caputo flour report Ingredients Discuss caputo flour report in the Brick Oven Cooking forums; yes James my wife makes a great focaccia with very high hydration it turns out great she does not measure ...

[MAVANO]

yes James my wife makes a great focaccia with very high hydration it turns out great she does not measure the water she adds water until the feel of the mix is right to her I always tell her to write down how much water is put in she only responds, this the way my mother taught me, but she does measure the flour 4lb.- salt 1tblsp -ady 1tblsp. mixes it in a large bowl with a spatula and pours it in a focaccia black steel 2 inch deep pan with the rippled edges that we brought back from Italy on our last visit, lets it rise for 2-3 hrs. olive oil on top (must put a little oil in pan before the mix) crushed diced tomatoes on top a little oregano -BTW the toppings are done after the rise- and bake at 450oven or WFO until the desired crispness, by the way that gtm member is very close to the amount of yeast 3 grms per 1.75k of flour, they did not specify salt or water amounts, my brother in Italy tells me he spoke to a pizzaiolo and told him that he does not use yeast in his dough but rather white wine in the biga mix ( they call it la mamma) that has not been treated with any yeast neutralizers ,( I'm guessing freshly squeezed grapes) lets it rise for 6-8 hrs. is this possible? he would not give the specifics on the amounts of ingredients very well kept secrets out there.

[james]

Ciao Mavano,

I think it would be great to be a master baker and have the feel to bake completely by touch -- not scale. But I'm sure not there. The more I bake the more I am getting a feel, but I have a long way to go.

For focaccia, I add EVO to the baking sheet, on top of the dough, and then more right when the bread comes out of the oven. I learned that at a WFO cooking class in Fiesole. But no EVO in the dough -- I think it retards a good oven spring.

The pizzaiolo recipe sounds like a sourdough that they are passing along. Sounds good.

La mamma reminds me of a story. There was a flier in the local market in Bagno a Ripoli, where someone was selling their entire Vin Santo making kit. Bottles, barrels, everything. Our younger daughter was translating it out loud and she said wow -- the barrels come with the mother inside! Vin Santo also has la mamma.

Salute,
James

[kimemerson]

Originally Posted by james

The pizzaiolo recipe sounds like a sourdough that they are passing along. Sounds good.

I don't know that it qualifies as a sourdough per se, but I do a slow ferment of a simple starter, then a slow ferment of the dough itself. My starter is simply four, water, ADY, and diastatic malt which I make myself. I let this sit in my basement for at least 24-36 hrs., then set to making the dough with an autolyse of about 20-25 minutes, and another slow ferment back in the basement for another 24-36 hrs. This plus the higher hydration than I had been doing (very low back then. Now about 65%-58% w/ King Arthur AP) and a FB stone on the bottom (floor, not rack) of my gas oven cranked up to 550° F, pre-heated for about one hour has all made a huge difference to the better - way better. As James pointed out somewhere, this isn't rocket science but it takes practice, diligence and the help of a place like this. I spent years working this out on my own. I think it was Savarin who said, possibly of bechamel, that what is interesting is that all it is is milk, butter and flour but it will take a lifetime to perfect. Ok, so maybe it was Hollandaise. Not sure. Either way, damned few ingredients, fairly simple method, yet perfection does not always await.

[tombomb]

i agree with less water but would add use the cold water tedhniqueand try holding in frig for 24 to 48 hrs. this seems to be my best trick. some of my best doughs are up to a week old. note i do not use any oil. be well