable from the ones I get at the restaurant. They even looked exactly the same.

Did you use a rolling pin (or wine bottle) by any chance? Something about Grimaldi's dough doesn't look 100% hand-stretched... it's by far my favorite chain pizza joint and we're getting on here in town this year.

[Farmageddon]

Did you use a rolling pin (or wine bottle) by any chance? Something about Grimaldi's dough doesn't look 100% hand-stretched... it's by far my favorite chain pizza joint and we're getting on here in town this year.

You know, I've been wondering about this, as well. There is such uniformity of thickness to their dough, from middle to crust, I'm just not able to achieve that. I can get close hand stretching, but I guess I just need to practice more. I'm still able to get it super thin, but toward the crust is a bit thicker. Which is fine for me, because I like crust.

But to answer your question, I do hand stretching. I'm thinking of doing a YouTube video about how to make a Grimaldi's pizza because I'm pretty sure I've got their recipe down now (with the help of this forum). I'll let you know when I do the video. Should be within the next couple months.

But I'll post some good pictures when I make some more pizzas next week to show you all what mine are looking like. They're almost indistinguishable from the ones I get at the restaurant.

[Farmageddon]

The video and guide I use on how to stretch a pizza is this one:
https://youtu.be/GtAeKM_f2WU

I know it's been posted before, but I still find it the best and most helpful one I've seen.

[9slicePie]

But I'll post some good pictures when I make some more pizzas next week to show you all what mine are looking like. They're almost indistinguishable from the ones I get at the restaurant.

Looking forward to those pics