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Making Pizza at Home

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scott123

scott123

Posted
Posted
On 3/15/2021 at 10:15 AM, RWood said:

Not sure yet. I'm researching now.  Depends on if the house we buy has a kitchen outside already or if we have to build it.


If you decide to build it, keep the ceiling height low.  There's an unbelievable number of wood fired oven plans that pretend to be pizza ovens, but that are actually just outdoor fireplaces and that don't work for pizza at all.  Even if you buy a prefab or a kit, watch your ceiling height, as the thermodynamics on those can frequently be off as well.

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Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

Posted
Posted (edited)

We installed a model from Forno Bravo.    You can tart it up as much or little as you please.   Ours is country-rustic.    Note that these are not turnkey, or "light match" ready.  They arrive as large HEAVY sections which must be masoned into place then plastered.    Bases and further treatment are up to you.

 

Ours has been installed for 10+ years.    Husband jokes that we now have cost per pizza down to under $100 each.    So do consider.  

1371978849_ScreenShot2020-04-23at6_14_29PM.thumb.png.9789d9378c51d41cbbe4b68dc273ccc8.png

Edited by Margaret Pilgrim (log)
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RWood

RWood

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, scott123 said:


If you decide to build it, keep the ceiling height low.  There's an unbelievable number of wood fired oven plans that pretend to be pizza ovens, but that are actually just outdoor fireplaces and that don't work for pizza at all.  Even if you buy a prefab or a kit, watch your ceiling height, as the thermodynamics on those can frequently be off as well.

Thanks, I have noticed some seem rather tall and open. I want to get the top heat, so that's good advice. My brother in law has an Ooni, and he seems to like it. I've noticed they have a new larger one, which might be worth looking into. We don't know yet what we will have, we are going to look at houses in a couple of weeks. I'm thinking some of the ones that are pre-made and can be installed on the counter, and I'm having a gas hookup. I really don't want to clean up ash. 

 

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Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, RWood said:

Thanks, I have noticed some seem rather tall and open. I want to get the top heat, so that's good advice. My brother in law has an Ooni, and he seems to like it. I've noticed they have a new larger one, which might be worth looking into. We don't know yet what we will have, we are going to look at houses in a couple of weeks. I'm thinking some of the ones that are pre-made and can be installed on the counter, and I'm having a gas hookup. I really don't want to clean up ash. 

 

Using an outdoor wood oven is work.    You don't just start a fire and walk away; it must be attended for well over an hour before you reach backing temps.   You need a good heat-sensor gun.   There is a lot of watchful waiting before that seemingly simple 2 minute pie comes out of the oven.    And keeping fire at baking temps if your are cooking for a party.    There are three parts to wood fired oven pizzas.     The dough, toppings and construction; fire building and maintenance; and the actual baking.    Timing is everything.   So coordination is essential.   Making pizza for a crowd is WORK!   Even when guests "make their own", they have to be mother-henned or else they wind up with calzone...as their overloaded pies topple over onto themselves off the peel and into the oven.  

 

Plus, yes, ash.   And wood storage.   And preparing kindling or small natural fire starter material.  

 

Ours is at a weekend place where husband is often consumed all day with maintenance chores.    Hence my learning how to make plausible pizza in the kitchen range oven.   Life is short; wood burning pizza ovens are a project/hobby/lovefest, but work.

Edited by Margaret Pilgrim (log)
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weinoo

weinoo

Posted
Posted

In what might be the final pizza bake of the season (it's getting warm in that kitchen), two pies were made last night.

 

IMG_3760.thumb.jpeg.ad2608412e041e942b4fb3a74e569894.jpeg

 

simply made with King Arthur "00" at 68% hydration, salt and yeast. Overnight fermentation, divided and refrigerated (after an hour's rest) for a few hours. Taken out an hour or so before baking. Pie above was an experiment, so on half the pie I put some cut-up cherry tomatoes, some Calabrian chilies, and some roasted red pepper. That side was a bit soggy, but still had decent structure...

 

IMG_3763.thumb.jpeg.f9d6f8c44b0f359fe5e7ac4287362fae.jpeg

 

Second pie...

 

FA556945-B020-446E-AD03-2199FF3CD472.thumb.jpeg.82561bb1ddfb8c43f9ed4a1edec7234a.jpeg

 

This one is just cheese and sauce, more to my liking, and a nice, even char all around. Using the term "round" loosely here.

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Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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  • 2 months later...
jimb0

jimb0

Posted
Posted

so asked me if i could do pizza for supper - about two hours ago, and no dough on hand. obviously not going to be the best crust but not the worst, either. i goosed it with some extra yeast and a little molasses to make up for it. baked it on the new grill, which makes this technically my first grilled pizza. all told, not too bad. 

 

 

FCF4B2D2-EAB7-4A18-AB77-4FBB918DAEF3.jpeg

1A99206E-30DE-47E6-A75C-0FAC6D4348C8.jpeg

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jimb0

jimb0

Posted
Posted

quick pizza since it was cool enough to bake inside today.

 

rapid ferment, added a pinch each of molasses and sodium ascorbate to add a little complexity and extensibility that helps with single day ferments

 

IMG-1833.gif

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  • 4 weeks later...
RWood

RWood

Posted
Posted

Well, I went with the new Ooni Koda 16, hooked up to natural gas. First run tonight. That thing gets hot!

Sort of a margherita style and Calabrese salami with arugula and Parm, and a little Calabrian chile oil 🔥. 

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186398B2-8F9B-43CD-8287-200DA442CDEC.jpeg

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Typically my pizza is made from leftover bread dough.  Is there any reasonable method to prepare 200g of pizza dough?

 

If leftover bread dough is working, why switch?

In Mastering Pizza, Marc Vetri has recipes for Naples-style single dough balls @ 70% hydration for home ovens and 60% for hotter pizza ovens.   He offers options for whole grain doughs or using a sourdough starter. His dough balls are 270 - 286, so a bit bigger than you want.  You could scale down but he kneads them in a stand mixer and my recollection was that you had issues with smaller dough volumes.  My Kitchen Aid is OK with the volume in the recipe.  It's a relatively quick RT ferment so not a lot of complexity but good if you want pizza tonight...or in your case early tomorrow morning 🙃

 

In Elements of Pizza, Ken Forkish uses identical measurements to Vetri's 70% hydration dough but all mixing is done by hand so that one could certainly be scaled down to the 200g size you need.  His recipe allows for an RT ferment for same day baking or longer in the fridge. 

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
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6 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

If leftover bread dough is working, why switch?

In Mastering Pizza, Marc Vetri has recipes for Naples-style single dough balls @ 70% hydration for home ovens and 60% for hotter pizza ovens.   He offers options for whole grain doughs or using a sourdough starter. His dough balls are 270 - 286, so a bit bigger than you want.  You could scale down but he kneads them in a stand mixer and my recollection was that you had issues with smaller dough volumes.  My Kitchen Aid is OK with the volume in the recipe.  It's a relatively quick RT ferment so not a lot of complexity but good if you want pizza tonight...or in your case early tomorrow morning 🙃

 

In Elements of Pizza, Ken Forkish uses identical measurements to Vetri's 70% hydration dough but all mixing is done by hand so that one could certainly be scaled down to the 200g size you need.  His recipe allows for an RT ferment for same day baking or longer in the fridge. 

 

Thanks.  I looked at Forkish's overnight pizza dough with poolish.  While scaling down the recipe seems doable, you made a valid point:  "why switch?"  Only because when I bake three loaves plus a pizza there is a lot to eat.

 

Though I must say my last bread dough pie was not half bad.

 

Pizza07152021.jpg

 

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

 

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  • 5 months later...
weinoo

weinoo

Posted
Posted

Pan pizza? Foccacia? You be the judge...

 

IMG_5988.thumb.jpeg.2562f4ef1fb22c23d2e647480411d18e.jpeg\

 

Forkish poolish dough (which he claims can be used for pizza and focaccia as well as the boule I made on day 1), proofed overnight. Had some leftover brussels so used them on this one, and made another with sauce and cheese.

 

Both were worthy, if not quite pizza or focaccia.

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Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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weinoo

weinoo

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, Duvel said:


Never - with that much green on it ?! „Healthy flatbread“ 😜 …

 

I should've put some pancetta on it, like the once classic at Motorino...

 

505775072_2009_09_06motorinopizza.thumb.jpg.c4323c87b0968df99359746fb71d0165.jpg

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Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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Duvel

Duvel

Posted
Posted (edited)
16 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

I should've put some pancetta on it, like the once classic at Motorino...

 

505775072_2009_09_06motorinopizza.thumb.jpg.c4323c87b0968df99359746fb71d0165.jpg


I had that pie a couple of times. Tasty indeed.
 

But they are smart enough to follow your previous mantra and obscure most of the green of their brussel sprout leaves by charring them …


On a more serious note: I tried to replicate that pizza, but my set-up in HK never really allowed me to char the leaves properly. I talked to the the guys at Motorino Wan Chai and they confirmed that the leaves go on the pizza as is, not preblanched as I would have thought. Maybe a job for the Ooni once it gets warmer.

Edited by Duvel (log)
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curls

curls

Posted
Posted
On 11/21/2021 at 1:51 PM, Robenco15 said:

Good question and one I’m working on. I think the cornicione is where the difference is greatest. 
 

NY - 0AF3E7C1-7873-4365-860E-15E6133B7E8D.thumb.jpeg.ba7e2e9883f8f070cd3e1779c6b60841.jpeg

 

Artisan - 340709C1-FCEF-4621-AE7B-71C4F85A8D9F.thumb.jpeg.474da62a457cf98078138f09ca812ab8.jpeg

 

Artisan is going to puff up more with an airier cornicione. NY is going to be denser with not as large of a rise around the rim. 
 

I’m still learning and baking so that may be a very surface level of the differences, but it’s a start. 
 

edit: one more thing I just thought of. Artisan pizzas take their inspiration from bread making so Artisan pizzas will use a mix of single grain flours and whole wheat much more. Pizza like Dan Richer’s at Razza specifically comes to mind. So for the Artisan recipe I will definitely be messing around with flours much more than I would with the NY, as that isn’t in the style of NY. 


Found this video from Eater about Dan Richer at Razza. 

https://youtu.be/CuBxs1eW0u0

 

 

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weinoo

weinoo

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This was a pizza dough, made via the Jim Lahey My Pizza (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) method. Except I think I added a little too much water, which is what happens when your team wins a huge football game, and you start making dough after the game.  So basically a no-knead dough, fermented overnight (12+ hours, actually), portioned and shaped and baked soon after...I let the focaccia rise in its pan for 45 minutes to an hour. The pizza I had trouble with only in stretching it, probably because I didn't let it rest long enough after shaping.

 

IMG_6028.thumb.jpeg.cedf5e2e1f72eff333d3ae0c233ad845.jpeg

 

Focaccia - I did a little pizza rossa on about 1/3 of it.

 

4E69A882-0EBD-4CB2-B206-504B446AAE29.thumb.jpeg.dec1ab8b7328051cdd9a91adedba950b.jpeg

 

It was really good. The pizza was tasty too...

 

IMG_6027.thumb.jpeg.8f1110c5c70e83d67b07eebd62c0bf6a.jpeg

 

If just a little too thick, cause I couldn't stretch the darn thing enough.

Edited by weinoo (log)
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Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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Duvel

Duvel

Posted
Posted

Little one had a friend over for playdate and asked for the pizza at 16.30h instead for pizza & movie night. Smart kid even asked ahead because by now he knows that the oven has to heat up the pizza steel …

 

Salami (the most popular for all the guest kids we have)

 

0B8E0397-5ED9-4F84-ACD8-05614A893AE4.thumb.jpeg.537b89dd7dd4e1975ebf7fec143dbb25.jpeg

 

Salami & mushrooms (my little ones choice)

 

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Artichoke & ham (because that’s what I found in the fridge and to annoy @weinoo 😝)

 

84F985F0-93A9-4A83-96B8-DB382C383FEC.thumb.jpeg.2bf8902e683bb8a7053f37d1a996a505.jpeg

 

Mushroom & Mett (aka sausage, again what we had)

 

CF71E0EF-26C4-4AE8-A4FE-9B5D08563EA7.thumb.jpeg.9f4248d672f76fdc9ee3b2d0a4a69713.jpeg

 

Margherita (for me, it was enjoyed later with a G&T)

 

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All shots taken in the kitchen, because the living room was a warzone …

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weinoo

weinoo

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Moving towards a 70% hydration dough, with a small amout (100g) of overnight poolish.  I had a bag of Tipo 0 flour, and wanted to experiment.

 

Last night, after bulk fermentation and proofing in a quarter sheet pan (like 650 grams of dough)...

 

IMG_6055.thumb.jpeg.137c50d61a69104e7bb8bb21c621a829.jpeg

 

I baked one of my better focaccias...let's call this focaccia Genovese, as it's pretty thick (like 1 - 1 1/2 inches) and the inside soft and lovely...

 

IMG_6058.thumb.jpeg.157b02f2bff0a4381a32999b9a29038a.jpeg

 

This afternoon, after an overnight extended fermentation in the fridge, I attempted a pizza (and it was almost round)...

 

IMG_6063.thumb.jpeg.bf88255e868e8ab9ab4bd0c82a64a0d2.jpeg

 

Truth be told, quite tasty, but who the heck knows what to classify it as...

 

IMG_6065.thumb.jpeg.5c8ede3d18e2ceca9ac14ebe66b60c60.jpeg

 

 

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Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

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