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Twist on a Pizza Dough Recipe

Fidel
Fidel Posts: 10,172
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I've been trying to perfect a pizza dough recipe to replicate my favorite place, the Mellow Mushroom. I am awful close. This one was the best to date, bar none.

1.25 cups of spring water (bottled)
2 tsp molasses

Heat the water and molasses to 117*, stir well to dissolve the molasses.

Add 2 tsp rapid rise yeast, stirring as you add to dissolve. Let yeast activate and bloom for at least 20 minutes.

In mixer bowl combine
3 cups bread flour
2 tsp table salt
1 tsp garlic granules

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients until it comes together. Once it forms a dough ball add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Then knead for 20 minutes. At the very end of the kneading process add 1.5 tsp each of minced dried basil and oregano. Continue kneading just to combine. Form into 2 balls, lightly flour, and allow to rise loosely covered at room temp for 3 hours.

Form pizzas and bake on a well heated pizza stone at 550* for 10-12 minutes. I start mine on a pizza screen until the dough is firm enough to transfer it to the pizza stone - roughly halfway through the cook.

The interior of the crust was springy and chewy, the exterior was crisp and crunchy. I am getting close, but I thought this one was good enough to share.

RawPie121708.jpg

Setup1217108.jpg

AlmostDone121708.jpg

DonePie121708.jpg

DoneCloseup121708.jpg

Comments

  • Very nice looking Rod. We will have to try that out. I cooked 10 pizzas the other night for Kendall's graduation party, so it will probably be a few weeks before we eat another pizza. The pics are great looking too, your flames almost look like they are photoshop'd in. I don't know if you saw my reply in a post the other day, but thanks for the Christmas card, good looking kids!
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Thanks for sharing. I've been working hard on pizza, and have passed from semi-awful to mostly edible. The molasses sounds really interesting.

    As a return for your recipe, let me offer that prosciutto, cut into squares, make a really good, if expensive, topping.
  • Looks good Rod,

    I was going to ping you to see if you can get this there. It's a lot like Kilkenny.

    DSC_0126-1-1.jpg

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Thanks for the recipe Rod.
    Ross
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Oh yea, a little too light for my taste, but it is everywhere around here.
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    The molasses is the key to this recipe. The restaurant I am trying to copy allegedly uses molasses instead of sugar in their recipe. The protect their recipe pretty closely and won't sell their raw dough no matter how much I beg and plead with them. The Mellow Mushroom is pretty much a regional chain - they started in Atlanta and have spread to a few other states I believe.

    I found that the dough cooked up a little darker, but I didn't detect any flavor difference.

    I'm going to use 1/2 bread flour and 1/2 high gluten flour in the next batch to see what happens - although I am quite happy with the consistency of this batch.
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Thanks Barrett. The flames are real and that photo was freehand and no flash. If it wasn't raining I would have busted out the tripod and got some really good shots. At least the rain is my excuse for being lazy.
  • Looks like you're going to have to get a part-time job at the Mellow Mushroom, just to crack the code. :laugh: Even then though, I bet they don't make the dough in the stores, it's probably shipped to them ready to go.

    Thanks for sharing the recipe and pics though, that pizza looks excellent!
  • BENTE
    BENTE Posts: 8,337
    looks really good rod ;)

    happy eggin

    TB

    Anderson S.C.

    "Life is too short to be diplomatic. A man's friends shouldn't mind what he does or says- and those who are not his friends, well, the hell with them. They don't count."

    Tyrus Raymond Cobb

  • i have been eating MM pizza since 1975 and chasing this same dog for about 15 years with no luck ... lately have been adding different amounts of whole wheat flour and evoo to try and duplicate the color of the inside of MM's crust ... will have to try yours soon ... thanks, david
  • What's the significance of 117? What's your stove settings to hit this & what are you measuring the temp with? Is it easy to maintain?

    MM is awesome stuff...a big fan myself as well...

    Thanks!
  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
    That is utterly spectacular looking pie in every conceivable respect Rod
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
    I got addicted to Boddingtons on a cruise ship of all places
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
  • My first Boddingtons was in the UK Pub at Epcot... I'll never forget that day, it's the day my wife and I officially started dating. B)
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Well, 117* was just the temp I hit - I am for 115-120.

    Usually this is a minute or so in the microwave. I check it with my handy dandy thermapen. Once the yeast is added I cover with a towel to maintain the heat and allow it to slowly dissipate.

    These temps get the yeast to bloom really quickly and the mixture will have a nice foamy head on it within 15-20 minutes.
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Coming from a pizza guru like you I'll take that as a highest form of compliment.

    You know, I meant to add some bomba to the sauce and I got so tied up in the dough procedure I forgot to add it.
  • Darnoc
    Darnoc Posts: 2,661
    Looks great Rod.I am a pizza fanatic myself always looking for the perfect crust.The addition of spring water instead of beer gets my interest plus the molasses in the mix as well.Why did you opt to put the pie on the screen first then remove half way to finish the cook rather than on the stone from start to finish?
  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
    Fidel, when you get ready to do that, try the bomba as the sauce, not with the sauce, it is an euphoric experience
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
  • JLOCKHART29
    JLOCKHART29 Posts: 5,897
    Rod the camra shots are great!!! That looks so good and thinks for posting the recipe. Going to try a pizza again and want to do it from scratch.
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Did you say beer? You have my attention! The molasses was an internet search "secret tip" and I have to say it worked very nicely. The yeast seemed to really like it.

    I use the screen prior to direct placement on the stone for two reasons. First, it is easier to move the pie. From kitchen to the egg. Secondly, it allows a little moisture to escape from the dough making it more crisp on the bottom without as much risk of burning.
  • Big'un
    Big'un Posts: 5,909
    Wow, my wife would be really ticked if I started dating! :whistle:
  • Darnoc
    Darnoc Posts: 2,661
    Yes indeed.I always use beer instead of water in my dough.I like full bodied beers for this use.A good micro brew,Lowenbrau,St. Pauli Girl, or whatever is in the house at the time.Stir it up a bit to make it somewhat flat and bring it to the temperature that you want before putting the yeast or yeast mixture in.
  • Looks great, Fidel, and thanks for the update on your research.

    We also have a Mellow Mushroom in Charleston. Their marketing here emphasizes use of spring water as a key dough ingredient. Reading your notes, I'm reminded of home brewing, in which it's common to add minerals to distilled water to bump up the flavor.

    Do you think adding a calcium salt to your water would make a difference?

    As far as the yeast temperature, I suspect that as long as you have full yeast bloom the 117º spec is unnecessarily precise. My experience is that yeast is fairly happy anywhere between 105º and 140º; one just needs to keep it warm enough to flourish and cool enough not to be killed.

    Also, I'm not familiar with garlic "granules." Is this ingredient different from dry minced garlic or garlic powder? Do the granules provide a particular texture?
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    As I stated in a previous reply, the 117* is not necessarily a target - that is just where this particular experiment started. I shoot to be between 115-120* when I add the yeast.

    I used spring water, not distilled, so I did not think to add anything mineral to that water.

    Granulated garlic is different from dried minced and garlic powder. It is more coarsely ground and much more potent than garlic powder, though not as coarse as minced garlic. The granulated garlic doesn't add anything in the way of texture, but certainly adds a uniform and consistent flavor punch without affecting the consistency of the crust like minced garlic will. I have not seen it readily available in grocery stores, I purchased mine at World Spice Merchants in Seattle. If using garlic powder I would increase the amount for the same effect.
  • If that's just "close" I'd hate to see what it's going to take to hit the bullseye! Man that looks delish!
    The Naked Whiz
  • Haha, before she was my wife... that's the day I won her over with my smooth charm and good looks. Or maybe it was the Boddington's?
  • kwdickert
    kwdickert Posts: 308
    RESURRECTION!!!!

    Anyone ever tried Lark and Lola's Copycat Mellow Mushroom recipe on the egg?

    http://www.larkandlola.com/2013/04/favorite-things-friday-no2-favorite.html?m=1

    It says just flour and she says she uses AP but wouldn't bread flower be better all around?

    Ingredients:

    1 1/2 cups hot water (optional, use spring water)

    2 Tbsp molasses

    2 packets of active yeast

    3 1/2 cups flour

    2 tsp salt

    1 Tbsp olive oil

    cornmeal

    melted butter with garlic

    parmesan cheese crumbs


    Directions:

    1. Place hot water in mixer bowl and stir in molasses. Once cooled to warm, sprinkle on yeast and gently stir it in. Let sit 10 minutes.

    2. Mix flour and salt together. Add flour mix and olive oil to yeast mixture.

    3. Using a dough hook, run mixer on low/stir for 5 minutes.

    4. Form dough into ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, sprinkle with flour. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and kitchen towel, let rise in fridge over several hours or on counter top for 2 hours, or until doubled.

    5. Preheat oven to 550 degrees with pizza stone, hold temperature at least 30 minutes before baking pizza.

    6. Form dough into pizza crust, top as desired. Slide onto preheated pizza stone, bake 5-7 minutes or until done, using oven on bake or broil setting, as desired. Brush crust with garlic butter then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese immediately after removing from oven.
    Memphis TN - Large Green Egg