Hi Peter,
The ingredients i’m using right now are more a function of what I have on hand, but I’m working on finding Grande cheese. I called Grande and inquired where I might purchase their cheese. They told me they don’t sell retail, but Gordon Food Service is an authorized distributor in the Detroit area, and my best bet is to check out one of their stores. So that’s on my list of things to do today. I’m still searching for where to buy Stanislaus for my sauce, and in the mean time, i’ve just been using Dei Fratelli Tomato Puree (28oz) and adding a mixture of spices. As for the flour, I am using King Arthur - Sir Lancelot (high gluten bread flour)… I’ll also be switching this up based on the discoveries you have made in that area. The Kroger cheese was just their stock 8oz bag of shredded low moisture mozzarella.
I would say the amount of oil used (2T) is spot on. I think the amount of “crunch” in the dough is comparable to a real Jet’s pizza. The flavor of the sauce i use isn’t comparable to jets, but I think nailing the quantity is the first step. The amount of cheese used (7.5oz) seemed high. I think i’ll order a Jets 8x10 cheese only pizza today and deconstruct. See how well i can separate the cheese from the sauce. I’ll post my results.
My process (8x10 cheese only)
Weigh dough ingredients:
Flour - 200.92g
H20 - 130.6g
ADY (Fleischmann, ADY) - 0.77g
Salt (Kosher) - 3.52g
Sugar - 4.4g
Microwave H20 to get to about 100deg F.
Add ADY, salt, sugar to mixing bowl
Add water
Add flour
Mix on low until incorporated (~2min)
Mix on 4 (medium) for 8 min.
In my most recent attempt, i threw the dough ball on my scale, and it was 11.9oz after mixing.
I put the dough in a plastic container, and proof it in the oven for 1 hour @ 100deg. After an hour, i add 2T corn oil to my 8x10 blue steel pan, and use a brush to distribute the oil on the sides and bottom. I then transfer the dough to the pan, and do my best to stretch it to fill the pan. I cover the pan with a wet towel and put it back in the oven for 1 hour @ 100deg. I then remove it from the oven, and let it stand at room temperature until I’m ready to make a pizza.
To cook the pizza, i preheat my oven to 550 degrees. I use the regular “Bake” setting… (vs convection)
I have my rack set in the middle of the oven. No pizza stone, I place the 8x10 pan directly on the rack.
For this latest attempt, i added 3.5oz sauce, and 7.5oz cheese. Next attempt i’ll reduce the cheese to 3.75oz… or i’ll use the amount from my jet’s “experiment”
I find that the pizza needs to be cooked for a total of 10 to 12 minutes. However, I always watch the pizza, and when the cheese starts to brown up, i put aluminum foil over the pizza, and let it continue to cook.
For this attempt, after 7 minutes, the cheese was starting to brown, so I quickly placed foil over my pan, and let it continue to cook for the full 10 to 12 minutes.
After cooking, i take the pizza out and let it cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. I find if i let it rest in the pan, it’s easier to release from the pan. To release from the pan, i use a plastic spatula, slide it around the edges, and then “pop” it out onto a cooling rack. I let it cool for another 5 to 10 min, transfer to cutting board and slice it up.
