The Official Pizza Discussion thread (was: Cooking Neapolitan Pizzas with the Uuni 3)

jpaul · 12 Apr 2021 at 13:49

must be a web analysis of the warm-up time solid versus gas, to set expectations - and, if you have a infrared gun you could monitor the plate.

SoliD said:
Various combos of toppings

what's the meat ? I usually pre-cook mushrooms and keep some, from the likes of, omelettes

oHUTCHYo · 12 Apr 2021 at 14:11

robj20 said:
I generally do a 63% hydration dough at least 24 hour cold, 5 hour room temp.
Preferably 48+ hour cold though.

I ended up trialling a poolish (50%) at 63% finished hydration. 16 hour RT poolish + 8 hour RT. I think I'm close to finding my preferred recipe. It was crispy yet extremely airy. Canotto style I believe is the term.

I've not had much success with CT for some reason, the dough just always feels lifeless to me even after bringing to room temp after 4-6 hours. Admittedly though I do prefer the taste of a 72 hour CT, despite me not getting the air in the crust.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DrOWZ3GmAI

oHUTCHYo · 12 Apr 2021 at 14:13

mid_gen said:
I don't know about solid-fuelled models....but my Koda on gas would reduce pizzas to a black frisbee in 3-4 minutes!

Think you want to look at getting your temps up. You want to get those black crispy bits without drying out and hardening the bulk of the crust.

Agreed, I think those pizzas look a little dried out because temps havent been upwards of 400 deg c. My Karu gets to about 450 before I launch using a mix of lumpwood charcoal and hardwood kindling. Topping up the kindling very frequently. If I dont, I see temps drop rapidly which results in a denser, less tender crust.

SoliD · 12 Apr 2021 at 15:23

jpaul said:
must be a web analysis of the warm-up time solid versus gas, to set expectations - and, if you have a infrared gun you could monitor the plate.

what's the meat ? I usually pre-cook mushrooms and keep some, from the likes of, omelettes

Some were prosciutto and some salami on those 2 from memory, mushrooms and onions all pre cooked.

Got a thermometer so will test out the temp next time, but when I checked previously it read 375 to 400 from memory so think it's getting up to temp. This is on the balsa wood pellets.

Will attempt again later in the week and see how they go. Thinking about it 4 mins is probably over egging as I'm there waiting to spin em round. Making sure they don't burn.

robj20 · 12 Apr 2021 at 15:41

oHUTCHYo said:
I ended up trialling a poolish (50%) at 63% finished hydration. 16 hour RT poolish + 8 hour RT. I think I'm close to finding my preferred recipe. It was crispy yet extremely airy. Canotto style I believe is the term.

I've not had much success with CT for some reason, the dough just always feels lifeless to me even after bringing to room temp after 4-6 hours. Admittedly though I do prefer the taste of a 72 hour CT, despite me not getting the air in the crust.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DrOWZ3GmAI

Probably the type of flour your using, they don't all like long fermentation. Look for a high W flour.

oHUTCHYo · 13 Apr 2021 at 07:38

robj20 said:
Probably the type of flour your using, they don't all like long fermentation. Look for a high W flour.

Caputo Pizzeria. I think youre right as recently read it didnt respond well to long ferments. Caputo Nuvola next time perhaps.

robj20 · 13 Apr 2021 at 11:03

oHUTCHYo said:
Caputo Pizzeria. I think youre right as recently read it didnt respond well to long ferments. Caputo Nuvola next time perhaps.

This is the one I use.
https://www.mulinocaputo.it/en/flour/la-linea-professionale/rinforzato

Dave · 13 Apr 2021 at 18:33

Tried a couple of doughs and I think more hydration is in order - the Ooni recipe (60%) comes out quite well, but I've had some tearing and it's hard to stretch after being cold-fermented, even after being left out for 4-5 hrs. It feels like there is too much yeast in the dough too, it's very gassy. I tried a dough from elsewhere with 65% hydration that was more difficult to work with but the resulting pizza was much better in terms of 'shape-a-bility' and the colour of the crust. I found the Ooni crust catches quickly and doesn't give the 'spotty' colouration that I like.

Kept meaning to take pictures but they get eaten too quickly! More pizzas being made this week so I'll try to catch one then ...

Shadowness · 15 Apr 2021 at 19:11

Chaps, thought it best to ask in here....

We're having a go at making pizza in our Weber BBQ with a pizza stone. I know I need to get it bloody hot, but the trouble we had last time when we tested it was getting the pizza (dough) onto the stone without making a complete mess of it.
Without a big pizza paddle type thing. What else can you use?
Cheers!

robj20 · 15 Apr 2021 at 19:33

Shadowness said:
Chaps, thought it best to ask in here....

We're having a go at making pizza in our Weber BBQ with a pizza stone. I know I need to get it bloody hot, but the trouble we had last time when we tested it was getting the pizza (dough) onto the stone without making a complete mess of it.
Without a big pizza paddle type thing. What else can you use?
Cheers!

I use a bit of plywood.

Got my dough in the garage ready for Saturday 48 hour cold prove, ball up then 5 hours room temp.

EH75 · 15 Apr 2021 at 19:57

Shadowness said:
Chaps, thought it best to ask in here....

We're having a go at making pizza in our Weber BBQ with a pizza stone. I know I need to get it bloody hot, but the trouble we had last time when we tested it was getting the pizza (dough) onto the stone without making a complete mess of it.
Without a big pizza paddle type thing. What else can you use?
Cheers!

Whatever you use, sprinkle it with some semolina before putting the pizza on it. This will allow it to slide easier.

EH75 · 15 Apr 2021 at 19:58

Shadowness said:
Chaps, thought it best to ask in here....

We're having a go at making pizza in our Weber BBQ with a pizza stone. I know I need to get it bloody hot, but the trouble we had last time when we tested it was getting the pizza (dough) onto the stone without making a complete mess of it.
Without a big pizza paddle type thing. What else can you use?
Cheers!

Whatever you use, sprinkle it with some semolina before putting the pizza on it. This will allow it to slide easier.

EH75 · 15 Apr 2021 at 19:58

Shadowness said:
Chaps, thought it best to ask in here....

We're having a go at making pizza in our Weber BBQ with a pizza stone. I know I need to get it bloody hot, but the trouble we had last time when we tested it was getting the pizza (dough) onto the stone without making a complete mess of it.
Without a big pizza paddle type thing. What else can you use?
Cheers!

Whatever you use, sprinkle it with some semolina before putting the pizza on it. This will allow it to slide easier.

jpaul · 15 Apr 2021 at 21:13

Shadowness said:
Without a big pizza paddle type thing. What else can you use?
Cheers!

Get a baking sheet - like this https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/303687380
it's all i've ever used, for ~5 years, once a week, pretty sure the argos one I had was a similar, £3 price, and a teflon spatula to get the pizza out.

Dave said:
It feels like there is too much yeast in the dough too, it's very gassy.

I've found there are only a couple of big bubbles and just a modicum of re-forming bursts them,
toughest bit is building the pizza fast so that the tomatoe mix doesn't saturate the base before I deliver it onto the stone

SoliD · 16 Apr 2021 at 10:47

Whatever you use, sprinkle it with some semolina before putting the pizza on it. This will allow it to slide easier.

:cry:

chroniclard · 16 Apr 2021 at 11:10

Do the pizza peels with holes in work ok vs the solid ones?

jpaul · 16 Apr 2021 at 11:24

don't see any point - holes represents an un-semolinad section that may catch as you offload, probably makes a trial shake harder, too,
and semolina that falls through will make even more mess on the kitchen floor;
- a slotted spatula for frying is a different animal.

chroniclard · 16 Apr 2021 at 11:39

ah solid one is cheaper too, going for that. Koda 12, peel and cover ordered.

noob question but never had a gas bottle before....how big should I get to last a while..... :confused:

robj20 · 16 Apr 2021 at 12:09

chroniclard said:
ah solid one is cheaper too, going for that. Koda 12, peel and cover ordered.

noob question but never had a gas bottle before....how big should I get to last a while.....

The biggest you can get. I use the large patio gas.

dl8860 · 16 Apr 2021 at 13:39

Shadowness said:
Chaps, thought it best to ask in here....

We're having a go at making pizza in our Weber BBQ with a pizza stone. I know I need to get it bloody hot, but the trouble we had last time when we tested it was getting the pizza (dough) onto the stone without making a complete mess of it.
Without a big pizza paddle type thing. What else can you use?
Cheers!

We used an old cardboardy base from a supermarket pizza. Didn't really work very well and we had a few accidents. Upgrade to this and using some polenta as 'lube' is a world of difference.