Pizza Questions

[halland]

I've been religiously working with your recipe for the Napoletana pizza from American Pie. I've got a great start and am already baking pizzas that are better than anything I can get at a restaurant. However I'm running into small technical issues regarding the crust.

First off let me state that this is a great recipe that turns out consistently good results. I've begun to play with the ratios a bit, but my question is directed more toward the dough stretching technique. I just can't seem to get a good round shape or quite up to the 9" diameter that I think I should be getting. Additionally it seems that as I stretch the dough, I end up with a "windowpane" at the center, and a slightly thicker edge than I think I should have. As I try to fix this I usually end up tearing a hole and then the patching ends up being a mess.

Should I try a different AP flour that might have a slightly higher gluten content? Right now I'm using the generic AP flour, but have been advised to add a small amount of cake flour to the dough mix.

Are there specific yeasts and flours you'd recommend? I know a lot of bakers speak highly of the King Arthur products.

Will additional kneading or a longer rest after the initial mixing help to strengthen the dough?

As a side question, how wet should a finished Napoletana pizza be? It seems that between the sauce and the fiore di late I wind up with a fairly wet pizza after baking (around 6 minutes at 600F). I've started to strain some of the puree out of the sauce and I let the cheese drain for an hour prior to baking. I know this is a knife and fork pizza but it seems a little wetter than I think it should be. As an aside, my pizza marinara seems perfect, if not a little dry. This leads me to suspect that the cheese releases a lot of moisture in the oven. Too much cheese or just the wrong kind?

Hal

[Peter Reinhart]

I've been religiously working with your recipe for the Napoletana pizza from American Pie.  I've got a great start and am already baking pizzas that are better than anything I can get at a restaurant.  However I'm running into small technical issues regarding the crust. 

First off let me state that this is a great recipe that turns out consistently good results.  I've begun to play with the ratios a bit, but my question is directed more toward the dough stretching technique.  I just can't seem to get a good round shape or quite up to the 9" diameter that I think I should be getting.  Additionally it seems that as I stretch the dough, I end up with a "windowpane" at the center, and a slightly thicker edge than I think I should have.  As I try to fix this I usually end up tearing a hole and then the patching ends up being a mess. 

Should I try a different AP flour that might have a slightly higher gluten content?  Right now I'm using the generic AP flour, but have been advised to add a small amount of cake flour to the dough mix.

Are there specific yeasts and flours you'd recommend?  I know a lot of bakers speak highly of the King Arthur products.

Will additional kneading or a longer rest after the initial mixing help to strengthen the dough?

As a side question, how wet should a finished Napoletana pizza be?  It seems that between the sauce and the fiore di late I wind up with a fairly wet pizza after baking (around 6 minutes at 600F).  I've started to strain some of the puree out of the sauce and I let the cheese drain for an hour prior to baking.  I know this is a knife and fork pizza but it seems a little wetter than I think it should be.  As an aside, my pizza marinara seems perfect, if not a little dry.  This leads me to suspect that the cheese releases a lot of moisture in the oven.  Too much cheese or just the wrong kind?

Hal

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All great questons! Regarding the wetness, try using a tad less tomato sauce on the sauce and cheese pizza because,, as you've noticed, the cheese releases a lot of moisture. Chris Bianco, for instance, almost paint brushes it on--way less than you would expect compared to most American pizzerias, but less can be more when it come to total flavor.

When stretching the dough remember to stretch only from the outer edge, not from the center, turning as you go. As soon as the dough starts to fight you (spring back), set it down on a floured counter and let it rest a few minutes. Then resume stretching. It may take three or four rests before it stretches all the way out. This is different from pizzeria dough that spins and stretches so easily, but the payoff is that it pops wonderfully in the oven and tastes like the best ciabatta you ever had. One final thing might be to use about 1/2 to 1 ounce less water when mixing the dough. This will help strengthen it and make it easier to stretch it wider (still using the rest periods). My doughs are wetter than what you'll find in most pizzeias, but that's what makes them taste so much better. But drier is definitely easier to spin and stretch. I prefer not to use cake flour because I like a chewier, not flakier dough. So, I go the other way and add a little bread flour (I actually like the Neo-Napoletana dough recipe better than the Napoletana because I like the "chew" better). Have you made that one yet? Let me know if it stretches easier for you--I think it might. In informal taste testings this one usually gets a few more votes than the Napoletana.