Hi From Utah

[SloW8]

Hey Guys and Gals,

Just started to make pizza. What a cool group you have here.

Unfortunately I do not have a wood fired oven yet so I have begun with a pizza stone in my electric kitchen oven. I feel a bit like a one legged man in a butt kicking contest with my lack of heat. (My oven only goes to 500? F.)

Anyway, I decided to try and make some Neapolitan style Margherita pizza. I found a great local source for some 00 flour, real mozzarella and some San Marzano tomatoes. (I ended up getting some "cheap" California substitutes to play with for now)

My first try went pretty well even though I did not have a pizza stone. I ended up buying 6 fire brick splits and making a floor in my stove. I think things turned out well but I didn't have a camera to take pics. My pizza stone finally arrived so I had my second go at it today.



I wasn't as happy with the crust this time. I cut back on the yeast because it seemed to rise too fast last time, even in the fridge. I think I got too little yeast because the dough did not brown as evenly. (my dough recipe does not have any sugar, so I am thinking the yeast didn't do as good a job breaking down the sugars in the flour...???)

What do you pros think? Critique away, I want to learn to make AWESOME pizza. I am saving for a big green egg so I can get some good heat as well as work on my other food passion... BBQ.

PS.. I made a roof over my pizza stone with some of the splits I got earlier. Hoping to add a little thermal mass over the pizza

[geno_86ed]

Re: Hi From Utah

Caputos is the best, love that place. I usually make a run to SLC every couple of months just to go there.

I have been using a combination of two different stone (top and bottom) and also a cast iron pizza pan with a stone above. Neither is perfect but I get better browning on the botton with the cast iron stone, but it cooks a little too fast. I also like to set my oven on convetion roast at 550, gives me the best results.

As far as rise, that is my problem too. I have problem with not rising enough, but I think I over stretch my skins.

I don't have an oven yet either, but I have been lusting after one for quite some time.

Geno

[Tscarborough]

Re: Hi From Utah

I personally do not like puffy crusts, but my family does. Here is how to get nice thin under crust and a puffy edge. I CAN throw dough, but for the small pizzas I make (9"), I don't spin them or roll them, I just press them out, and leave the edge puffed. Here is one ready for sauce:

[Mitchamus]

Re: Hi From Utah

As far as rise, that is my problem too. I have problem with not rising enough, but I think I over stretch my skins.

Hi Geno - you're probably not... but are you using a rolling pin? that is a sure way to stop your crust from rising.

hope this helps...

cheers,
mitch.

[geno_86ed]

Re: Hi From Utah

No, no rolling pin. I gently stretch by hand. First by gently pulling on the edges, slapping the skins between my hands stretching up my forearems, then tossing the skin in the air. I get nice round skins, I just think that I am pushing the dough too far for the weight of my skins. Last time they were 290 grams and I tossed them out to about 14 inches or 35.5 cm. This was after a two day cold rise. One skin was cooked after a 4 day cold rise and it rose a little more. My stretching may be a little violent to get the size skins I am stretching.

My home is at 6300 ft or 1920 m above sea level with cool temps and low humidity. This may be affecting the yeast. Last skins were 63% hydration, I may go to 65% to check for a difference.

Geno