16 inch Neapolitan Style Pizza

[CoalsArt]

In my pizza travels those restaurants serving Neapolitan style doughs (using 00 Caputo Flour) usually come no bigger than 12 inches. Is it possible, using that type of dough, to make 16 inch pizza? Has anyone tried that? I would imagine it becomes one big wet mess.

[Tscarborough]

Nah, it works better, actually. Here is one.

[CoalsArt]

Looks beautiful. Are you using a 00 flour? The center stays crisp?

[Tscarborough]

Sometimes, that one is (OO). I have to start them on a screen since my peel is only 14", then I remove it to finish them. The center is very thin and crisp. Here is one in the oven.

[CoalsArt]

What is your preference? I was just on pizza-making forum and I was trying to describe the exact crust that I am after. This is what I wrote:

What I really want for this crust is to have a thin crispy outer layer that crackles and breaks apart when you put pressure on it. The inner dough is light and airy with a creamy custard like crumb. It should have big irregular bubbles yet have a little chew when you take a bite. A puffed cornicione giving way to a thin, yet crispy crust, all the way to the edge and does not droop. It will have maximum flavor in the dough and I would be willing to put a sourdough starter (I am cultivating one), a poolish/biga, long ferment, etc to get the dough where I want it. All this using a local mill for the flour at 12.9 protein. Can I get there?"

As you can see I have really been thinking about this. I love authentic Neapolitan pizza. But I just don't care for it when it gets soft in the middle. So I have been experimenting with American bread flours. It seems you get a lot of crispness with the 00 flours but it does not last long outside of the oven.

[Tscarborough]

I do not really like 00. I prefer an 80/20 bread flour/semolina mix with a minimum 24 hour cold ferment. Crunchy, airy, and little to no gum line. I vacillate on the cornicione between none and big puffy ones. Both are made with the same recipe, it is a matter of how the dough is opened.

[Tscarborough]

I am doing pizza tonight, but I got hungry so I made this one in the kitchen oven at 550 for about 5 minutes, then under the broiler for a couple. The 48 hour dough is 80/20 with oregano flakes. I opted for a big cornicione this time.

In the WFO tonight they will brown much more.

[CoalsArt]

Beautiful! And the dough stays crispy right to the end of the tip? Is the semolina a strong flavor note? I can't believe how big the bubbles are in that crust. I have a coal oven which I am firing up next week. I am so ready to work with a high heat temp oven. My electric "POC" must be broken as I am having trouble reaching temps over 450. Therefore my dough experiments have been less than satisfactory.

[Tscarborough]

I can't taste the semolina, it just has a feel. It makes it crunchy, but not crackery. Here is a crap picture of how it stands up.

[Tscarborough]

Three more tonight in the WFO. A 70/30 deer sausage that I "Italianized" with fennel, onions, garlic and oregano in the precook, Calabrese sliced thin like pepperoni, shallots, baby portobellas, mild jalapenos, and capers in various combinations.