The secret to WFO crispy crust?

[brokencookie]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

Oh hey wow, you're right!

I'd better make sure I write something really useful and memorable then - for a change.

Oooops, too late...

Sorry for the highjack Ken. It will be quick... I promise

Frances, there are only 3 people with more posts

James -4210
dmun - 2153
gbingham -2021

Asudavew is well behind @ 1826

I feel like such a slacker with only 298..now 299. I am going to have to express a lot more empty opinions to reach your level

Bruce

[Frances]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

...oh dear ... I didn't really want to know that... still, no point in keeping quiet now....

Ken, it sounds as if experimenting with slightly lower temps and slightly longer cooking times will produce the crust you're looking for... but please don't fault your oven for that! Your dome is certainly neither wacky nor too high (I should know, I watched it being built.)

Who cares if other pizzas are finished in 90 seconds? If you're looking for a slightly crisper crust, just do what works. And anyway, I thought the time limit for an "official" WFO pizza was three minutes...

So good luck with the experimenting and let us know what else you find out.

[Ken524]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

And anyway, I thought the time limit for an "official" WFO pizza was three minutes...

3 minutes? I'm definitely inside the 3 minute mark. Thanks Frances, I'm happy once again!

[SteveP]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

My dome height is about 22" and I used to cook at a temp >700F but found that my crust bottom was cooking too fast. I found that if my floor temp is around 600F to 650F, the pizza cooks much better just as you stated, and I don't have to hold it up to the dome to cook the top. A good active fire with a lower floor temperature seems to work well for my oven. It still only takes bout 2 min to cook.

[sumu]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

you need to brush the edges of the crust with olive oil to brown up nice . My pizza cooks best at 640 degrees 3-6 min depending on toppings less is faster. try carmalized onion in a black iron pan with olive oil salt pepper poured over chicken wings cooked in oven with oil salt pepper. omg.

[asudavew]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

I actually prefer to cook at lower temps...
Not sure if I make proper Italian pizza... but hard to break Americans .. they like "Americanized" pizza. - Lots of cheese.. lots of toppings... etc

If you want a really crispy crust.. I mean cracker like...

Try rolling out some dough, and poking the heck out of it with a fork! Throw it on the oven floor.. keep turning until the moisture is just about gone and it feels like a cracker.

Pull it out, sauce it, and add toppings.
Place the pizza on your peel and hold the pie close to the top of the dome. Let the toppings cook and the cheese brown.

Scrumptious!

[Ken524]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

Thanks sumu, sounds good!

We had an outstanding bake a few nights ago. Best pizza I've put out. I let the floor drop to 700F then started cooking with an active fire... Pretty much exactly as SteveP described.

Between 600-700F is definitely the sweet spot for my oven. I had perfectly cooked and crisp bottoms; crispy, light brown and tender edges, perfect toppings. It could definitely be served in a restaurant.

Oh... I am using ASUDaveW's dough recipe (Sam's club bread flour) with Jeff Varasano's mixing technique (with 20 minute autolyse). Best pizza yet.

[Ken524]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

Hi Dave...
We tried the cracker crust technique a few weeks ago out of desperation for crispy crust. It was "ok" but not exactly what I wanted. What I made the other night was perfect .

[asudavew]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

Excellent.

I'll have to give it a go!

[asudavew]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

I never let the dough autolyse, does it really seem to make that big of a difference?

[Ken524]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

I never let the dough autolyse, does it really seem to make that big of a difference?

Beats me! I haven't done a real comparison. My success the other night could be contributed to cooking at lower heat, the autolyse, my hunger level at the time of eating, or a variety of other variables!

[texassourdough]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

The key purpose of autolyzing is to let the gluten develop without having to work the dough. If you mix your dough "properly" autolyze has no particular use other than letting the dough relax so it is more pliable for your next kneading or shaping of the dough. Since most of us make our dough well in advance the dough is effectively autolyzing during the resting period. Gluten development is IMO not as critical in pizza as in bread for you don't form the pizza base with a stretched, tight skin - and you want it more relaxed than a freeform boule.

I can imagine it having a subtle effect on the crispness of the dough, but...I think it would take a really careful experiment to show a meaningful difference. (Last weekend I made a really wet Caputo dough that I fought due to stickiness and every pizza had different texture of crispiness and toughness due to the different handling (more or less) in the forming process - but they were handled identically up to the forming...and yes they included an autolyze because I am used to doing it for bread. Methinks one would need to be very careful of the final handling/shaping to draw meaningful conclusions.)

RE: Oven temp, I find my preferred oven temp is a function of the thickness of the dough. If I make really thin pies I want a hotter oven. If they dough is thicker I like the lower temp better. Just for fun, early on, I tried to do a NY pizza in a hot oven and I couldn't get the dough cooked before the toppings and bottom were charred. I would agree that lower temps and longer times tend to give a crisper crust.(less tip sag).

Jay

[seank]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

I must pipe in and say the varasano mixing method made the most awesome dough. I was out of caputo so I used staight KA bread and the dough was perfect. Crisp bottom, light, just wonderful. If you haven't tried this technique do it. I did a 20 min autolyse, then a wet mix, then an overnight fermentation (using ASUdave ratios) which is essentially the FB ratio. I am going to try again this week with some new "OO". I ordered some giusto "OO" and some high gluten which arrived today. I going to try blending a bit of high gluten in the "OO".

[heliman]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

I would suggest adding about 7% semilina .

Up the hydration and see how it goes...

[asudavew]

Re: The secret to WFO crispy crust?

I've actually adapted my recipe again.
I've played with it quite a bit.
But I'm usually stressed for time and never make dough the day before.
Usually just a few hours ahead of time.

250 grams hard wheat flour(aka bread flour)
250 grams all purpose flour
(I've found that 500 grams of bread flour makes for a tough crust, using half all purpose has really helped with the texture and toughness)
300-310 grams water
13 grams salt
10 grams yeast.. (yep ten grams)
Quick rise!
I triple the recipe for my new mixer.

Mix the ingredients. Knead on low maybe 5-8 minutes.

Let the whole batch rise and double. Then divide into 210 gram (or so) dough balls.
And allow the balls to rise again.

My family loves it.