How to retain bottom crispiness ?

[schibetta]

Hi,

I have a few questions about how to retain some crispiness in the bottom of my pizza after it is baked. I bake my pizza on a Pizza Steel.

I recently got a cooling rack that I used today (I simply put my pizza on it after it was taking out of the oven and let it cool for 2 minutes)

Then I cut the slices on my wooden board and put the slices on a plate with a lid on it so that the slices remain warm

Most of the first slices were crispy especially the very first but after that I lose some crispiness..

I have to say for the cheese I use Buffalo Mozzarella "post-bake" that I tried to drain in my fridge overnight, maybe the cheese was still a bit watery and it leaked some water while the slices were on the plate. The main topping is some mushrooms that I precooked prior to bake.

Maybe I'd need to make a test with some low-moisture cheese ?

Are there some tips I could try ? Maybe while I eat the first slices I could put again the others slices on my pizza steel for a while so that they get crispy again ?

The very first slice was so good.... Another option would be to bake a bit longer the pizza, so that it remains crispy a bit longer ?

thanks and happy pizza making

[02ebz06]

put the slices on a plate with a lid on it so that the slices remain warm

That is going to keep steam in and soften it.

Also, I slide the pizza back on to a perforated tray after cutting, so moisture can escape from the bottom.

[schibetta]

That is going to keep steam in and soften it.

Also, I slide the pizza back on to a perforated tray after cutting, so moisture can escape from the bottom.

that makes sense

Maybe I should put the slices on the cooling rack again after they are cut ? that would have the same effect than your perforated tray ?

And stop using a lid above my slices

[amolapizza]

I think that would probably help, and also reheating slices really is ace!

On the other hand the acid test of a pizza is, once it starts to get cold and maybe even more so when it's completely lost the heat!

[Pete-zza]

schibetta,

A former member who used to make pizzas professionally once told the forum how another pizza maker, at the famous Patsy’s pizzeria, kept a crispy bottom crust of their pizzas. The trick was to let the pizza sit for about ten minutes and then put it back into the oven again for another minute. The member posted this method in the opening sentences of Reply 137, at:

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=1053.msg10191#msg10191

Another member later said that he used a very similar method, at Reply 28 at:

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=7951.msg68518#msg68518

Peter

[schibetta]

schibetta,

A former member who used to make pizzas professionally once told the forum how another pizza maker, at the famous Patsy’s pizzeria, kept a crispy bottom crust of their pizzas. The trick was to let the pizza cook for about ten minutes and then put it back into the oven again for another minute. The member posted this method in the opening sentences of Reply 137, at:

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=1053.msg10191#msg10191

Another member later said that he used a very similar method, at Reply 28 at:

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=7951.msg68518#msg68518

Peter

I will try that method. (the one where you reheat the slices for a few minutes)

[schibetta]

sorry for double posting but there is also another thing.

I use 4% oil in my dough, if I lower this value to 2.5/3% could it result in more crispiness to the bottom ?

[Pete-zza]

sorry for double posting but there is also another thing.

I use 4% oil in my dough, if I lower this value to 2.5/3% could it result in more crispiness to the bottom ?

schibetta,

Another member recently asked me basically the same question. And here is the answer I gave him:

I believe that some oil is a good idea but not too much. The oil helps retain water in the dough so that it does not evaporate while, at the same time it leads to a softer, more porous texture, one with insulative properties. So, when the pizza bakes, the heat does not pass through the crust as quickly but rather concentrates at the bottom of the crust, leading to a crispier crust.

You can see an example of the above in this post by the late Tom Lehmann:

Reply 1 at https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=60982.msg609714;topicseen#msg609714

If you use too much oil, there is the likelihood that the inner part of the crust will be too soft. You may still get some crispiness but it may be somewhat negated by the soft part of the crust.

The best way to answer your question is to simply run a few experiments with your recipe where you use no oil at all, a modest amount of oil, and a lot of oil, and, based on your oven temperature and bake times, see what works best for you.


Peter

[peetzabone]

sorry for double posting but there is also another thing.

I use 4% oil in my dough, if I lower this value to 2.5/3% could it result in more crispiness to the bottom ?

As Pete-zza alludes to below I think you may have a bit too much oil in your formula. I use 2% and am pretty happy w/ my crispiness.

[9slicePie]

The trick was to let the pizza cook for about ten minutes and then put it back into the oven again for another minute.

Need to correct this,,, the link says to let the pizza SIT for 10 minutes after he cooks it, not cook for 10 minutes.

[Pete-zza]

Need to correct this,,, the link says to let the pizza SIT for 10 minutes after he cooks it, not cook for 10 minutes.

9slicePie,

Thank you for catching that. I have fixed it.

Peter

[Wazza McG]

In my house oven I use two stones at the mid and top levels.  I place the pizza on the top level to cook and then place on the mid shelf for the last minute.

Also, consider the sauce - I use Mutti diced tomatoes (can), I always drain the bulk of the juice in a sieve for a minute or two.

Another thing to consider is to use a "percentage" of semolina flour.  Semolina flour is typically used for pasta, but can also be used in pizza's for a crispy and chewy crust!

Regards
Warren

[schibetta]

So I made some little changes :

- I let my pizza cool for a few minutes on my cooling rack

- I transfer it on a wooden board and cut the slices

- I immediately put the slices on the cooling rack without any lids

the bottom crust stays crispy that way

for the last slices that get lukewarm/a bit cold what I do now :

- I don't turn off my oven when the pizza is baked and so I put the slices that I want to reheat on the hot steel for just 30 secondes and they get hot very fast that way, and crispy too