Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Ooni Pizza Oven

andiesenji

By andiesenji
in Kitchen Consumer

 Share

Recommended Posts

Merkinz

Merkinz

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, scott123 said:


The conclusion that you're reaching is not quite as cut and dry as you think :)

Gluten traps water, and yeast relies on water activity to do their thing, so a stronger/higher gluten dough will have less yeast activity and rise slower.  But... a stronger dough, if given enough time, should, if compared to a dough with insufficient strength, eventually reach a higher peak. While I applaud your drive to get to the bottom of this so quickly, when you change the strength of the dough (with harder water), you're slowing down the rise, so, when you compare doughs side by side, it's apples to oranges.

You look at the bottled water dough ball and condemn it for not rising as much, and I look at it and say that, since it didn't rise as much, it's proof that it's stronger dough, and thus the harder bottled water is superior- and, had you measure where the doughs eventually peaked, the bottled water version would have risen higher.

Dough (and ultimately crust) volume relies on two primary factors - yeast activity and gluten development.  Gluten forms the structure of the bubble and yeast blows it up.  You had two separate potential issues - water chemistry/softness and yeast viability. 

Long story short, the Tongariro, at 150 total dissolved solids (that's one number you want to look at), and a relative neutral pH (that's the other number), is a solid choice for water.  It also shouldn't be heavily chlorinated.  Chlorination can get a bit contentious :)  For the longest time, I came to the simple conclusion that chlorine, being anti-fungal, is bad for yeast.  I actually had a swimming pool analogy that Tony Gemignani 'borrowed' for his Pizza Bible :)  It was later pointed out to me, though, that chlorine is incredibly reactive, and that flour gives it a boatload of overall surface area to react with. So, in theory, flour should quickly inactivate the anti-fungal properties of chlorine.  Still, if you don't dissolve yeast in water first, you can end up with pockets of undissolved yeast, so I'm a huge proponent of dissolving yeast (not proofing, but merely dissolving).  Since dissolving the yeast gives it some alone time with the water, then perhaps the chlorine can have an impact then.  So, while I don't have concrete data on chlorinated water's impact on yeast, I think it's wise to steer clear of heavily chlorinated water.

That solves your potential water issue. On the yeast front... I'm not enamored with the packaging on the Caputo yeast.  Ideally, this is how yeast should be bought and stored (in the fridge):

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fleischmann-s-Classic-Bread-Machine-Yeast-4-oz/10306744

 

Glass jar, metal lid with a rubber seal, air tight.  You can see how the Caputo yeast is not that.  I'm pretty sure there's a layer of foil somewhere in the structure, but, it feels a lot like a packet- and packets are super sketchy. Since you can't get jarred yeast in New Zealand.  I think your best bet is vacuum packed. I'm not familiar with this brand, but you want something like this

https://realfooddirect.co.nz/products/bakels-instant-active-dried-yeast

The split second you open it, you'll want to transfer it to a mason jar- and store it in the fridge.

Not that it's time to completely give up on the Caputo. Try the Caputo with warmer water. A stable room temp will always be your best bet.  Since you're (now) using bottled water, try to find an area of the home that's got a fairly stable temp and store the water (and the flour) there- and proof your dough there as well. Stability is more important than a higher temperature.  You want an area where, every time you make the dough, the flour, the water and the proof are all at the same temp.

I took the yeast quantity for this recipe directly from the VPN guidelines.  I just checked my NY numbers, and, for a same day dough (about 6 hours), I'm at .46% IDY.  NY isn't Neapolitan, but, still, that's a pretty big discrepancy.  The VPN was fresh yeast only until a couple years ago, so maybe they're a bit off with the conversion.  While I kind of like deferring to their (typically) extensive knowledge, I think we can come to the conclusion that .06% isn't going to cut it- either with Caputo yeast or another brand. A jump to .4% could be a little extreme.  I would, on your next batch, try .2.  IDY should weigh 3.2g per teaspoon.  Yeast isn't compactible, so measuring it by volume is perfectly fine.  1/2 teaspoon will put you at .19%.  That's what I'd go with.

TL;DR Next time, go with the Tongariro and 1/2 t. of the Caputo. And maybe order some vacuum packed yeast.


Thanks for the very insightful reply! Very interesting 🤔 I'll give this another go this coming week with the changes you've suggested. I'll seek out some better yeast too, I've seen a few vacuum packed varieties in the shops here, but never one jarred.
 

5 hours ago, weinoo said:

What I really want to know is how your physical and spiritual renewals are going?


🤣 I'll save the water for the pizzas and find a nice single malt for my spiritual renewal 😂

  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
scott123

scott123

Posted
Posted
22 hours ago, rotuts said:

do you feel glass makes a significant difference ?


Do I feel that glass makes a difference? Yes. Can I prove it? No.  I'm in the same place as heavily chlorinated water.  Just like I know chlorine to be anti-fungal and avoid heavily chlorinated water (but have no proof), I also know that air is the enemy of yeast, and thus avoid air permeable materials like plastic.

We do know, for certain, that the air permeability of packets wreaks havoc on yeast, but there is no data comparing the air permeability of packets vs PET (mayo jar).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 5 months later...
blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, AlaMoi said:

such a nice idea . . . $500+/- for a doohickie I have to get, fire up, put away . . . after taking three minutes to bake a pizza....?

 

my oven & stone goes to 550'F - works for me....

Maybe location-specific but I refuse to make pizza in the summer (which now seems to be May - Nov),  heating up the house with the oven and cranking up the AC to compensate.  An Ooni would get around that issue rather nicely.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

So far, Ooni and the Big Easy are the only two eG temptations I've resisted.

 

I'm holding firm for now.

 

 

For now.

 

My landlord (actually, I understand the Fire Marshal) does not allow outdoor cooking, and so "for now" I am safe.

 

  • Haha 3

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AlaMoi

AlaMoi

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

 An Ooni would get around that issue rather nicely.

 

yes - and it is a valid point!  we have an outside exhausting hood in the kitchen . . . there is heat spilled into the kitchen but a lot of it gets exhausted outside.

 

I always wanted a brick/stone oven (bread baking fan here....)  I helped out at an event where we had to start the colonial era-style beehive oven from scratch - i.e. cold. 

that cured me of my desire - it takes a long long time.....

  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...
lindag

lindag

Posted
Posted (edited)

Weill, of course, I caved.  The eG enablers strike again!

Made my first pizza last night in the Oni 12" and just couldn't get the temperature up.  I'll go back and read up on the troubleshooting and try again.

I'm using the small propane bottles but don't think that's the issue.

The big 20 lb. tank is just too heavy for me.

Edited by lindag (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 5 weeks later...
lindag

lindag

Posted
Posted (edited)

My Ooni turned out to be defective and I just received the replacement at no cost to me.  (Gret customer service.)

I am now working through my learning curve and checking out all the hints on YouTube, etc.  last pizza tasted good but stuck to the peel.

@Kerry Bealare you still cranking out the pies?

Edited by lindag (log)
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...
  • 3 months later...
DesertTinker

DesertTinker

Posted
Posted

@rotuts From page 3 of the online instruction manual “This oven is designed to be used with 120V outlets only.
Caution: The Ooni Volt 12 comes with a short power supply cord to reduce the risk of the oven being pulled off the countertop. If you’re using an extension cord, make sure that its marked electrical rating is at least as great as the appliance’s electrical rating (1600W).”.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted

@&roid 

 

excellent point.

 

there might be reasons 

 

not to take it to 1800

 

these are suburban kitchens , 

 

and it would be unwise to 

 

' break a circuit '

 

it might take a bit more tome to 

 

get to cooking temp

 

and hopefully designed so the store radiates 

 

heat back.

 

funds aside , this might be an excellent

 

addition , for some one already baking 

 

pizza  , on a stone or SS insert , etc

 

to take that craft , outside

 

when it warms up , gets hot , and humid ?

 

OK , just before that , outside .

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...