Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

[RTflorida]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

James, that should help lesson the many questions and concerns that have come up recently about the dough recipes. I do have to ask...will anything ever be perfect?

[asudavew]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

I do have to ask...will anything ever be perfect?

Yes... Clearwater beach on a Tuesday in May or June!

[james]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Tiger Woods' golf swing.
James

[Dutchoven]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Being the golf instructor that I am I will differ by saying it isn't perfect....but it sure is pretty darn close...nearest I have seen to absolute perfect was a Canadian guy not many people know about Murray "Moe" Norman...he made a hole in one and someone said "Wow, that was lucky!" He said "Why? That's what I was aiming at!"
Best
Dutch

[gjbingham]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Dutch! I need you! My game's in the dumpster. I've made my hole in one, so I can quit anytime, but, well, you know. You could always get two in a round, right?

Dave, Clearwater's an awesome beach in April and October. Inbetween that its way too hot for me. Perfect is in the eye of the beholder I guess.

[Frances]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Cmon Guys! Surely perfect are the continually changing and adapting FB oven plans! Right?

Ever since I found this site, I've been sticking my head into every WFO oven I come across and - even including our recent holiday in Italy (!) - I have yet to come across an oven with a cooler design.

...golf, duh!

[james]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Frances, that's it. Our new tagline.

The Pompeii Oven. Perfection through 2,000 years of evolution. :-)
James

[Acoma]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

OK everyone, I think this thread was about Perfect Pizza Dough by weight?

[Frances]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Well, cooked in a perfect oven... we're not that far off subject, are we?

[Ken524]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

This should get this thread back on subject ...

I was just informed that I'm throwing a pizza party on Sunday for about 20 (I guess our pizza adventures this past weekend impressed my spouse).

I have a couple of dough questions. I used ASUDaveW's dough recipe Friday afternoon (500gr Bread Flour/300gr/10gr/3gr) with good success. The only concern I had was it was a bit tough to shape; a little rubbery (after cooking, it was awesome).

I mixed a double recipe, let it rise a couple of hours, formed dough balls, let it rise another 2 hours. I coated the dough balls with EVOO to keep them from sticking together.

Could the EVOO have caused the dough to be rubbery and tough to form? Maybe I didn't have quite enough water? In Dave's video, his dough seems to stretch paper thin with little effort (I realize a lot of that is skill).

What I would like to do for next Sunday is mix the dough and make the balls on Friday or Saturday and pop them in the fridge. I'm planning on pulling out all the stops and using my treasured stash of Caputo Tipo 00, so I don't want to screw this up!

Any advice??

Thanks a million!

[gjbingham]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

I doubt it Ken. Make sure the dough is at room temp. Press it out into 5 inch disks, more or less. Let it sit a few minutes. Try Dave's technique. If the dough is too elastic, cover it and give it some more time. Try again. It should loosen up.

Anyone else?

[Ed_]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

I think leaving it in the fridge for a couple of days will only help, especially with the flavor. As George says, it's easier to work with when it warms.

I don't think the oil is probably causing any trouble. The recipe I've had good success with recently actually includes a little oil, as well as a bit of sugar. I'm sure you don't want to do anything rash and use your 20 guests as guinea pigs, but I'll include the recipe here with credit to Peter Reinhart (see the Apr/May 2008 Fine Cooking magazine, probably still on the newsstands):

1 lb. flour
2 tsp. sugar or honey
1 1/2 tsp table salt
1 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp EVOO

Mix the above, then add 11 fl. oz. water. Mix, rest 5 minutes, knead, form in balls, refrigerate (8 hours to 3 days). You know the rest of the drill. Enough for about 4 individual-sized pizzas. I'm too lazy to do the metric conversions to compare to Dave's.

[Dutchoven]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Ken
Have to ask where are you doing this final proof? In pizza boxes, on a counter, in ziploc containers? We are firm believers in making that final step happen overnight in the fridge. Our technique is basically the same as yours with the exception of that we divide the dough into balls and round them, then allow them to rest for 20 to 30 minutes, round into balls again and refridgerate overnight. We use pizzeria boxes and when the dough goes in it goes in without any oil on it and then we spray oil the tops to keep them from sticking(nothing on the bottom though because you want them to go up not out...the out makes for a tougher dough I have found and that may be what happened for you). We remove them about an hour or so before using. Ours is quite easily shapeable...check out the photos in the "pizza party" thread I posted last week...the pizza I spun in that one picture was about 40 seconds or so of stretching
Hope this helps!
Dutch

This should get this thread back on subject ...

I was just informed that I'm throwing a pizza party on Sunday for about 20 (I guess our pizza adventures this past weekend impressed my spouse).

I have a couple of dough questions. I used ASUDaveW's dough recipe Friday afternoon (500gr Bread Flour/300gr/10gr/3gr) with good success. The only concern I had was it was a bit tough to shape; a little rubbery (after cooking, it was awesome).

I mixed a double recipe, let it rise a couple of hours, formed dough balls, let it rise another 2 hours. I coated the dough balls with EVOO to keep them from sticking together.

Could the EVOO have caused the dough to be rubbery and tough to form? Maybe I didn't have quite enough water? In Dave's video, his dough seems to stretch paper thin with little effort (I realize a lot of that is skill).

What I would like to do for next Sunday is mix the dough and make the balls on Friday or Saturday and pop them in the fridge. I'm planning on pulling out all the stops and using my treasured stash of Caputo Tipo 00, so I don't want to screw this up!

Any advice??

Thanks a million!

[dmun]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

I'd scoot the hydration up to 63 per cent (630 per 1000, 315 per 500), and knock the IDY down to 2 percent (1/2 t per 500). I mix the dry ingredients, add the water, stir with a silicon spatula until the flour is just absorbed. I let it sit 20 minutes to let the water soak in, at this point it's just a little sticky. I kneed it a few turns, really, just 30 seconds or so until I don't feel any big lumps, with minimal bench flour. If it sticks to your bench or hands, use the silicon spatula to get it loose, and another tiny sprinkle of flour. I tuck it under into a ball, and let it rise in a warm place for 3 hours with cling wrap over the ball, until doubled, or a cool place overnight. I then divide it into four (or 8) 200 gram balls (I know that's on the small size) and store it in round plastic containers for 2 or three days in the fridge. Long retardation makes gluten structure just as well as much kneeding, and develops additional flavor to boot.

Just what I do.

[gjbingham]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

I did a half-recipe from the e-book, by weight, last weekend using bread flour vs. Caputo for just two pizzas. I halved all the weights and ended up with an overly dry dough. I added water till the consistency seemed right. Set aside for bulk raising with a light coat of spray oil, cut and formed dough balls, then hit them again with spray oil. 3 hours later, perfectly handling dough. Nice crust on baking too.