81 Inch First Build (and first post)

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

sorry about the double post, didn't think the first one "took"..

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Can't beat the 1911...anyways, posted more pix on our facebook page;
Al's & Arty's Pizza - Restaurant, Pizza Restaurant - Vanceburg, KY | Facebook

oven still doing well, business is growing. Attempting to do a naturally leavened dough using General Mill's "Harvest King" flour, as I can't seem to be able to buy King Arthur's "sir Gallahad" around here...

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Our Facebook page is up and running, showing some shots of the oven and inside...oven still performing well..

Al's & Arty's Pizza - Restaurant, Pizza Restaurant - Vanceburg, KY | Facebook

thanks everyone!
ps, just started a natural levan to try with some GM "Harvest King" flour...we'll see if it has enough gluten to hang in there with the hand tossing...

[NYC]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Love the 1911.

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

I will keep the 60qt Hobart as a dedicated cheese shredder and small "specialty" batch machine. I plan to do a one-day-a-week whole wheat dough for the diabetics here in the area.
To make those "puffy" breadsticks, simply flatten regular dough, cut in strips, let rise at room temp for around 3 hours, brush on your garlic butter, top with cheese, sprinkle your basil, bake off a little under done..presto!
Our 81" is the first "site-built" WFoven in KY...the health dept at the state level had never had to approve one...ask them, it may be easier than you think to approve your build.

[JoeyVelderrain]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Man! that cheesy bread looks good!!
Thank you for the info, helps alot. I built an oven for a hobby and weekend pizza cooking but I think I'm going to buy one of the Forno Bravo's commercial model for the restaurant so that I won't have any issues with the health department here. They are pretty strict about stuff here where I live.
Here is my build thread.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f43/my-cast-refractory-oven-build-7866.html

Do you plan on selling your old mixer or trading it in? I think I will start out with a 60qt mixer at first and then see if I need to move up.
thanks again.

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Good questions Joey,
I should have clarified in the earlier post, that number is for dough balls..I only make 12 oz balls and use one for my 12" pie and marry two together for my 16"...I use a half dough ball for my flat bread sandwich. We are in a very rural area, but right next to a major highway, so I get a mix of locals, travelers and repeat long distance customers. Weekends are indeed busier.
I run the shop mon-thur, 4pm to 10pm, fri 11am to 11pm and sat 4pm to 11pm...so we have one lunch per week and that seems to work good for us.
I used to bank a fire all night in the oven, now I simply restart each morning at 9am and that seems to get the oven up to temp (700f on dome) by opening.
I do make my dough the day before and use the cold proof method.
I get my mozz and provelone in block, blending them with my Hobart shredder head. That and the high gluten "remarkable" flour come from a local wholesaler. I tried one batch of pre-shredded mozz/prov blend when I was short of my regular cheese, but it is too dry and mixed with "celulose" so it browned too quickly in the higher heat of the WFO.
Do you plan to use a WFO? Have you built it yet?
Good luck to you. If you use good ingredients, pay attention, be consistant and love what you do, you will put out a pizza that will draw the customer and lead to your success.
I plan to go to the 120 qt spiral, because I can use a whole 50lb bag of flour at once and that will save on measuring time.

[JoeyVelderrain]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

First of all AWESOME job on the build! very impressive.

Secondly, I am doing the legwork in preparation of opening up my pizza joint here in North Louisiana. Would like to pick your brain if I could...

1. 10,000pies in 7 months comes out to about 48 to 50 pies a day, does that sound about what you are seeing on a day to day or are weekends busier?

2. what are your hours of operation and what time do you arrive to start preparing for business?

3. Do you mix the dough the night before and let it proof overnight?

4. Where are you buying your mozz? flour?

Thanks for making this thread!
5. What size spiral Dough mixer are you switching to?

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Thanks Travis, always rewarding hearing good feedback from our pizza friends, especially those who go out of their way to get here.

[tubehead]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Hi, my name is Travis, I thought I would put my first post in here since I meet Roger a few weeks ago. I am really impressed with his pies. So far I've been down several times a week. I'll post a few pictures I have taken while there.



Some very tasty breadsticks


Ham & Cheese


A little deep dish action

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Yeah, sounds like alot when you sum it all up...but remember, things happen little bits at a time. Just like when I think back to laying 1,000 bricks in that oven, it was spread out over several months and didn't seem so intimidating.
I let the dough set in the cooler overnight to rise properly (cool rise method).

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Wow, Roger. Quite impressive! 10,000 pies. Must take a bit of scheduling and process control to handle that much dough throughput, not to mention pizza box storage. Generally, how long do you let the dough rest prior to baking?

[PizzaPolice]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

My god, son! 10,000! Whoa!
We get down to Curdsville every every year (Just out of Owensboro). Where are you? We gotta see the Mammoth Cave of pizza ovens.

[BrickStoneOven]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Any new pictures of the oven? Would love to see some pizza to.

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Update to all;
today marks 7 months open and just under 10,000 pies baked. Oven still doing well and we are building a very loyal customer base with new faces everyday. I had to put in more seating (originally no inside dining) due to so many "out of towners" stopping in to try the pizza and view the oven.
Wood consumption has lowered and leveled out to about 3 pickup loads a month; roughly $150 worth.
I still haven't connected the buried thermocouples to a gauge...we use a handheld pyrometer to read temps and have gotten used to how she bakes/heats.
Next updates will be; to retire the Hobart 60 qt mixer and go with a spiral mixer able to do a 50 lb bag at a time and to add a dough press to the back line for higher/faster production. Right now everything is hand tossed.
Roger