Wood counter top decorated with Pizza Margarita

Re: Wood counter top decorated with Pizza Margarit

Barry Irby

That is one good looking counter top. I could see it better if you would move that pizza out of the way. The pizza looks great. (Except for those green peppers, they don't like me. I can taste them for days. Sad, because they are delicious.)

Need help with my pizza crust . . .

Yonak

That pizza looks fantastic, Bill. Now that you're on the subject, maybe you can help me with my pizza crust. It's too springy. I roll it out but it springs back. I want a bigger pizza but my dough won't let me. Also, it tends to be a bit too thick. I use All Trumps high gluten flour. I'm considering replacing one cup of the All Trumps with all-purpose flour next time since it may be too glutenous. Also, maybe I knead it too much. I could really use some advice.

Re: Wood counter top decorated with Pizza Margarit

Don Orr

I'll be right there-save me a slice!

Advanced pizza crust stretching

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I live in a culinary desert. No good ethnic food. I have had to learn to make it.

I used to have the problem you describe. Be rid of the rolling pin. You will never see a rolling pin in a pizzeria. Also, never miss a chance to see how a professional handles the dough, as you can learn from them. I got personal lessons from Mario in Oriskany Falls, NY for New York Pizza and various people in Italy for the thinner Italian pizza.

Everyone uses All Trumps for NY pizza because it is brominated. Bromination oxidizes the sulfides on the proteins which prevents them from cross linking the protein molecules and making rubber. However, I use Gold Medal "bread" for the thin Italian pizza. Can add 25-50% AP for a less chewy crust. I like chewy. You can add some vegie oil for NY pizza to make the crust more tender, if that is what you like. I like chewy.

I knead for about 10 min, until the dough takes on a silky character. You will see it when you get it.

I mix the dough and at once put in refrigerator for 24-36 hours of fermentation to develop flavor. Bring out 2-3 hours to warm up(covered) before stretching.

To begin, dust the fermented dough ball with flour to make the surface not sticky. It is common to see bakers put the dough ball in a bin of flour to cover it, or just dust, then shake off excess.

Sprinkle a thin layer of Semolina on counter (or you can use flour but Semolina acts like ball bearings and makes life easy). Dump out the dough ball. Press it into a disk about 6" diameter +/-, and while pressing form a raised crust edge. After this step everyone has a different technique.

1. Grab an edge with left hand and anchor the middle with the other and pull. Rotate and repeat. OR

2. Spread fingers of both hands, place fingers on outer edge of the disk and push while spreading hands apart to expand the disk. Rotate and repeat. OR

3. make a loose fist with each hand. Support disk on the two fists and pull apart. Rotate and repeat. You usually get one chance to get it right with this technique. If you don't pull it enough it sets up and will not pull more until you let the dough relax for about 15 min.

Bake on tile at 550 F for about 6-8 min depending on thickness

PS if dough too dry it will not stretch easily. From the mixer it should be a bit sticky.

email me if you have more questions

PS "wood fired"

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Every "wood fired" pizza I have had in US had a blackened crust, yuck. Every pizza place I saw in southern Italy had a wood oven. None burned the crust. This trendy feature seems to be uniquely US. Pizza ovens in Italy were at about 650 F.

Crust polymer chemistry

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Proteins molecules are like rubber bands (both are polymer molecules). A rubber band stretches to its elastic limit and then stops. Stretch it more and it will break (or the crust will tear). However, protein molecules are wiggly. If stretched to their limit and allowed time to relax the molecules will wiggle back into stretchy rubber bands again and they can be stretched again. It takes about 15 minutes to do this relaxation. So if a curst sets up, cover with a towel to prevent drying and let it relax.

The rolling pin is good for pie with little rubber bandidness. Bad for high protein pizza dough. The rolling stretches portions of the dough to the limit and they set up and won't let the whole of it stretch.

Thanks, Bill

Yonak

I will definitely try your stretching techniques. Unfortunately, my All Trumps flour is unbromated .. I didn't realize when I bought it. I'll have to get some bromated.

Regarding the temperatures of the ovens. I thought the temperatures of the professional ovens were in the 1000°, even 1200°, range. Like yours, my home oven limit is 550°.

well ...

Mike Farinella

most that I have seen were in the 900 degree F range.

BTW

Mike Farinella

Traditional Margarita pizza is made with plain tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil.

quote from original post

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

"It is not authentic because I have added some green peppers and a small amount of sausage departing from the true Margarita which only has fresh cheese, basil and tomato (red, white and green like flag). "

and I’ll take either one

Bruce, a MN Galoot

It looks delicious, Bill, and thanks for the instructions.

All-Trumps is brominated

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

note in ingredient list is potassium bromate, an oxidizing agent that destroys the protein sulfides.

Re: well ...

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

When I was in southern Italy recently I asked at several pizza places about the oven. None quoted 900 F (converted from C), and none pyrolized the crust as I see in the trendy US places that think black bottoms equates with "wood fired". I did not have on hand a pyrometer so I had no way of confirming temperatures. Pizza's took about 3 min to cook. They were tended to constantly, turning the pie and moving it to different locations(temperature) in the oven. The goal was to melt the cheese properly while at the same time brown the bottom. I accomplish this goal at 550 in 6 min on tile for a Naples style crust and 8 min for NY crust.

Re: All-Trumps is brominated

Yonak

Here's the label from the flour I have :

I got the oven temperatures from Peter Reinhart's book, American Pie, which says most of the Italian ovens are 1000° ~ 1200°.

Re: All-Trumps is brominated...some of the time

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

It appears that your flour is repackaged from General Mills, presumably General Mills All-Trumps flour. I searched the General Mill web site and indeed the flour comes in a brominated blue bag and an unbrominated green bag version. General Mills says what you have is good for pizza making but what I seen in Pizzerias are blue bags and that is what my supplier sells.

Re: All-Trumps is brominated...some of the time

Yonak

Thanks, Bill. I'll try the bromated.

My eyes can't decide on where to focus first

Howard in Toronto

Great job! (on both)