Making Good Progress on Pizza

Wayne writes:

I have been making good progress on the pizza. I found a premium mozzarella, but I quite often buy their regular mozzarella. I found that the premium mozzarella cheese was a better texture than the regular, and I thought it tasted better too.

I got some of the hard white wheat flour here at a local flour mill, and it was a high gluten spring wheat flour from the West. Although the flavour was rather bland, the texture was perfect.

I am thinking about experimenting with 20% all purpose flour, and 80%hard white wheat, and very the ratio until I get the right texture and flavour., If you have any suggestions regarding the flour, and cheese, I would appreciate hearing your suggestions.

Last Thursday, and Friday I ate a 12 inch round pizza that I was happy with the crust texture, but crust flavour was not quite as good as expected. But, hey, it was some progress which I am thankful for.

My toppings are not my main concern, as I will continue to use fresh ingredients in season, for both nutritional value, and flavour. I will also vary toppings for experimentation and variety.

I like all food, so toppings for me are easy. Also your e-Book (The Pizza Therapy Pizza Book) provides a variety of ingredients to choose from, which is helpful. I wish that I had access to fresh clams, as I love seafood, but I don’t know of anywhere close where fresh, saltwater, seafood is available.

Regards.

My response:

You Wayne, are now the Master. I salute you.


Cheese: I have found buffalo mozzarella at our local Big Box Store a couple of times.
When I can get it, I use it. If not they usually have whole milk fresh mozzarella...I use that.

There are times when I have to use regular mozzarella. I usually buy a 5-10 lb bag. Cheese is much cheaper when you buy in bulk. I usually split it up into a number of packages and freeze what I do not use.
Mozzarella will usually freeze very well. I have never frozen fresh mozzarella, so I am not sure how it would work.

For cheese. I also like parmesan. I usually add it to all of my pizzas. I like asagio and percarino cheese as well.  I have also used provolone on pizza with good results.

The flour? I have used all kinds of flour: I really like caputo. It is great but expensive.

I like King Arthur they make a Sir Lancelot wich is great for pizza.

I have used General Mills Artisan flour. It used to be called Harvest King but I think they renamed it. Sometimes, where I live, quality ingredients like quality flour is hard to get and very expensive. So when all else fails, I use All Purpose flour. Sometimes I use and 50/50 All Purpose and Bread flour with good results.

So the type of flour really depends on what taste you like and what you are going for.

Recently I was able to interview a master baker from General Mills, stay tuned for that when I post it.

I want to encourage you to join the Pizza Therapy Forum add some comments, and some of your insights.

And at Pizza Therapy Pizza Blog please add some comments... 

I hope this helps.

pizza all over your kitchen...

albert  grande
Student of Pizza
The Pizza Promoter

More King Arthur flour:

A Pizza Stone: The Best Tool for Making Great Pizza

There are a few tools that you will need if you want to make exceptional homemade pizza.

A great dough recipe, mixing bowls, measuring spoons and a pizza pan or cookie sheet are essential.

If you want to take your pizza making to an expert level, you need a pizza stone. With this cooking tool you will be able to cook like a gourmet.

The best pizza in the world is made in a stone or brick oven. A baking stone attempts to recreate a brick oven in your home. The notion behind this is that the stone will absorb the heat in an oven and then transfer that heat to your pizza. This will cook your pizza quickly and evenly.

A pizza stone is an essential tool for anyone who wants to make great pizza. You can certainly make good pizza with a cookie sheet or a pizza pan. But a cooking stone (also known as a baking stone) will allow you to make fantastic homemade pizza that tastes like it came from a pizzeria. Use an  Old Stone Oven 4467 14-Inch by 16-Inch Baking Stone

You will also want to use a pizza paddle, also known as a peel. Dust your peel with cornmeal or flour so your pizza will slide on and off your counter as you place it on your pizza stone. Then use your peel to take your cooked pizza off the stone.

The technique for learning how to use a peel can be a little tricky at first. You want to make sure you have enough flour or cornmeal underneath your pizza so the pizza will slide easily.

Then using a quick motion, slide you peel underneath the pizza. If it sticks, you can use a piece of dental floss to unstick it, so it will slide.

One of the most important tips for using a stone is to pre-heat it for an hour or more. The biggest mistake made by home pizza chefs is not allowing the stone to heat up long enough. When you pre-heat, your stone will absorb all of the heat being generated by your oven.

Here is how not to use a cooking stone. A friend taking my advice, for cooking pizza, pre-heated his oven to 500+ F. (260+ C). He followed my advice and did indeed, pre-heat it for at least an hour...after the oven was hot, he put the pizza stone in the oven. He complained to me that he was very dissatisfied with the results.

The pizza didn't cook right he explained.

The mistake he made was by not having it in the oven when it was turned on!

Another great method is to use pizza stones are with a barbeque grill. You can heat the stone up as above and cook your pizza on your grill. You will need to make sure that the stone you are using is made for use with a barbeque.

Remember all pizza stones are not created equal. You can easily find a wide variety of cheaply made ones, but believe me cheap is not always better.

Here's why: baking stones made of inferior quality materials will not last. While you may save a bit of money in the short term, in the long run a cheaply made one will end up costing you more money

It will crack after repeated use.

The best pizza stones are made of high quality materials and will come with a warranty.
You will get years of satisfaction with a high quality product.

So take your pizza making to the next level: invest in a baking stone.

Find the best quality pizza stones available, click here: Cheap Pizza Stones, Inexpensive, not cheaply made.

You can get a free copy of the Pizza Therapy World Famous Pizza Dough Recipe here: Free Pizza Recipe Includes a copy of the Pizza Therapy Mini Pizza Book with recipes. Discover how to make your own, amazing homemade pizza. Unlock pizza secrets, tips and tales. Italian Recipes. Find the Best Pizza in the world.

Albert Grande is The Pizza Promoter. His goal is to promote the love of pizza both making pizza and discovering the world's best pizza. The mission of his website Pizza Therapy, is to spread the joy and wonder of making pizza and eating pizza.

 The Pizza Therapy Pizza Dough video, on the Pizza Therapy Channel, has gotten over 1/2 million views on YouTube.

Pizza on earth, Good Will to All.


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Old Stone Oven 4467 14-Inch by 16-Inch Baking Stone

Enzo Coccio Discusses Pizzaria La Notizia

Enzo Coccio recently interviewed by Albert Grande at the Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

Enzo is a pizza master who is very willing to share his pizza secrets.

From Enzo's Website:

"Pizzeria, synonymous with home, place of the soul. Where Enzo finds himself. Where he lives there and its history. Where to apply ancient techniques and traditions.

Where food of "Campania Felix" have their seals with their flavors, aromas and colors. Where employees are familiar. Where the pizza shop becomes of ideas and experimentation. Where love for their work is identified with the pleasure of cooking for others.

Where guests are accommodated at friends house and share the beauty of being together and eat. Where the food is prepared becomes the tool that allows us to know each other a bit and get to know 'more, day after day. Identity, Unity, Pleasure. The News: This is the "Where" Enzo Coccia ..

Via Caravaggio 53/55
80126 Naples

Tel +39 081 7142155




Pizzaaria La Notizia
Vis Michelangelo da Catavaggio 94/A Napoli
tel. 081 19531937  mail: info@pizzaconsulting.it
Here is another video of Enzo discussinig how to make pizza.

While this video is done entirely in Italian, you will feel the spirit of a true pizza master.

If anyone can translate the Italian, please post the translation in the comments. Below...thanks)



Thanks, Enzo! You are a true pizza master.

pizza on earth,

albert grande
The Pizza Promoter
Substitute Clerk for
The Pizza Therapy Digital Cooking Store