Sleepless - Send me your Pizza Questions/Concerns

So… I’ve been answering a number of Pizza forum questions in my sleep last night. 

Particularly, Skydogg41 – you made me sit up in bed at 2am (and been awake ever since) with cooking pies at 800 degrees and Skiddymarker for your excellent idea to use an airbake cookie sheet to assist with even cooking – Brilliant.

Look… I’m no pizza expert. I’ve never even worked in a pizzeria but I’ve dreamt of owning one (it will never happen).  I have made pizza for years. My love affair with flatbread started on a BGE before building a brick oven. I now make about 300 to 400 pizzas a year.  It may sound like a lot but when hosting 50 to 70 people at a time, with a pay-as-you-eat cash bar setup, you will go through some pies. Of that, I might make 200 dough balls by hand. I cheat all the time… and might encourage you to do the same.

I’ve spent the last few hours writing an Epic Pizza Post in my mind. The post became too large so I broke it into two postings i.e. 1) Thin Crust Pizza 2) New York Style.

Here is a preview… an analogy I couldn’t get off my mind.

Making pizza is like a golf tee swing ...with the end being something magical you stand and admire as it fades unto the distance. Anybody can make pizza as anybody can whack a ball. The more you learn about the golf swing in many ways the harder it becomes because the more you strive for distance…the more things can go wrong. Your body setup and positioning are vital to success.  Multiple factors are in play simultaneously to achieve your goal.  Great Pizza is much the same with greatness coming from many factors.  How hard you work at the game will go a long way in the outcome.

Shydogg41 – A number of things could have led to you to slicing that metaphorical tee shot 100 yards into the woods. It’s all about your setup and how you execute the swing and follow through. It all has to work in unison. Thus, by nature of this forum, its really hard to see your stance and how you execute the swing. That thought kept me awake and prompted this post. I’m obsessed with air in my dough. I must find a way to convey that in writing. Pizza Dough… good pizza dough… is unfortunately hard to work with and unforgiving.  Flour selection is key when making your own dough. More pointed, the right protein within the dough for the given temperature you want to cook at will make a HUGE difference. If you really want to cook at 800 degrees then Antico Molino Napoli Antimo Caputo '00' is the way to go. It’s a good throwing dough – designed for thin crust pizza.  If you want to a want to cook at 450 to 600 degrees (which I would recommend) king arthur perfect pizza blend (recipe included on their website) is a good choice. 

I’m long winded… sorry about that.  Hit me with pizza questions and I will create two book-like posts to show you what I do and how I do it.  It may take a few months to make that post – I will need to test some theories on my BGE to ensure I’m not leading anybody astray.  It will be a hard job but me and my neighbors will tackle this challenge… my stomach thanks you already. 

All the best, 

Caveman Cook