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The physics of baking good pizza

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Re: The physics of baking good pizza

#51

Post by throwaway76543 »

makmanalp wrote: post #23
elorant wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The solution to 2 is to get a special pot made out of stone that you place in the oven and it accumulates heat. After 30 minutes it has the necessary temperature and then you place the pizza on top of it.

Or a pizza steel which I've wanted to try forever: https://slice.seriouseats.com/2012/09/the-pizza-lab-the-baki... ... not a perfect neapolitan but looks good enough for me.

I just toss my cast iron griddle in the oven. It's not large enough to cook a huge pizza but I usually cook smaller pies anyway. Works great.

Re: The physics of baking good pizza

#52

Post by exhilaration »

sgc wrote: post #48
bobbybroadcast wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife and I just made 4 pizzas on this last night. It is great but the edges around the pizza were golden brown and not that bubbly crispy crust you get in pizzerias. I am convinced now more than ever that the dough is the critical procedural element we were getting wrong. She used a 1 hour dough where even the pizza steel recommends a 72 hour one. Needless to say, she has one in the proofer for Wednesday night.

Having worked in Italian Pizzerias (in Italy), 2 days minimum for a decent crust, but the cheap places don't all do that.

2 days in the fridge? How many hours out after that? Tell us the secret!

Re: The physics of baking good pizza

#53

Post by toomanybeersies »

flukus wrote: post #41
toomanybeersies wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've actually had some really good frozen pizzas. The best ones I ever had were actually $4 frozen pizzas from the supermarket that were made in Italy. I'm not sure how they made a pizza in Italy and shipped it to NZ and managed to sell it for $4, but they were great, or at least the quattro fromaggio ones were. The ones with any frozen vegetables like mushrooms were sort of crap, the mushrooms went all watery. In my…

ALDI has some really good ones for $3AU too, the supreme ones (basically ham, cheese and capsicum if that counts as supreme) anyway. I cook from frozen normally, but for a really "gourmet" frozen pizza experience defrost is completely and stick it under the grill. Wonderful grilled cheese on top and still a soft fluffy base underneath.

As a recent immigrant to Australia, I'm yet to try the Aldi frozen pizzas. The 3 for $6 ones look good though.

I'm constantly impressed with the quality of Aldi food for how insanely cheap it is, especially their frozen goods. I can eat well for $5 per day on Aldi food.

Re: The physics of baking good pizza

#54

Post by toomanybeersies »

emmelaich wrote: post #24
tigershark wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) Frozen pizza is awful 2) To properly bake a pizza you need 350/400 C 3) Normal electrical ovens arrive to 220/240 C and the pizza becomes dry and crunchy 4) If you put a frozen pizza in a cold oven it will always be burnt because by the time the inside is cooked the outside has become overcooked and burnt 5) Please don’t make me cry writing pizza misadventures :’(

Portable bench-top pizza "ovens" do amazingly well. They have a heated stone base and large electrical elements in the lid. You have to be careful not to cook it too fast -- you turn it right down between pizzas. Downside is they only do one at a time but that's usually fine. [edit - the one we have is very similar to this: New Wave NWKA 1200W Stone Bake Just Pizza Maker (Red) ]

My parents have one of those, they use it maybe twice a year. It does make good pizza though.

They're a like a bread maker in that regard. They seem super useful, but just never get used.

Re: The physics of baking good pizza

#55

Post by convolvatron »

makmanalp wrote: post #23
elorant wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The solution to 2 is to get a special pot made out of stone that you place in the oven and it accumulates heat. After 30 minutes it has the necessary temperature and then you place the pizza on top of it.

Or a pizza steel which I've wanted to try forever: https://slice.seriouseats.com/2012/09/the-pizza-lab-the-baki... ... not a perfect neapolitan but looks good enough for me.

i have alot of plate steel lying around. cut a piece of 3/8" (~1cm) to fit exactly in the oven, put stainless handles on it (its probably 30lbs/14kg) to lift it in and out. cleaned it off well and seasoned with avocado oil (I guess flax is better, but it spoils)

takes a long time to heat up, but when it does pizza cooks like its supposed to, and the oven temp springs back quickly after you close the door.

inexpensive and pretty durable. highly recommend.

Re: The physics of baking good pizza

#56

Post by skeletonjelly »

mahesh_rm wrote: post #17
Jupe wrote: post #14

My Pizza Rules (not that anyone asked, but...) 1. Don't "Moat" your pizza. The barren expanse of dried sauce and over-sized crust is the classic sign of "moating" the pizza. Spread the majority of the toppings as close to the edge as you'd like your crust to be, and reduce the amount of toppings (cheese, sauce, etc.) at the center. As the pizza cooks, the crust will rise, and the toppings will naturally flow to the c…

"You can put a touch of sugar in the dough, or you can put a touch of sugar in the sauce, but don't put it in both. Corollary: If you put pineapple or other sweet toppings on the pie, don't put any sugar in the sauce or dough." As an Italian, I feel the urge to jump in here. Sugar in dough is used to kickoff/boost yeast levitation, while sugar in sauce is used to affect tomato acidity. In both cases, they are not int…

I'm not sure sugar in sauce affects acidity, I think that's a myth. Finding it hard to find some studies on it though, best I've found:

https://warmchef.com/does-sugar-reduce-acidity-in-tomato-sau...

Re: The physics of baking good pizza

#58

Post by sprocket »

exhilaration wrote: post #52
sgc wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having worked in Italian Pizzerias (in Italy), 2 days minimum for a decent crust, but the cheap places don't all do that.

2 days in the fridge? How many hours out after that? Tell us the secret!

I would agree with this as well. My best crusts rise from 36-48 hours in the fridge, after which they're baked almost immediately at 450-500F for 10-12 minutes.

Re: The physics of baking good pizza

#59

Post by tonyhb »

skeletonjelly wrote: post #56
mahesh_rm wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"You can put a touch of sugar in the dough, or you can put a touch of sugar in the sauce, but don't put it in both. Corollary: If you put pineapple or other sweet toppings on the pie, don't put any sugar in the sauce or dough." As an Italian, I feel the urge to jump in here. Sugar in dough is used to kickoff/boost yeast levitation, while sugar in sauce is used to affect tomato acidity. In both cases, they are not int…

I'm not sure sugar in sauce affects acidity, I think that's a myth. Finding it hard to find some studies on it though, best I've found: https://warmchef.com/does-sugar-reduce-acidity-in-tomato-sau...

No, but it does affect your perception of acidity.

Re: The physics of baking good pizza

#60

Post by Obi_Juan_Kenobi »

bobbybroadcast wrote: post #33
makmanalp wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or a pizza steel which I've wanted to try forever: https://slice.seriouseats.com/2012/09/the-pizza-lab-the-baki... ... not a perfect neapolitan but looks good enough for me.

My wife and I just made 4 pizzas on this last night. It is great but the edges around the pizza were golden brown and not that bubbly crispy crust you get in pizzerias. I am convinced now more than ever that the dough is the critical procedural element we were getting wrong. She used a 1 hour dough where even the pizza steel recommends a 72 hour one. Needless to say, she has one in the proofer for Wednesday night.

Good dough is easy:

* Use bread flour

* Let it sit refrigerated for a few days before use. 1-2 weeks is pretty ideal.

Compared to a fresh dough, you'll get that nice crispy crust and chewy, flavorful interior.

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