Crispy Pizza bottom

[pizzafun]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

Hi,
My first pizza caught fire.
Had to wait an hour to cool.
Then my dough was undercooked.
so you target 750-800 for oven floor?
how do you maintain that range?
Any other tips?
I do use an infrared temp gun.
thank you!

[mrgweeto]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

When the carbon on the top of the dome burns off I rake the fire over to the left side, brush off the floor and wait till the floor cools to approx 650. I have been doing that and the pizza takes a little longer but the dough cooks through and crisps up without the toppings becoming over done. The difference between cooking a pizza for 90 secs and 2.5 - 3 mins is huge. OH and I am not using a high gluten flour just all purpose and the crust is outstanding.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

I use 1/5 semolina, and it gives great tooth to the dough and a nice crispy crust:

4 cups Bread flour or All Trumps bromated
1 cup semolina flour
3 cups water (+/-)
2 tsp salt
1tsp IDY

Hand mixed for a couple of minutes, then left to rise at 60-80 degrees for an hour or two in bulk. Then 7 stretch and folds, divided and balled into Tupperware and into the fridge for a minimum of 24 hours out to a couple weeks. I use them straight from the fridge. That will make 4-280 gram dough balls which I usually make into 14" pizzas.

[pizzafun]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

Hi,
I make the dough 2 days in advance, put immediately in the refrig in bulk, take out dough 2 days later, make balls, proof for 2 hours at room temp in the morning & make the pizza's in the afternoon. how does this sound?
Also, sometimes my dough has flatten out when I take it out of the refrig to make the balls.
Does that mean that I am using tooo much water or the wrong amount of instant yeast?
thanks

[pizzafun]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

sorry, the dough flattens out after I make the balls & so they lose their ball shape.
As a reult the dough is difficult to work with, thins out, & tears easily.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

I think you should not do the cold ferment in bulk, as that is when the gluten is being developed. Ball before refrigeration and I bet the issue goes away.

[V-wiz]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

I use 1/5 semolina, and it gives great tooth to the dough and a nice crispy crust:

4 cups Bread flour or All Trumps bromated
1 cup semolina flour
3 cups water (+/-)
2 tsp salt
1tsp IDY

Hand mixed for a couple of minutes, then left to rise at 60-80 degrees for an hour or two in bulk. Then 7 stretch and folds, divided and balled into Tupperware and into the fridge for a minimum of 24 hours out to a couple weeks. I use them straight from the fridge. That will make 4-280 gram dough balls which I usually make into 14" pizzas.

Thanks for this info. Im sure ill try this out.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

Just be sure to note the +/- on the water. I like it to be at 65-70% hydration, which is very hard to work with initially. I normally start with 2 cups then add small amounts until it gets to where I want it, which looks like cottage cheese. Depending upon your flour, 2 to 2-1/2 cups will probably be plenty.

[pizzafun]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

Thank you.
For clarification, I use fresh local type 00 flour. it's 67% hydration which seem reasonable.
So as was said, I should make the dough, let sit out for an hour or 2 in bulk, make balls, & then refrigerate, correct?

[deejayoh]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

how long do you let the dough rest between S&F's Tscar?

[pizzafun]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

well currently, I make the dough on a thursday, put the dough in the refrig in bulk, Saturday morning I make the dough balls, let sit out at room temp to proof for 2 hours, place dough balls in refrig, Saturday evening I make the pizza's

[Tscarborough]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

Yeah, I don't like to cold ferment in bulk, I think it works better to let it double in bulk at room temp, then knock it down and ball it for the fridge. No rest between stretch and folds.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

Here was a very crispy crust I baked tonight. It was an emergency dough, bulked for 2 hours at 78 degrees, then balled for 3 also at 78ish degrees.

[mountain adventures]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

Tscar,

THAT is the crust I am wanting! I have been using KA All Pupose flour, with a 65% hydration recipe. The floor of my Firerock WFO is 750 +
I have had issues with the crust burning. What was the floor Temp of your oven when you baked this awesome looking pie?

[Tscarborough]

Re: Crispy Pizza bottom

The floor was about 650, the walls 750.