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My wife and I just made 4 pizzas on this last night. It is great but the edges around the pizza were golden brown and not that bubbly crispy crust you get in pi

My wife and I just made 4 pizzas on this last night. It is great but the edges around the pizza were golden brown and not that bubbly crispy crust you get in pizzerias. I am convinced now more than ever that the dough is the critical procedural element we were getting wrong. She used a 1 hour dough where even the pizza steel recommends a 72 hour one. Needless to say, she has one in the proofer for Wednesday night.

makmanalp 8y ago
> not that bubbly crispy crust you get in pizzerias Yes, aside from high heat the cold ferment step seems to play a big role: https://slice.seriouseats.com/2010/09/the-pizza-lab-how-long-should-i-let-my-dough-cold-ferment.html https://slice.seriouseats.com/2010/09/the-pizza-lab-how-long...
mohaine 8y ago
I highly suggest this recipe (From here: http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm) Ingredient (grams) 1 Pie 3 Pied 5 Pies Filtered Water 110 330 550 King Arthur Bread flour 168 510 850 Kosher or Sea Salt 6 18 30 Sourdough yeast culture 15 45 60 Instant Dry yeast 0.5 1.5 2.5 All ingredients into mixer except 25% of flour. Mix on lowest speed for 1-2 minutes or until completely blended. Cover and Let it rest for 20 minutes. Start Mixing on Low speed for 8 minutes. 5 minutes into it start adding held back flour gradually. Mix for 1 more minute Divide in to 300g balls and either let raise warm (3-10 hours) or cold (2-7 days).
- Shebanator 8y ago
  Good recommendation! Big fan of his work...
awinder 8y ago
I use the recipe from this book + the levain instructions — https://www.amazon.com/Flour-Water-Salt-Yeast-Fundamentals/dp/160774273X/ https://www.amazon.com/Flour-Water-Salt-Yeast-Fundamentals/d... Highly recommend though I believe the author is located in the Pacific Northwest, and one thing I have found is nearly all recipes should have their hydration ratios adjusted to your local climate. Local humidity / seasons tend to have impacts on dough.
sgc 8y ago
Having worked in Italian Pizzerias (in Italy), 2 days minimum for a decent crust, but the cheap places don't all do that.
- exhilaration 8y ago
  2 days in the fridge? How many hours out after that? Tell us the secret!
  - sprocket 8y ago
    I would agree with this as well. My best crusts rise from 36-48 hours in the fridge, after which they're baked almost immediately at 450-500F for 10-12 minutes.
  - Obi_Juan_Kenobi 8y ago
    At least two days, I'd say 5+ is best if you have the foresight. To use, just take it out a few hours ahead of time so that it can warm up to RT and rise again.
  - sgc 8y ago
    It's not a formula! Take it out when you start prep for the evening, so it's at least 90 minutes before first use. But pizza made at close will be different than pizza made at the beginning of the shift.
    - sgc 8y ago
      Forgot to mention: It is a perpetual starter--take a pizza worth of dough to start the next batch (for maybe 100 pizzas).
      - makmanalp 8y ago
        To add, I think perhaps the levain makes it develop to a good state faster such that 2 days is fine as opposed to the 3+ I seem to need with no levain, if you want the nice spotted and bubbly dark and light pattern as opposed to the even golden brown.
Obi_Juan_Kenobi 8y ago
Good dough is easy: * Use bread flour * Let it sit refrigerated for a few days before use. 1-2 weeks is pretty ideal. Compared to a fresh dough, you'll get that nice crispy crust and chewy, flavorful interior.
- shaklee3 8y ago
  1-2 weeks is far too long for a yeasted dough to sit in a refrigerator. 2-5 days would be the max.
  - Reason077 8y ago
    I agree. 24-48 hours is the ideal refrigerator proofing time for pizza dough in my experience. Too much beyond that the dough will break down too much, becoming gooey, tearing easily when handled, and resulting in a hard/crunchy crust. Proofed dough balls can be frozen for storage, however. They keep well in the freezer and defrost quickly when needed.
dboreham 8y ago
Indeed. Although Physics is important in the cooking process, Pizza is all about Biochemistry. Since flour and water have essentially no flavor, all the taste comes from what the yeast makes as it metabolizes the flour and other carbohydrates present. More metabolic activity == more flavor. More time == more yeast output.

makmanalp 8y ago

> not that bubbly crispy crust you get in pizzerias Yes, aside from high heat the cold ferment step seems to play a big role: https://slice.seriouseats.com/2010/09/the-pizza-lab-how-long-should-i-let-my-dough-cold-ferment.html https://slice.seriouseats.com/2010/09/the-pizza-lab-how-long...

mohaine 8y ago

I highly suggest this recipe (From here: http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm) Ingredient (grams) 1 Pie 3 Pied 5 Pies Filtered Water 110 330 550 King Arthur Bread flour 168 510 850 Kosher or Sea Salt 6 18 30 Sourdough yeast culture 15 45 60 Instant Dry yeast 0.5 1.5 2.5 All ingredients into mixer except 25% of flour. Mix on lowest speed for 1-2 minutes or until completely blended. Cover and Let it rest for 20 minutes. Start Mixing on Low speed for 8 minutes. 5 minutes into it start adding held back flour gradually. Mix for 1 more minute Divide in to 300g balls and either let raise warm (3-10 hours) or cold (2-7 days).

Shebanator 8y ago
Good recommendation! Big fan of his work...

awinder 8y ago

I use the recipe from this book + the levain instructions — https://www.amazon.com/Flour-Water-Salt-Yeast-Fundamentals/dp/160774273X/ https://www.amazon.com/Flour-Water-Salt-Yeast-Fundamentals/d... Highly recommend though I believe the author is located in the Pacific Northwest, and one thing I have found is nearly all recipes should have their hydration ratios adjusted to your local climate. Local humidity / seasons tend to have impacts on dough.

sgc 8y ago

Having worked in Italian Pizzerias (in Italy), 2 days minimum for a decent crust, but the cheap places don't all do that.

exhilaration 8y ago
2 days in the fridge? How many hours out after that? Tell us the secret!
- sprocket 8y ago
  I would agree with this as well. My best crusts rise from 36-48 hours in the fridge, after which they're baked almost immediately at 450-500F for 10-12 minutes.
- Obi_Juan_Kenobi 8y ago
  At least two days, I'd say 5+ is best if you have the foresight. To use, just take it out a few hours ahead of time so that it can warm up to RT and rise again.
- sgc 8y ago
  It's not a formula! Take it out when you start prep for the evening, so it's at least 90 minutes before first use. But pizza made at close will be different than pizza made at the beginning of the shift.
  - sgc 8y ago
    Forgot to mention: It is a perpetual starter--take a pizza worth of dough to start the next batch (for maybe 100 pizzas).
    - makmanalp 8y ago
      To add, I think perhaps the levain makes it develop to a good state faster such that 2 days is fine as opposed to the 3+ I seem to need with no levain, if you want the nice spotted and bubbly dark and light pattern as opposed to the even golden brown.

Obi_Juan_Kenobi 8y ago

Good dough is easy: * Use bread flour * Let it sit refrigerated for a few days before use. 1-2 weeks is pretty ideal. Compared to a fresh dough, you'll get that nice crispy crust and chewy, flavorful interior.

shaklee3 8y ago
1-2 weeks is far too long for a yeasted dough to sit in a refrigerator. 2-5 days would be the max.
- Reason077 8y ago
  I agree. 24-48 hours is the ideal refrigerator proofing time for pizza dough in my experience. Too much beyond that the dough will break down too much, becoming gooey, tearing easily when handled, and resulting in a hard/crunchy crust. Proofed dough balls can be frozen for storage, however. They keep well in the freezer and defrost quickly when needed.

dboreham 8y ago

Indeed. Although Physics is important in the cooking process, Pizza is all about Biochemistry. Since flour and water have essentially no flavor, all the taste comes from what the yeast makes as it metabolizes the flour and other carbohydrates present. More metabolic activity == more flavor. More time == more yeast output.