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Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

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  • #76
    Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

    I have no problem with having a smaller fire for days if one has the time and ability. It will work but the fire does need to be big enough to push heat into the outer refractory and cladding to be of benefit.

    The purpose of closing the door is to reduce heat loss from convection and radiation so that more of the heat in the refractory around the oven cavity will be pushed deeper into the refractory and drive out more water.

    As the water vapor in the refractory is heated it tends to migrate to the cooler parts of the oven and to condense - which is in part why the exterior of the dome gets hot when you have a wet oven.

    You don't particularly want to close the door after small fires but once you are building big fires with the temp on the hearth and dome in excess of 800 degrees for extended periods, closing the door can in my experience push the heat deeper into the refractory and cladding and aid in drying the outer refractory and cladding. Unfortunately drying out my oven is an experience I have far too often - I will be roofing my oven this fall to create a drier environment.

    Jay

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    • #77
      Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

      My oven, an Artigiano, is enclosed in a masonry structure with a roof. Does this make any difference in how I should be curing it?

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      • #78
        Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

        Wow, what a great-looking oven!

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        • #79
          Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

          Curing and drying are two different operations. Drying should be done with the door open and a smaller fire going for as long as it takes. Curing is for the hardening of the refractory cement and need a high temperature (as specified by the type of cement used) for specified periods. Ideally it would be at an as high temperature as possible.

          regards from Karl.

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          • #80
            Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

            Well it was simply due to my fire not being big enough the first time to heat the hearth adequately. This time I started an inferno, and it worked like a charm. Dome was cleared so clean it looked brand new.





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            • #81
              Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

              Here's one for you guys, although it's not really a pizza disaster but definitely an epic FAIL I'm sure you'll appreciate!

              This weekend I ventured into the woods to collect some firewood. In all a sucessfull mission to accumulate a decent amount of wood. I then had some fun with a chainsaw and a chopper axe to produce some nice split logs .

              So anyway, the next day I fired up my oven and cooked some pretty splendid pizzas a few hours after the coals had died down I decided that I'd try my hand at 'kiln drying' my new split wood logs to maybe enhance their effectiveness. So I pretty much filled my oven to the top with as many split logs as I could fit and bricked it up. Last night I went to take the logs out..........no logs but plenty of ash! There must have been some lit coals remaining in the oven as the whole lot is now burnt to ash!! I nearly cried!

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              • #82
                Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

                at least your oven is dry!

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                • #83
                  Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

                  Yup that fire must have been burning for about 10 hours after I had a pizza firing! the ultimate test of a good build I suppose I'll inspect for cracks tonight lol.

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                  • #84
                    Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

                    Dough too sticky. Often after letting the dough proof for 2-3 days in the refrigerator the dough is very sticky, difficult to stretch without tearing and sticks to oven floor when trying to turn. What am I doing wrong? My wife thinks the 2-3 day proofing is causing the problem. Should I try reducing the water content?

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                    • #85
                      Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

                      Not really a disaster, but avoid using olives whole. They roll off the pizza really easily when you're sliding them off the wooden peel into the oven. Slice them in half at least.
                      Kindled with zeal and fired with passion.

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                      • #86
                        Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

                        Dough too sticky. Often after letting the dough proof for 2-3 days in the refrigerator the dough is very sticky, difficult to stretch without tearing and sticks to oven floor when trying to turn. What am I doing wrong? My wife thinks the 2-3 day proofing is causing the problem. Should I try reducing the water content?
                        Depending on how you're storing them, the balls can be a bit wet on the surface from cold retardation. A bit of extra bench flour when you are doing your initial stretch should solve this problem, if it's what I think.
                        My geodesic oven project: part 1, part 2

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                        • #87
                          Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

                          Dough degrades over time whether retarded or not. As I understand it the enzymes are not affected as much by temperature as the yeast so the enzymes keep breaking down the starch the the dough loses strength which gives it the effect of a higher hydration dough.

                          While flavor can improve for at least two days the texture is going downhill by the second day. By the fourth day it gets a bit weird. If you need to store dough for three to five days it is probably best to freeze it. I have not been happy with dough frozen for more than about two weeks.

                          Good luck!
                          Jay

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                          • #88
                            Re: Freezing Pizza Dough

                            At which of the stages below do you recommend freezing?

                            1. After initial 2 hours rise?
                            2. After initial 2 hour rise, dividing into individual sized balls
                            plus an add'l hour.
                            3. All of above plus 2-3 days in refrigerator.

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                            • #89
                              Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

                              Freeze it whenever you need to - but preferably before it has sat out after the retard for two to six hours. Still okay to freeze, just not likely to rise any.
                              Jay

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                              • #90
                                Re: Common Mistakes, Pizza Disasters

                                I have had good luck with cold fermented doughs out to 6 days with my prefered time 4 days. I cut back on the yeast, otherwise I use my standard dough.

                                For disasters, I ruined 3 on the last bake by going too thin, ie using 14" balls for 16" pies.

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