Friday Night Pizza

Mighty_Quinn · February 2012

I went for another high heat (800* +) pizza cook and had fantastic results. Homemade crust with sourdough starter, yeast, water, and bread flour. 1st pie is fresh mozz and ham....second is fresh mozz, kalamata olives, spinach. Both baked for about 4 minutes on top of the adjustable rig. The needle was pegged on the dome thermometer. I really need to get an IR thermometer so I can have an idea of the temperature of the stone.

This was easily the best pizza i've made on the Egg.

IrishDevl · February 2012

Nicely done...

jmsmrdk · February 2012

I like the high temp pizza too. I just watch it with a flashlight The only takeout pizza we've had since the egg is a place that uses coal and cooks at 900 or so degrees. Homemade gets better every time tho

Mighty_Quinn · February 2012

I know with all of the toppings, it wasn't authentic Neapolitan, but this site has been and will be my pizza inspiration for a while.....

http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm

Doc_Eggerton · February 2012

Actually I don't understand the really high temp pizza cooking. I would appreciate some dissertation. I have had very good results at about 450.

Gato · February 2012

Very nice MQ as usual. Your pizzas look awesome. Need to get me a starter.

jmsmrdk · February 2012

thin crust pizza can be cooked at just about any temp i think. when its real hot you can get it crispy without drying it out. Thinner is better for me.toppings and cheese cook fast too. We do ours all homemade. Not perfect yet but getting there.

Mighty_Quinn · February 2012

Thanks Gato. You should be able to find a source for starter online. I'm pretty sure king Arthur flour website sells it and there is a site linked on that Neapolitan pizza site posted above.

@Doc- I wish I had a real dissertation for you. I'm trying to replicate a certain style of pizza that is the traditional style of Naples, Italy where pizza has been cooked in coal fired ovens at 900*. Check out the site I linked above. The key is high protein flour worked into a very wet dough and the absence of oil or sugar so the pizza cooks at a very high temp. This leads to a nice thin, perfectly charred crust. I have gotten good results with lower temps too, but I am trying for a certain end product.

Gato · February 2012

Yes, I checked out that site the last time you posted it. I remember them giving info on just buying an established starter. Great site.

gerhardk · February 2012

You can make your own starter fairly easily, just flour and water and some bacteria and yeast that is found on the flour. A lot of experts in the baking world figure that it does not matter what culture you start with you will eventually end up with the culture native to your area and the flour you use.

Gerhard

Mighty_Quinn · February 2012

I've seen methods too that call for taking chunks of apples and let them sit in some water to make a slurry and leaving that sit out on the counter for a few days to attract wild yeasts and bacteria and then strain and mix that water with flour to get the starter going.

jmsmrdk · February 2012

I've seen methods too that call for taking chunks of apples and let them sit in some water to make a slurry and leaving that sit out on the counter for a few days to attract wild yeasts and bacteria and then strain and mix that water with flour to get the starter going.

that sounds cool

Mighty_Quinn · February 2012

So I was a little off...keep the lid covered on the apple water slurry to propagate the yeasts in/on the apple naturally. You're not collecting wild yeasts from the air.

http://williamalexander.com/bread/levain.cfm

I got my starter from a local bakery/cafe that does sourdough, so asking someplace local might be a good option if your have an artisan baker around you.

gerhardk · February 2012

http://www.breadtopia.com/make-your-own-sourdough-starter/

Here is a link on starting a sourdough culture.

Gerhard

paulheels · February 2012

Thefreshloaf.com. Awesome bread site. To make a starter use bread flour and water. Feed twice a day. Mine took about two weeks to get going. Some may take less some even more. I keep at %100 hydration. I measure at 50g starter. 100g water. 100g bread flour.
People use rye to begin the starter, seems to have a few more bacteria and starts better. The site I posted earlier is filled with
Some very very smart helpful people. I just gave you te quick and dirty

Paul

Mighty_Quinn · February 2012

Paul- About every fourth feeding, I feed mine with rye flour. I do think it helps with the sourness.

Mighty_Quinn · February 2012

Thanks Tweev. I'm getting closer to that perfect Neapolitan pie. This time I left out commercial yeast and just let my starter do the work. The dough probably could have fermented another day to help out the texture. 24 hours wasn't enough this time without the boost from instant yeast.

MaskedMarvel · February 2012

Anyone else read these dough threads and realize they have SO MUCH to learn?

Randy1 · February 2012

Gato · February 2012

Anyone else read these dough threads and realize they have SO MUCH to learn?

I feel the exact same way. I have fed alot of things in my time, but this wasn't one of them. I think we can catch up though.

SteveWPBFL · February 2012

I don't think the high heat method works with Publix pizza dough, though

We tried it in an Large that stabilized at 650F with a legs-up platesetter, grid, and pizza stone. While finishing up the pies the Egg creeped up to 750F so we dialed her back down to a stable-again 650F. Burned three pies in a row, charred the bottoms black, before 'getting it', i.e. the stone was tfh!

Pulled the stone, cooled the Egg down to 450F and stabilized, put the stone back in and stabilized again at 450F and all was well.

So.

Yeah.

Lots evidently depends on the dough!

Shadyman · February 2012

Just added a baking stone, going to try the high heat method for lunch.

Mighty_Quinn · February 2012

I wouldn't try pizzas over 600 or so with oil or sugar in the dough....they'll burn. I'm guessing the publix dough has both....most, if not all store bought dough does. Try a good pizzeria if you're not into making your own. No worries if using lower temps...you can still make fantastic pizza...I do it all the time, it's just not the real deal Naples style.

EZEGG · February 2012

Nice pizza cook! Looks excellent! I LOVE some simple pizza cooked super hot and fast on the egg.

*** Just remember to watch your dome band getting loose at those high temps... Don't want to see anyone dump the top of their egg onto the patio.... Yikes!

EZEGG · February 2012

Oh and here is the best setup I have found for high heat pizza. I tried the legs up with grid and I think too much heat gets to the bottom of the stone...

Mighty_Quinn · February 2012

My setup was adjustable rig with stone on top...about 2" abve the felt and a stone for indirect on the level below that...similar to what you do, but without the plate setter and higher in the dome. The extra height helps cook the toppings faster from the heat off the dome without the crust burning.

NecessaryIndulg · February 2012

I made this pizza the other night with Publix dough. I had my LBGE cranked -- it took about 6 minutes. No problems at all.

Chubbs · February 2012

That pic is magazine worthy.

paulheels · February 2012

@mighty_quinn. If you want more sour bread, let it set a few days after you feed it. But, you won't get very good rise either.

Friday Night Pizza

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