Pizza Sauce recipe questions

[Jim Bob]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

Chris,
Interesting stuff. Unfortunately I do not have the luxury of 4-5 days this time. Cooking tomorrow!. If you will look back on Page 1, I list the flour as Molina Caputo OO Pizza flour from Italy. I was told only two places to buy it in the USA. One in Sacramento(Forno Bravo store) or Pittsburgh, PA. at the Pennsylvania Macaroni Co & that's where I have been purchasing it in 55 lb bags for several years now. It's about $1.00/lb. plus shipping.

I really do appreciate your comments and I did watch the UTube video recommended by Greenman above. ALso some very good ideas. Can't seem to locate the semolina flour though. Kroger's says they have never even heard of it!! Bunch of dummies.

I suspect you're correct on the kneading though. I probably have been babying it too much and it is not getting worked enough.
Thanks Chris,

Jim Bob

[hodgey1]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

bringing back to room temp, they seem to rubbery to spread out without a rolling pin

Then put in bowl, cover with plastic wrap & a cloth towel for 2 hrs. Then weigh the risen dough & divide by 8. That is target weight for each doughball. Work them down popping the air bubbles & shape into balls. Then place in a pam'ed tupperware tub, cover, & place in fridge for several hrs. Then remove, let them reach room temp, & work down bubbles again. Then begin making 8-12" pizzas, working from center out

JB

The only comments I have are on your process because your recipe looks good although I'd like to know what flour you're using .

1:As soon as I'm done kneading I divide the dough into pizza portions, ball and they hit the fridge.

2:I highly recommend rising in fridge at least 2-3 days preferable 4-5. The dough will stretch easier not to mention the added flavor and texture of the long slow ferment.

3:I try very hard not to overly de-gas the dough while shaping

4:With finger tips I define the crust edge around the entire outer edge of dough by pressing down

5:I start initially stretching by slapping the dough between my two hand until its more than half the size I want

6:Next with both fists into dough i gently begin stretching while turning constantly until size I need

7:This tip I love and addresses Dave's misshape issues. I put the dough balls into lightly oiled individual plastic containers around 6" in dia while in fridge. Once the dough comes out of them, they are already round and ready to go

Other than that, the issues with your dough could be under kneading which could be your problem, its nearly impossibly to over knead dough by hand. Your dough should be very supple and stretch and form pretty easily. If its tough to stretch its gonna be tough to eat.

[Jim Bob]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

I can't believe I said mgs. No, all my measurements above were grams!!! Sorry. Since my next big cook is Sat nite, I will make those doughballs today(Friday) and let them sit until Sat afternoon. Not sure what time it is now in Australia. It is 6:40 am, Friday, in Memphis, TN right now. Thanks guys for all the help. Some great tips. Will keep trying to make them better. Making 15-30 pizzas, I do allow each person to select their own ingredients using a one page form I developed listing all available additives & encouraging them to use only 3-5 of them at one time. Makes the party more fun for them & I divide up the ingredients for each couple to bring, already prepared for putting on pizza. I insist on only the very best quality of ingredients!! Why go to the trouble of making great dough & sauce only to have them bring crap to put on it!! Sure saves me some prep time. Otherwise I would buy it all and do it myself. More time left to build fire, drink wine, prepare dough balls, drink wine, clean the place up & make sauce, plus have a drink of wine!! Ha.

JB

[cobblerdave]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

Ive grabbed the dough out of the fridge after a 24 hour slow rise
Then rolled it out using a pin, while cold and let it sit and rise for an hour
Then cooked and it was excellent

Gudday
Totally agree its the 24 hrs in the fridge that does it. The resulting dough can then be teased to shape without spring back.
After 3 years still not a perfect round pizza though, recon the slightly misshape one taste better
Regards dave

[TropicalCoasting]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

Ive grabbed the dough out of the fridge after a 24 hour slow rise
Then rolled it out using a pin, while cold and let it sit and rise for an hour
Then cooked and it was excellent

[Greenman]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

I have been using the FB Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight recipe on this site. I am happy with it and haven't messed around with it other than to work a bit of Italian Herbs into it once and that went ok.

When it comes to stretching the dough I found How To Hand Slap Pizza Crust - YouTube helped me a lot, no rolling pins involved and a much better outcome.

[Jim Bob]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

I can tell you exactly what I do, since I follow Forno Bravo instructions e-book series Volume 2: Wood Fired Pizza that I downloaded several yrs ago and have been using ever since. If you can access,it is on pages 20 -26 on doughball preparation. If not I do the following: I weigh out the flour in batches of 1000 mgs(800 mgs in one bowl & 200 mgs in another).then add 35 mgs of kosher salt to the 800 mg bowl. Measure out 6 gms of active dry yeast and put in 650 mgs of water that has been heated to 100-105 degrees. After dissolving yeast in water, let it rest for 10 minutes. Then add to the 800 mg bowl. Using a spatula work it in just so all the flour is wet and sticky. Let it hydrate for 20 minutes, then knead the 800 mgs and work in remaining 200 mgs 5-7 minutes. Then put in bowl, cover with plastic wrap & a cloth towel for 2 hrs. Then weigh the risen dough & divide by 8. That is target weight for each doughball. Work them down popping the air bubbles & shape into balls. Then place in a pam'ed tupperware tub, cover, & place in fridge for several hrs. Then remove, let them reach room temp, & work down bubbles again. Then begin making 8-12" pizzas, working from center out. Brush dough lightly w/olive oil, spread sauce, & add ingredients and finally cheese. Sorry that was so wordy. Some batches work well, others don't. consistency is just not there.
JB

[azatty]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

In a blender:

Crushed tomatoes
Fresh basil
Fresh oregano
Fresh garlic
Sometimes a shallot
Salt
Pepper, sometimes crushed red
Red food coloring if anyone else is going to see it. All the greenery makes the sauce brownish.

Let it sit in the refrigerator for a couple hours.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

If the doughballs are too "rubbery" then the gluten is over developed. Without your recipe and workflow it is hard to determine where it is happening, but it should not be.

If you do use a rolling pin, use it such that you do not "pinch" the edge of the dough. That is, roll from the center out, but stop at the edge. A small glass works better than a rolling pin as you can work from the center to the outer edges and not pinch the edges.

[hodgey1]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

Then after proofing in fridge for an hour, & bringing back to room temp, they seem to rubbery to spread out without a rolling pin. Obviously I may need to talk to a prof baker to see what the real problem is. But appreciate any help you can provide. Thanks guys,
Jim Bob

Hi Jim Bob
I normal allow my dough to ferment for three to four days in the Refridge. I then bring it to room temp before the evenings festivities. After that process, it is extremely easy to stretch. When I don't preplan and need the dough right away, I up the amount of yeast and water temp a bit and it's ready in 3 ish hours and is still fairly easy to stretch.*

If you can, list your recipe and techniques to better trouble shoot your dough issue. It should be soft, supple and very easy to stretch and never need a rolling pin.

[Jim Bob]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

Thx Greenman, KKGator, & CobblerDave for your comments. I think I am ready now for Sat nite cook for 16 people!! Can I ask you three one more question-- When preparing the doughballs, which I weigh out to the nearest gram, I try to use strictly my hands to push out the dough flat, but usually preparing so many end up using the rolling pin!@!! I know, a cardinal sin, but When I make 8 doughballs from a 1000 gms of flour, they usually are about 210 gms each when I finally make the balls. Then after proofing in fridge for an hour, & bringing back to room temp, they seem to rubbery to spread out without a rolling pin. Obviously I may need to talk to a prof baker to see what the real problem is. But appreciate any help you can provide. Thanks guys,
Jim Bob

[cobblerdave]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

Gudday
Tomatoes is the general base be it tomato paste with water,tinned, bottled fresh
With seed,without,the possibilities are more endless than the local tomato growing season.
The one thing that isn't a variable is the human taste bud.
We are all children when it comes down to it we first recognize salt and sweet.
Add a little sugar a little salt and just a simple "tomato" gets a new edge without the adds. Remember the temperature too .. Even the dog doesn't eat the cold fillet steak straight out if the fridge ... He will eat it when it comes up to room temp
4 tomato sauce ( can be a hot or cold soup as well)
1 can crushed tomato
1 table spoon tomato paste
1 large fresh tomatoe reseeded deskinned
1 tablespoon semi dried tomato
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Mix with stick blender .
This is very simple but complex flavours but you can add spices and herbs to achieve what you want. But it will work by itself.
Regards dave

[kkgator]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

Not only is sauce a matter of personal taste, but I agree with the less is more aspect when it comes to pizza. Sure, you can have 15 toppings on your pizza, but you seriously won't be able to pick out 1 topping from the rest. I use no more than 3-5 items counting cheese & sauce. My red sauce is a variation of P.Rhinehart's crushed tomato sauce. I use Dei Fratelli crushed tomatoes because they have the least amount of salt consistently over other brands of crushed tomatoes. Again, less is more here. I use fresh herbs in a squeezable tube form with roughly 1/2 tube to (1) 32oz can of tomatoes. I add either lemon juice or vinegar to brighten up the tomatoes. Sauce thickens in refrigerator. We also use this simple sauce on pasta. Talk about killing multiple birds with 1 stone.

[Greenman]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

Hey Jim Bob - It is about whatever floats your boat. My favourite so far has passata, grilled capsicum, garlic, onion and Italian herbs plus some cayenne chilli with the whole thing blended to a sauce. It is not a child friendly base but super tasty and does not need complicated toppings.

I generally add torn boccincini and it all makes a little bit of heaven from an inferno.

[Jim Bob]

Re: Pizza Sauce recipe questions

Appreciate the responses from my post. I realize it's all about personal taste on the sauce and the ingredients. I guess I just like the taste of shrooms, basil, oregano, and onions in any pizza. If I can put them in the sauce, then I don't necessarily need to add those ingredients to the pizza. In all honesty the biggest problem that I run into when cooking my pizzas is keeping a good balance on the heat of the floor vs the roof of the oven.. I want to make the bottoms with a nice crust but not at the risk of burning the tops. When cooking many(15+) pizzas I need to make many pauses to warm oven floor without raising the ceiling temp too much. Tough assignment. But I wouldn't trade my Forno Bravo oven for any of my 10 grills!!!

Jim Bob