Any pizzaiolo’s here?

[mollyc]

I make homemade pizza almost once a week. I bake it in my home oven at 450* convection bake on a pizza stone. I usually start my dough around 3pm and it's ready to bake by 7pm. If I get a late start, I can proof it in the oven for an hour and a half or so.

 

[Cmaier]

I make homemade pizza almost once a week. I bake it in my home oven at 450* convection bake on a pizza stone. I usually start my dough around 3pm and it's ready to bake by 7pm. If I get a late start, I can proof it in the oven for an hour and a half or so.

We have a weird thing in our house where dough just doesnt rise anymore. Doesn’t matter what yeast i use, whether i use tap or bottled or deionized water, or what kind of dough I’m making. Can’t get yeast to proof. Can’t get dough to rise. Nothing works. I used to make pizza dough and pretzels all the time, but now there’s some sort of evil spirit inhabiting our kitchen that kills all yeast as soon as I open the container.

 

[mollyc]

We have a weird thing in our house where dough just doesnt rise anymore. Doesn’t matter what yeast i use, whether i use tap or bottled or deionized water, or what kind of dough I’m making. Can’t get yeast to proof. Can’t get dough to rise. Nothing works. I used to make pizza dough and pretzels all the time, but now there’s some sort of evil spirit inhabiting our kitchen that kills all yeast as soon as I open the container.

hmmm... I don't really measure very accurately but I start off with 3 c. flour (I used to specifically buy bread flour, but now I just use AP), a generous sprinkle of salt, about 2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast, a squirt of honey, and a pour of olive oil. And then probably about 1 1/4 c of warm water; right around 110*, maybe 105* (I don't temp it anymore because I know how long it takes to get it the right temp from fridge temp in my microwave). It all gets mixed in the mixer with the dough hook for five or so minutes.

What happens if you just let it sit overnight? Are you starting with cold water? Water that is too hot? Weird that it used to work and now doesn't.

 

[Cmaier]

hmmm... I don't really measure very accurately but I start off with 3 c. flour (I used to specifically buy bread flour, but now I just use AP), a generous sprinkle of salt, about 2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast, a squirt of honey, and a pour of olive oil. And then probably about 1 1/4 c of warm water; right around 110*. It all gets mixed in the mixer with the dough hook for five or so minutes.

What happens if you just let it sit overnight? Are you starting with cold water? Water that is too hot? Weird that it used to work and now doesn't.

I go for lukewarm water but I’ve tried everything. If I let it sit all night it puffs up a tiny tiny bit. Not enough to even bake it.

 

[mollyc]

I go for lukewarm water but I’ve tried everything. If I let it sit all night it puffs up a tiny tiny bit. Not enough to even bake it.

are you putting it in the fridge or leaving it out?

 

[Herdfan]

I go for lukewarm water but I’ve tried everything. If I let it sit all night it puffs up a tiny tiny bit. Not enough to even bake it.

Have you tried warmer water? I know they all say lukewarm which can mean a lot of different things to different people. The pizza flour I bought says lukewarm (105-115F). When my wife first got the water, we temped it and it was only 82F and that was her version of lukewarm. So maybe try hotter water.

 

[mollyc]

what recipe are you using?

 

[Cmaier]

are you putting it in the fridge or leaving it out?

Leaving it out on the counter, under a towel

 

[lizkat]

Leaving it out on the counter, under a towel

Try sticking it the oven (oven is OFF, of course) and put a pan of boiling water in there and close the door to make a kind of proofing chamber. Sometimes a kitchen can be too cold in winter. perfect ambient temp for rising is pretty hgh, up around 75 or 80...

 

[mollyc]

Try sticking it the oven (oven is OFF, of course) and put a pan of boiling water in there and close the door to make a kind of proofing chamber. Sometimes a kitchen can be too cold in winter. perfect ambient temp for rising is pretty hgh, up around 75 or 80...

sometimes even leaving the light on in the oven is enough.

i often run the dishwasher when i am rising the dough and leave the bowl on the counter above. before we had a dog i’d place it right over a floor register in the winter when the furnace is on.

 

[Herdfan]

I just made the rough dough for tomorrow. Used the recipe off the bag of pizza flour I bought and right now it is doing the first rise. Says 12-24 hours at room temp. Going to split it in the morning and refrigerate it until afternoon. And finally found some semolina flour as well.

Ok, so I have used the recipe on the bag twice now. The second time I doubled the sugar from 1/2t to 1t so the crust would brown up better. And the second time I also used one of the dough rollers with the spikes to help keep it from bubbling.

But that recipe does not seem to want to stretch very well and then it rises as it bakes. Flavor is fine, but I want a bit thinner crust. And for it to stretch better.

The recipe on the bag calls to mix all the dry ingredients and then add warm water and then let it rise for 12-24 hours. I found a very similar recipe (ingredient wise) on Food Network that has you dissolve the sugar in the water and then add the yeast and let it foam for about 10 minutes and then add that water to the rest of the dry ingredients. In this recipe it only has to rise about 1-2 hours.

Which method does everyone here use.

And do you have a goto recipe that you use for dough?

Also have read about people baking the crust a bit before adding toppings. Anyone do that?

 

[quagmire]

Ok, so I have used the recipe on the bag twice now. The second time I doubled the sugar from 1/2t to 1t so the crust would brown up better. And the second time I also used one of the dough rollers with the spikes to help keep it from bubbling.

But that recipe does not seem to want to stretch very well and then it rises as it bakes. Flavor is fine, but I want a bit thinner crust. And for it to stretch better.

The recipe on the bag calls to mix all the dry ingredients and then add warm water and then let it rise for 12-24 hours. I found a very similar recipe (ingredient wise) on Food Network that has you dissolve the sugar in the water and then add the yeast and let it foam for about 10 minutes and then add that water to the rest of the dry ingredients. In this recipe it only has to rise about 1-2 hours.

Which method does everyone here use.

And do you have a goto recipe that you use for dough?

Also have read about people baking the crust a bit before adding toppings. Anyone do that?

The video I posted on the first page lists my recipe that I use.

Basically you take water, some of the 00 flour, honey, and yeast and mix it together. This is called poolish. Let it sit on the counter for an hour before going in the fridge for 16-24 hours. This is basically pre-fermenting the dough. Then next day combine the rest of the water, salt, and floor with the poolish to make the dough. Let it rest in the counter for 1 hour then divide into balls and rest covered for another hour.

People cook the crust first before adding toppings since conventional ovens don’t get hot enough to cook the crust without burning the toppings, but since you have an Ooni which does get hot enough, no need for this step.

 

[Herdfan]

The video I posted on the first page lists my recipe that I use.


People cook the crust first before adding toppings since conventional ovens don’t get hot enough to cook the crust without burning the toppings, but since you have an Ooni which does get hot enough, no need for this step.

I missed that, but will check it out for sure. Thanks.

What temp do you get to to cook the pizza. I have read and read and really can't find a good answer. I think part of the problem is there are two temps, the temp the built-in thermometer says and the temp the infrared thermometer hitting the stone says. It seems if we get the stone hot enough to really cook the crust, then it burns the toppings pretty quickly. Not sure it matters, but so far we have only used propane to cook. Haven't tried with wood/charcoal.

 

[quagmire]

I missed that, but will check it out for sure. Thanks.

What temp do you get to to cook the pizza. I have read and read and really can't find a good answer. I think part of the problem is there are two temps, the temp the built-in thermometer says and the temp the infrared thermometer hitting the stone says. It seems if we get the stone hot enough to really cook the crust, then it burns the toppings pretty quickly. Not sure it matters, but so far we have only used propane to cook. Haven't tried with wood/charcoal.

Ah the Ooni you got has a thermometer built in? The Koda 16 doesn't so I just use the infrared therm and the stone at the center seems to get to around 850 degrees F.

Also here is the actual recipe I use. This one is downscaled and makes 5 pizza's vs the 8-9 the original one makes. Same recipe and process.

 

[Cmaier]

You guys are making me jealous, but I’ll show you and just move to Brooklyn and let other people make me pizzas.

 

[Herdfan]

Ah the Ooni you got has a thermometer built in? The Koda 16 doesn't so I just use the infrared therm and the stone at the center seems to get to around 850 degrees F.

We have the Karu 16. Here is a pic of the thermometer. The description is:

Mounted digital thermometer displays internal ambient oven temperature (batteries included)

So what is internal ambient temperature. Sound like the temp of the air inside, not the stone.

I have the Ooni infrared, but also have a high-end Fluke and they are generally within 5-10 degrees of each other. But I have never had my stone that hot. Usually around 600. Guess I need to get it hotter.

 

[Herdfan]

You guys are making me jealous, but I’ll show you and just move to Brooklyn and let other people make me pizzas.

Never had pizza in Brooklyn, but John's in Time's Square was probably the best pizza I have ever had.

Just told the wife I ordered a dough hook for the mixer. She has decided I am crazy. LOL

 

[DT]

You guys are making me jealous, but I’ll show you and just move to Brooklyn and let other people make me pizzas.

Never had pizza in Brooklyn, but John's in Time's Square was probably the best pizza I have ever had.

We'll be in NYC for a little getaway at the of the week, no specific plans for pizza, but it's almost impossible not to grab a slice ... or two ... or maybe a whole pie for a midnight snack

 

[mollyc]

Ok, so I have used the recipe on the bag twice now. The second time I doubled the sugar from 1/2t to 1t so the crust would brown up better. And the second time I also used one of the dough rollers with the spikes to help keep it from bubbling.

But that recipe does not seem to want to stretch very well and then it rises as it bakes. Flavor is fine, but I want a bit thinner crust. And for it to stretch better.

The recipe on the bag calls to mix all the dry ingredients and then add warm water and then let it rise for 12-24 hours. I found a very similar recipe (ingredient wise) on Food Network that has you dissolve the sugar in the water and then add the yeast and let it foam for about 10 minutes and then add that water to the rest of the dry ingredients. In this recipe it only has to rise about 1-2 hours.

Which method does everyone here use.

And do you have a goto recipe that you use for dough?

Also have read about people baking the crust a bit before adding toppings. Anyone do that?

I mix the yeast right in with the flour. Adding it to water and sugar first is just to proof it...to make sure it rises. If you know your yeast is good there's no real advantage doing it that way that I know of, although maybe it makes it rise slightly faster initially since the yeast is working.

I do a fast rise of about three hours on my recipe and can stretch it out to about 12" with a medium thickness crust. I bake in a home oven at 450* convection bake on a pizza stone on the lowest rack. I do let my oven preheat for about an hour.

We spent Thanksgiving with friends who had an Ooni and they were having trouble with their doughs also (we were making pizza for 15 or so people). I made one batch of my dough (but by hand, at home I make it in a mixer with a dough hook), and it was largely agreed that my dough was the best of the bunch. I use honey rather than table sugar (but for the Ooni batch they didn't have honey, so I did use regular sugar), but doubt that makes much difference. I think it was just my overall proportions that they preferred. I don't really measure very well but have been using the same recipe for well over ten years.

 

[quagmire]

Pizza is really coming along.