Hi.

[zopi]

Hi, All. I'm a first class petty officer in the Navy, I custom paint motorcycles on the side, and I do a rather large amount of the cooking for our family..

I'm in the curiosity stage of this syndrome. My wife is an excellent baker and I am learning at a rapid clip..I've got to where I can make pretty good pizza in our convection oven, but I'm considering building a stone oven..I do
alot of BBQ and roast fowl, so the oven justifies itself neatly..plus I may be able to scrounge most of the materials locally...

I tried the pizza dough recipe last night..I think it needs a little more flour,
or less liquid..but I like the recipe..I have been using the basic lean dough recipe used by the Culinary Institute of America...I think I prefer the lighter dough...makes crunchier crust...

heh..made a gorgonzola cheese pizza last night...

[maver]

The hotter wood fired ovens like a wetter crust. Most of us are in the learning stages with just different amounts of experience .

If you haven't yet, try the wetter dough with a long cold ferment in the fridge at the dough ball stage. I like a 220-250g dough ball, hand stretch to 13 inches, and bake on a stone as hot as you can get it (or consider using the barbecue for more heat if you need it). Look at pizzamaking.com for lots of ideas on this.

[zopi]

You've got a point..I was only cooking at about 500 degrees...which works out to about 550 with the convection..

the dough was a little too loose to toss tho'...wifey knows how to toss..I just fake it..

I'll check out the site..Thanks!

[maver]

As I've been trying wetter doughs also, there is definitely a learning curve with handling them - it's different. There were some links to videos posted recently here (look up posts by Dmum, I think) that included a pizzaiolo expertly stretching out some dough, he uses a flipping motion and turning rather than a toss, I've found something like this to work better for me, although I don't have much skill.

[zopi]

Slapping back and forth using fingers and the heel of my palms to extrude the dough is easiest for me...I can at least do a small pizza this way...

funny one for you..I went to pull out the all purpose flour earlier..and came up with bread flour...(they are in similar containers...) uhhhhhh....where's the all purpose? DOH! where the bread flour is supposed to be....

no wonder that dough acted funny the other night..no gluten to speak of...

oops.

[james]

Zopi,
I did the same thing the other day. I was sure I had pulled the Italian pizza flour, but made a whole batch to show to guests using King Arthur bread flour. Hey, the containers are the same. As you say, the difference in your hand is huge.

That said, if you only have regular "all purpose", as opposed to "pizza flour", try mixing half, or 30% bread flour with your all purpose. It will give your pizza a little more texture and a better crust, without making the crumb ponderous. I find all purpose a little limp, and bread flour a little tough. If you don't have the Italian pizza flour, try a mix, and you fill find a pizza somewhere in the middle.

Also, try the very hydrated dough. It's harder work, but you will be rewarded.
James

[zopi]

Thanks! I'll try the blend..I have not managed to find #00 pizza flour around here..I'm sure it is available without having to mail order..I'm not really making all that much pizza, but I have ensured that my kids will hate Dominos..

still thinking about building an oven...gonna depend on how close to free I can scrounge the pieces parts...

[james]

Here is some good info on Tipo 00 flour and Italian pizza flour (which is one kind of Tipo 00) -- they are not the same. All good Italian Pizza flour is Tipo 00, but not all Tipo 00 is pizza flour. All kings are men, but not all men are kings.

Take a look here. It's possible that even if you find Tipo 00 flour locally, it won't be good for pizza. The best things are never easy....

http://fornobravo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=675

Anything we can do help your kids grow up thinking Dominos is not good -- is a good thing!
James

[zopi]

Hmmmnnn...good info there..I may have to order some sometime...

yah..dominos sux. I kinda torqued off a guy at work the other day,
they were selling Dominoes...he hit me up to buy some...uhhh..no..that's not pizza.

That, as Sir Alton says..is not Good Eats


They used to get Chanellos, which, if not good is at least tolerable...

[homebrewer]

Originally Posted by zopi

Hi, All. I'm a first class petty officer in the Navy, I custom paint motorcycles on the side, and I do a rather large amount of the cooking for our family..
:

Hey, why do you only paint the motor cycles on the side? You should paint the tops too!