Pizza Tip

icemncmth

After looking at a lot of pizza pics on this forum I noticed something. Shredded Cheese!!!..

I am a pizza geek so a little info may help..

Shredded Cheese has something added to it to keep it from clumping. Usually cornstarch! So when you put it on a pizza you don't get the nice "melt" like you would if you shredded it yourself.

Another reason to buy a Food Processor!!!

omba

Absolutely!
BTW ...
Do you think there is MUCH difference between the "packaged" mozz (Sargento, Polly-O, whatever) and the so-called "fresh" mozz or the "real" mozz soaked in water?
Thanks,
Peter

Fidel

I don't like to use fresh mozz - too much moisture. That moisture will cook itself out and wind up either in puddles on top of your pie or worse, soaking into the crust.

I go to the deli counter and have them slice mozz for me in very thin slices. I put down a layer of slices, then the topings, then I chop a few more slices with my knife - basically creating "shredded" mozz, and toss that on top of the toppings.

Sometimes I add a little pecorino or parmesan or asiago for a bit of extra flavor.

I absolutely do not use bagged, pre-shredded, or part-skim mozzarella in my pizzas. Buying at the deli counter can actually prove to be less expensive as well.

icemncmth

The main difference is the "fresh" that is packaged in water will have a higher moisture content so if you use a lot of it you can make your pizza soggy. I use it but mostly just a little here and there. Now I do a pesto pizza that uses roasted chicken and I slice the small balls of mozz and place that around the pizza and then I put a half of a black olive in the middle of the fresh mozz. It looks like eyeballs all around the pizza!

Another difference is sometimes the fresh is made from water buffalo...if it is imported.

Now what I do is go to my local deli and have them cut me 1" slices of Mozz. Then I shred it myself. It actually comes out cheaper by the pound vs pre shredded.

icemncmth

I mix my cheese also. One trick I did learn was to get some Munster cheese and put a little of it in the mix. Munster melts at a low temp without being too wet. It will add another layer to the cheese that people will comment on..

Midnight Smoker

I've always just used whole milk bagged cheese. I'll have to give the deli route a try and see if I can tell the difference.

omba

Thanks, folks!

I never thought of having mozz sliced at the deli counter! You and Fidel may have just saved me some trouble here.
One of the things I don't like about the prepackaged mozz is slicing it myself. I have a tough time keeping the knife clean.

Thanks again,
Peter

reelgem

Great tip!! Never knew that about shredded cheese. Thanks!!

reelgem

Great idea Rod! I can see not using pre-shredded but why don't you like part skim mozzarella?

Fidel

part skim mozz just doesn't melt and brown as nicely as the full leaded variety. mozz is low enough in fat and calories that using the part-skim results in sacrificing flavor and texture more than anything else.

for a really good boost (I did this Friday night) add a little shredded Wisconsin brick cheese to the top of the pie. Really puts it over the top.

The Wisconsin cheese is the best!!!

BobS

Ice Man,

I have a question going back to your previous tip on pizza dough, where you commented that make your dough using 60-65% hydration.

That caught my attention, but I have just about convinced myself that I do not know how to calculate percent hydration.

Let me explain: I have never seen a dough that has more moisture than the baisc, no knead recipe that uses 1 1/2 cup water with 3 cups flour, but when I estimated the hydration, I got only 51%.

I have never weighed flour (yet), but I googled the question and it told me that flour weigned 4 ounces per cup. If that is right, then for the above recipe, I have 12 ounces or 0.75 pounds flour.

Now then, water weighs 8.33 pounds/gal, so 1 1/2 cups weighs 0.78 pounds.

Calculating hydration?? = .78/(.78+.75)= 51%

What am I missing here?

Thanks ahead of time for the help?

reelgem

Brick on top of a pizza. That's a new one. What ingredients were in the pizza?

Glad your enjoying the cheese. Have u tried smoking any yet? I sent some to Carwash Mike and he said the smoked swiss is to die for on a sandwich with pastrami.

icemncmth

Most use a tool that is on the web..


http://www.pizzamaking.com/dough_calculator.html


I kind of use it but I adjust mine because most of the time I use my starter that has water in it...

BobS

Thanks! That makes it clear. I was calculating it wrong -- as percent moisture versus percent hydration.

Based on the spreadsheet found on the link, when they say 60% hydration, the idea is that you start out with a known amount of flour (say 1 pound = 100%) and you add 60% that much water, or 0.6 pounds.

Using that calculation the basic no-knead bread is just over 100% hydration, because it has about 0.75 pound flour and just a little more than that of water (0.78 pound)

It looks like my pizza dough recipe is 78% hydration, if I follow the recipe exactly. I have a scale, so I need to start weighing!

BBQMaven

my absolute favorite cheese on an Egg pizza is goat cheese. Small marble size pieces all over the top. Doesn't melt or spread all the while it is picking up the slight smoke flavor. You know the pizza is done when you edges of the cheeses start browning -- whew, it's not to late to start one now, think I'll see if any is in the frig...

icemncmth

It looks like your math would be correct. Another thing is the type of flour you use..I use

Caputo 00 flour. I also Autolyse part of my flour and water.

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

I like a very thin sliced cheese too! Most often doing three cheeses on a pie .
And / But, not to take anything away from you folk that have, use and love a processor.
When I’m grating anything…I still use my box grater and most likely will until the arthritis won’t allow me to do so any longer !!
First up: It doesn’t require any electricity, BTW, this is important when I’m at “Whispering Wings” (a remote lake cabin I have) and secondly I also believe it cleans up faster!!!
Just a “few” 2 cents worth….