The Pizza Quest Challenge Pizza Dough
The Pizza Quest Challenge Dough (makes five 8 ounce/227 g dough balls)
For best results, this dough should be made at least one day in advance–it will also hold in the refrigerator for up to 3 days with good results. Any longer than 3 days and the dough will weaken (start to break down), though it can last for months if shaped into dough balls and frozen in small freezer zip bags.
22 ounces (624 grams) Germania flour or a blend of 20 oz./567 g of your favorite bread or Double Zero flour and 2 oz./56 g of pumpernickel or coarse rye flour or rye meal). If you don’t have a scale, this will be approx. 4 3/4 cups of flour.
0.5 oz/14 g. salt (a scant 2 teaspoons or 2 1/2 teaspoons if using coarse kosher or coarse sea salt)
1 oz./28 g crystal beer malt (light or dark–I use amber) or 1 1/2 tablespoons barley malt syrup
0.11 oz/3 g instant yeast (1 teaspoon) OR, 1 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast dissolved in 4 ounces of the water for about 3 to 5 minutes
16 oz/452 g water, room temp. (if using Caputo or another Italian Double Zero, reduce the water to 14 oz/399 g)
–In an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with a large spoon, mix the dough on slow speed for 1 minute, or until the dough is fully hydrated and all the ingredients are evenly distributed (instant yeast goes right into the flour–it does not need to be bloomed in water, while active dry yeast does need dissolving, as described above, by pulling 4 oz. of water from the total). The dough will be coarse and shaggy at this point, and all the ingredients need to be hydrated.
–Let the dough rest for 5 minutes and then mix again on medium speed for 1 additional minute (or knead by hand on a clean, lightly oiled work surface), until the dough is fully developed (you can stretch a small piece very thin without it tearing to make translucent membrane). Adjust the water or flour as needed to make a very soft and supple, very tacky, almost sticky dough. If the dough is too weak to hold together, mix for an additional minute or so. If too sticky to work, sprinkle in more flour as needed. If too stiff, drizzle in a little water, one teaspoon at a time. –Form the dough into a ball by stretching and folding it, place it into a lightly oiled bowl large enough to accommodate it if it doubles in size, mist the top with spray oil or brush a small amount of oil on the surface, cover with plastic wrap (the whole bowl, not the dough), and let the dough sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough again (either in the bowl or on the counter) and return it to the bowl, mist with spray oil, and cover the bowl again with the plastic wrap. Then, place the bowl into the refrigerator where it will continue to rise overnight before going dormant. As noted above, you can use it anytime for up to 3 days or you can divide it immediately into dough balls and freeze them; they will keep for at least 3 months in the freezer where, when ready to use again, you transfer the frozen dough balls to the refrigerator the day before you plan to bake the pizzas and then treat as you would freshly made dough. –Remove the bowl of dough 2 hours before you plan to make the pizzas and divide the dough into 5 equal (approx. eight oz.) dough balls. Place the dough balls on a sheet pan or tray that has been lightly misted with spray oil. Keep them as separated as possible. Mist the top of the dough balls with spray oil and cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap, or place it into a can liner, to keep the dough from forming a skin. The dough will slowly wake up and start to swell. If the room is very warm, reduce the wake-up time to 60 or 90 minutes instead of 2 hours. –Prepare your ingredients and oven for pizza making. A baking stone is recommended. Set your home oven as high as it will go (convection is fine); if using a wood-fired oven, the deck should be about 550 degrees F/288 C, and the ambient ceiling temperature should be at least 800 degrees F/427 C. The pizzas will take 5 to 8 minutes to bake in a home oven and about 2 to 3 minutes in a wood fired oven. If using a pizza stone in a home oven, let it preheat for at least 45 minutes.For more specific details on how to shape or make a pizza, toppings, and sauces refer to our Instructional videos, photos, and recipes, or obtain a copy of “American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza.”
To buy Germania Flour and malt crystal, contact Central Milling at (707) 778-1073, or visit their website at www.centralmilling.com/
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Great article. I can’t wait to try this with pizza dough and other breads as well. A local restaurant near me makes a German stout bread that has notes of chocolate and coffee. I would imagine that it is mostly pumpernickel and a stout beer. I would love to try to duplicate using this method.
Do you have a procedure for using malt (not crystalized)? Any ideas what would happen if you used non-crystallized?
If a beer brewing website lists malt, is it safe to assume all malt is crystallized unless otherwise stated?
For example, is this crystallized?
http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/Weyermann-Chocolate-Wheat-Malt-%28by-the-ounce%29.html
Nick’s Birkby’s steeping method uses non crystal malt. You can find it in the most recent Peter’s Blog, dated Sept. 26th. I don’t think all beer malt is crystallized; it often comes as just simply roasted malted barley malt. Crystallized malt is, I believe, a more complex method, like making crystallized, granulated sugar from sugar cane syrup. Best to check with the beer making suppliers to explain the hows and why,s though — I’m still a novice in this realm of malts. Would love to hear what you find out.
Should the salt be 13 grams, not 56 grams, just wondering? Thanks!
You are absolutely correct–my bad! I will change it to 13 grams (actually 14 grams is the correct number, equal to 1/2 oz. of salt as soon as I can get to my home computer. Thank you Tom!!!
Thanks Peter…I read Nick’s article. You mentioned in this article that you would rather use malt than a good beer. Any idea if Nick’s method could be considered better / worse than just substituting your favorite beer for the liquid in the recipe? I am going to post this question on his article as well.
Thanks!