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Another Pizza Experiment!

SmokinGuitarPlayer
SmokinGuitarPlayer Posts: 698
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
today's pizza ... Neopolitan style! (at low temp)
Caputo flour
60% hydration
No sugar or oil
320g doughball made nice 12" pie
Baked at 550 degrees...maybe a little less as the Egg was a little finicky. Baked directly on the baking stone with the platesetter, little feet , etc. etc.

I thought I'd try the REAL Pizza Napoletana style dough at the lower temp. This dough you would normally cook in a wood-fired oven at 900deg (for 90 seconds!) but for the experiment, and to preserve the precious gasket ( the 5th one this year already) I'm seeing what will happen at the lower / sane temp of 550.

The result ..as expected, MUCH less browning, no char ..even the bottom would not get brown ..even though I left it bake twice as long as pies I did yesterday (6.5 minutes) with the "classic Italian" style dough. (sugar and oil). Tasted great ..a little "cakey" but had a great crunch.

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Fred A. Bernardo , owner of Tasty Licks BBQ Supply in Shillington, Pa. 

Comments

  • mkc
    mkc Posts: 544
    Fred - I've been waiting for your post!

    That's exactly what I experienced using all Caputo - no browning.

    What did you think of the flavor compared to that with sugar/oil? Better/worse/similar? I haven't tried sugar and oil with all Caputo so I'm curious.

    Are you going to try a flour blend (with high gluten)? I'm curious how it compares with your usual.

    I'm starting to think we need to make a stop at the Pine Grove KOA on our way through in May so I can come by and talk pizza (and green chile cheeseburgers....)

    -M
    Egging in Crossville, TN
  • pattikake
    pattikake Posts: 1,175
    Great job, Still looks wonderful. I can smell it from here.

    Patti
  • It's not the caputo that's causing the "no browning" actually ..well it'll brown at higher temps ... you just get MORE browning with the sugar and oil. I have been using the Caputo regularly and have great results at lower temps when I use the more traditional (oil and sugar) dough ... ala Peter Reinharts "Neo Neopolitan" style for example. We carry 3 types of King Arthur, the All Trumps , and the caputo ... I have used all of them with good results but seem to always go back to the Caputo. Everybody seems to have their favorite.

    If you plan to stop in ever, let me know in advance and if possible, we'll cook for you.
    FB/SGP
    Fred A. Bernardo , owner of Tasty Licks BBQ Supply in Shillington, Pa. 
  • Yes, it got real good, it's gone now and I need a nap.
    Fred A. Bernardo , owner of Tasty Licks BBQ Supply in Shillington, Pa. 
  • EggerDan
    EggerDan Posts: 105
    Gteat pics. Thanks for info.

    Daniel
  • Ricklesss
    Ricklesss Posts: 391
    With that Caputo, I guess one of the main questions, the "knowledge to seek", would be the lowest temperature that will brown adequately, but not tend to burn up the gasket(s).
    I'm thinking around 650ish...?
    I'm still working on it, searching myself.
  • Try to simulate a woodoven. The stone should be directly on the plate setter (feet down). I have and XL with the new raised grid and I lifted the raised grid with some cut fire brick wedges and put a large pizza stone on top. The air temp is hotter that will help brown the top is you desire or need to and the lower will obviously brown the bottom. Caputo Flour has alot of different grains that will cause the dough to fluff. Make sure your sugar is not to much or the result will be a burnt pizza. Also age your dough a minimum of 36hours before baking. The flavour of my batch taste best at 4-5 days aged. Hope this helps alittle.
  • Mark0525
    Mark0525 Posts: 1,235
    Do you think if I use frozen store bought dough and bake at a lower temp I will be ok with the burning? I'm not sure I'm ready to make my own dough and I really don't have a lot of time to make it either but I love pizza on the egg.
  • Well ... if you just add a little sugar and/or oil to your dough it browns nicely at the lower temps, that is for sure so that is what I typically do to bake at lower temps...I think if you are up to 650 it'll brown without the added things.
    Fred A. Bernardo , owner of Tasty Licks BBQ Supply in Shillington, Pa. 
  • the store bought dough that I have tried works pretty good and tastes pretty good. You need to try them and find the one(s) you like. I recommend you start at 550 to 600 deg and no more.
    Fred A. Bernardo , owner of Tasty Licks BBQ Supply in Shillington, Pa. 
  • Ask the baker if the dough was frozen right after it was made. If yes thaw in fridge for a couple of days to age it. Aged or cultured dough bakes better. If it burns it could be the ingredients, i.e. too much sugar. My batch has a very minimal amount of sugar, next to none.
  • For crispy results I have found lower temps. The stone will pull the moisture from the dough and crisp it (425-475) a 9-11minute pizza. For softer results with the proper aged dough, 575- 650 5-7 minutes. The crust will be lightly golden a Woodfired look. Try your best for minimal flour on bottom of dough. Hope this helps.
  • Mark0525
    Mark0525 Posts: 1,235
    Primeggister1 wrote:
    For crispy results I have found lower temps. The stone will pull the moisture from the dough and crisp it (425-475) a 9-11minute pizza. For softer results with the proper aged dough, 575- 650 5-7 minutes. The crust will be lightly golden a Woodfired look. Try your best for minimal flour on bottom of dough. Hope this helps.
    So are you saying that at a lower temp it will be crispier than a higher temp? Do you recommend oil between the stone and the dough?
  • oooh... no oil if you using the stone unless it is mixed as part of the dough recipe! Excess oil will soak into the stone and smoke a lot!
    Fred A. Bernardo , owner of Tasty Licks BBQ Supply in Shillington, Pa. 
  • mkc
    mkc Posts: 544
    Fred,

    Any comments on the crust flavor differences with and without the sugar/oil? Did you notice much difference in dough slackness? In high-gluten versions I've tried, the oil seems to "shorten" the dough a lot more than expected and make it very (almost too) extensible.

    There are only so many pizzas in a week (one in our house), so I really appreciate learning from others like you who.

    I haven't tried all-Caputo with sugar/oil since we were disappointed by the flavor muting with other flours in the Neo-Neapolitan recipe. Maybe I need to try another matrix with all-Caputo this time....

    Thanks!

    -M
    Egging in Crossville, TN
  • no oil! lower temp will work, like in a brown spot in the old woodfired ovens, out of the light of the fire it is not as hot. You can research that theory. Just remember to have a very good quality cheese and you may want to make it rustic with square chucks so the cheese does not burn and also do not use a thick sauce, it will get to ketchup like.
  • I have a "problem" with aging the dough. Once it's made ... by the next day I'm starting to contemplate baking / eating and then it's gone!

    Oil seems to make the dough more extensible ..sometimes almost too ... I don't seem to taste the oil or sugar but every pie seems to have different taste anyway due to all the other variables. I do like the way the crust gets with the oil/sugar/etc. at lower temps for sure. I'm using Caputo flour almost all the time, I like the way it handles and hydrates.
    Fred A. Bernardo , owner of Tasty Licks BBQ Supply in Shillington, Pa. 
  • mkc
    mkc Posts: 544
    Perhaps I can bring you a finely aged dough ball or two in May.

    I've decided to try a 6-day all-Caputo, sugar only next week to see how it does. Need to figure out how much sugar and whether I need to cut down on the yeast to make the long ferment work.

    -M
    Egging in Crossville, TN
  • Bringing dough balls in May ....you probably mean to the MidEgglantic Eggfest ...that sounds like a good plan...I will probably have at least one Egg setup for pizza ! Bring 'em on!
    FB/SGP
    Fred A. Bernardo , owner of Tasty Licks BBQ Supply in Shillington, Pa.