Wood-Fired Pizza

[james]

Here is my first try at a Pizza Napoletana video. I baked a Margherita in my Primavera oven, with info on dough, pizza peels, and firing/controlling the oven.

Take a look! Back to my self-help theme -- let me know what you think. :-)
James

[Jed]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

Hey James,

Good Show!

It is swell to see another cook work through the process, and to be able to 'see' how the various steps in the process work..

My dough is consistently 'dryer' and doesn't perform as well as your example, and by 'seeing' you work through the forming of the dough I can learn from your experience, and have good information to improve my cooking...

Thanks for the show!

JED

[ross]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

Once again fantastic Jim

Like Jed said good to see other people making and baking ...I was using to much flour making the balls..Now I know....Cheers

Do you or any others know of a UK supplier of the Red Caputo flour ..Ive searched high and low but cant find it

[ERASMO]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

James,

That was great to see. That Primavera oven looks great. Can't wait to try one out.

Thanks

[egalecki]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

These videos are really helpful in a lot of ways. I needed to see how almost "runny" the dough should be- My first attempt was too dry, but the second attempt was better, although I didn't think so at the time. I also needed to see how you use the turning peel!

So, when you are making the skin on the dough, you put the seam side down and cup the top in your hand? I think I've been doing it upside down!

[Ken524]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

Ditto on all the previous comments! I didn't know for sure how the coals/fire should be arranged. I've been doing it right, but now it's confirmed.

Thanks again and keep the videos coming!

[BRIFRO]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

I can't view images or links until I have 10 posts and I am excited to see the video so I am submitting a post.

BRIFRO

[james]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

Hey Brifro,

I will look into that. I did not try to set those thresholds that high.
James

[BRIFRO]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

Thanks,James

[ERASMO]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

James,

After you made your dough into balls and put in the proofing box how long did you let them rest/rise before making into pizza?

[james]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

Hey Brifro,
Try it now.

Erasmo,
Because I wanted to video making the dough balls and the whole pizza process, I did them pretty close together. I gave the dough balls one hour to rest.

A lot of us make the dough balls either the night before or first thing in the morning, and put them in the refrigerator. Then bring them out about an hour before you need them, to take off the chill and let them relax a little. If you won't be using them within an hour or two after making them, you should chill them -- or you will get a dough explosion.

What does everybody this of this? Sound right?
James

[jcg31]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

James,
This is the one I have been waiting for, fantastic. Couple of questions, when your floor was at 800 you said you were going to let it cool a bit, do you know what the temp was when the pizza went in? And secondly do you notice a significant difference between the Caputo farina 00 and the Caputo red?

Jim

[james]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

Hey JCG,

I should have checked. :-) Sometimes it feels like I am testing all the time and I want to keep a "feel" for the ovens. I did cook a flatbread and the oven over-charred the bottom. I brushed the floor to remove the burned flour -- so the oven still had to be in the 700?F's.

I think the most important thing to consider is the balance between dome and floor heat. If one is out of whack, you can't get everything to finish baking at the same time. A 2 -3 minute pizza is still great -- but the dome and floor both need to be working together. I find that if the fire burns down, and the floor is still hot, your pizza bottom is ready to go in 90 seconds, and the cheese is just melting, and you don't have that nice brown and char on the top.

I am still experimenting with the Rosso, and my first impressions are that it is a little "stronger", that it takes on water better so it is easier to work with at the higher hydration and that it makes a slightly crunchier/crustier cornicione. I haven't had problems with it burning -- it might even be better at handling high heat.

That all said, it's a pretty close window -- and I have many bags of both on my storage shelves, so I will keep experimenting.

My personal goal is to keep working on the rim (cornicione) until it is a little more narrow and puffs a little less. That would make my pizza a little more consisent from inside to outside -- though not necessary wider. You can really do a lot with a 280gr dough ball!

James

[nodoubt68]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

Thanx James for the video:-)
It's great to watch information sometimes, rather than read it. You make it all seem so simple!!!
And you made me hungry lol
Well done

[FigliodiMariaeGiovanni]

Re: Wood-Fired Pizza

Bravissimo Giaymes!

Che bella fiamma e pizza!