DIY crispy pizza crust

[AlaMoi]

for years I read the debate about crispy / crispier / crispiest pizza crust.  it's of interest because our preferred pizza is home-made. 

 

I've been using Jamie Oliver's recipe (http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/bread-recipes/basic-pizza/#rXpg5PPqIxrq5PIJ.97) adjusted for quantity.

semolina is stocked in our local market, so not a brain buster....

 

there is a secondary theory that "double zero" aka '00 flour' makes the best.  this stuff is not readily available.  I had to hunt & peck for it - finally found it in the "organic" section of the local mega-supermarket chain. 

 

experimented with 'a little' - no diff - then 'a lot' - not much diff.  i.e. "strong" aka bread flour plus semolina plus 00 Flour - three flours, no waiting.....

 

so finally I took the plunge and made an all 00 flour + semolina dough; overnight rise in the fridge; extracted to warm up 2 hrs prior to baking.

 

the dough was seriously more substantial / elastic.  had to up the hydration by 3% - the 00 flour apparently takes a bit more water.  rolled out / formed beautifully.  seems there was a bit less dough volume using the 00 flour than KA bread flour - no explanation for that.  rolled out rather thin with few complaints.

 

used my standard at home baking technique - 14 inch round pizza stone, preheated to 500'F for 60 minutes.  the rolled out crust is plunked on a parchment paper round prior to toppings, the DIY tomato sauce is applied hot from a pan-at-a-simmer. 

10-12 mins, when done, removed from oven, slid off parchment onto a wire cake rack so the continued escaping moisture would not soggy the bottom.  cooled for 5 minutes; cut on a wooden board with a 10" chef knife.

 

the crust 'snapped' on cutting - veddy crispy.

 

so, apparently the 00 flour = crispy crust thing has serious merit.

[Kerry Beal]

What semolina flour are you using?

[AlaMoi]

Semolina: Bob's Red Mill brand - widely available in USA, dunno about Canada.

[Kerry Beal]

Shit load of Bob's Red Mill in Canada.

[DocDougherty]

In reply to

DIY crispy pizza crust

Started by AlaMoi:

 

After many years of making unsatisfactory pizza crust, I too finally went to the trouble and expense of getting some 00 flour. After a 24 hr rest in the refrigerator and a 2 hr warm-up period I could easily  stretch and throw (in 2 tosses) a 12" thin skin from 200g of dough and have a nice puffy rim. It was like magic!  I had never before experienced the elasticity of this dough. It didn't require a rest between stretches and it didn't tear.  With such a thin crust, there is really not that much flour in it - so 00 is not really that expensive. But it made a huge difference for me. The pizza in the accompanying photo was baked slightly less than 3 minutes on a 3/8" aluminum plate preheated in a 575°F combi oven at high fan speed for 20 min to a surface temperature of 550°F. The crust is a couple of mm thick.

Edited March 4, 2016 by DocDougherty
Should have been a reply instead of a separate post (log)

[Paul Bacino]

I make pizza all the time,,

 

My standard pizza crust..  is 65% Hydrated AP  flour cooked on a sheet pan @ 450 F in the oven,  Totally crispy every time!!

 

 

 

[Paul Bacino]

If I cook " 00 "

 

This is my high heat pizza set up!!

 

 

 

[Paul Bacino]

This is my my high heat crust.. not a fan of balloon crusts

 

 

 

[pufin3]

I use a ratio of three parts 'oo' flour to one part 'high gluten' flour.

Extra thin crispy crusts.

[blue_dolphin]

1 hour ago, Paul Bacino said:

If I cook " 00 "

 

This is my high heat pizza set up!!

 

 

 

 

Wow, from your photo, I can see you have harnessed the power of the sun directly to your pizza set-up - nice job! 

[paulraphael]

Don't bother trying to get 00 pizza flour. It's only of interest if you're baking at 800°F or higher, which is done in the interest of Neapolitan-style crusts, not crisp ones. At lower temperatures and longer cooking times 00  offers no advantages, and may contribute to problems.

 

I don't think the type flour matters nearly as much as the hydration and the way you hydrate it and develop the gluten. 

 

Crisp crusts are generally the product of the crust drying out over a longer cooking time. When you try to make Neapolitan pizzas in oven that isn't hot enough, you get crispy crusts. I'd think that some added sugar in the dough might help exaggerate this effect.

[cyalexa]

I sometimes make pizza in my cast iron skillet. I preheat it on the cook top over a medium heat for quite a while to be sure it is heated evenly. I oil it lightly then lay my stretched dough down. I take my time topping it then slide it onto a pizza stone that has been preheated for a log time at 550F, max for my oven. The bottom is crisper than those made directly on the stone.

Edited March 20, 2016 by cyalexa (log)