Pizza ovens

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MrGrumpy

MrGrumpy

Huge Member
Location
Fly Fifer
Whilst pizza ovens do 'tickly my fancy', I just see them as a huge environmental disaster - come on it has to be a wood fired one !

Hopefully they will get banned as well as wood burners due to the increase in particulate emissions.

We have an Ooni , yes sucked in but you can cook some nice pizzas . It’s all in the base and still perfecting !

I see more people getting burners fitted ! Supplement the heating !
 

Dadam

Senior Member
Location
SW Leeds
We have an Ooni , yes sucked in but you can cook some nice pizzas . It’s all in the base and still perfecting !

I see more people getting burners fitted ! Supplement the heating !

It's definitely all about the base. Last Sunday's first try of the G3 was successful but not without issues, and I think it's both the dough recipe and implementation. Had problems getting the dough thin enough. I first tried a method I'd seen on YT kneading it out into a pizza shape by hand but it went too thin in the middle, to the point of splitting. Meanwhile the crust was too thick and as soon as I stopped, the whole thing started to contract. Had better results with a rolling pin but despite dusting the surface liberally with flour it kept sticking and the pizzas ended up puffing up considerably in the oven. So, very tasty but not really the thin Neapolitan I was aiming for.

Oven worked very well though, top stone removed to get the radiant heat. About 10 min preheating then each pizza was done in 3-4 mins and the bases.
 

T4tomo

Legendary Member
It's definitely all about the base. Last Sunday's first try of the G3 was successful but not without issues, and I think it's both the dough recipe and implementation. Had problems getting the dough thin enough. I first tried a method I'd seen on YT kneading it out into a pizza shape by hand but it went too thin in the middle, to the point of splitting. Meanwhile the crust was too thick and as soon as I stopped, the whole thing started to contract. Had better results with a rolling pin but despite dusting the surface liberally with flour it kept sticking and the pizzas ended up puffing up considerably in the oven. So, very tasty but not really the thin Neapolitan I was aiming for.

Oven worked very well though, top stone removed to get the radiant heat. About 10 min preheating then each pizza was done in 3-4 mins and the bases.

try rolling it out on semolina instead of extra flour
 

Bonefish Blues

Banging donk
Location
52 Festive Road
It's definitely all about the base. Last Sunday's first try of the G3 was successful but not without issues, and I think it's both the dough recipe and implementation. Had problems getting the dough thin enough. I first tried a method I'd seen on YT kneading it out into a pizza shape by hand but it went too thin in the middle, to the point of splitting. Meanwhile the crust was too thick and as soon as I stopped, the whole thing started to contract. Had better results with a rolling pin but despite dusting the surface liberally with flour it kept sticking and the pizzas ended up puffing up considerably in the oven. So, very tasty but not really the thin Neapolitan I was aiming for.

Oven worked very well though, top stone removed to get the radiant heat. About 10 min preheating then each pizza was done in 3-4 mins and the bases.

Good resource here - as you say, good dough should be a hand job (ooh er) not needing rolling:

https://thepizzaheaven.com/pizza-dough-not-stretchy/
 

figbat

Slippery scientist
Here's the recipe and method I use* - I was taught this by the author (along with various other Italian recipes, many of which I return to time and again) and it always turns out well.

For the dough recipe you'll see there is not a lot of kneading but lots of folding - the folding does the job of the kneading in terms of gluten development but also entrains air in the dough, critical for the light and open structure. Also why you shouldn't roll out the dough but hand stretch it; if you use a decent strong flour and plenty of time then the dough should be pliable enough to stretch without tearing. Douse it in flour to prevent sticking to the surface.

*I usually make the dough in the evening and then leave to stand overnight for use the next day.
 

Dadam

Senior Member
Location
SW Leeds
if you use a decent strong flour and plenty of time then the dough should be pliable enough to stretch without tearing

It was a strong flour; the main problem was it was too stretchy, i.e. it stretched but went back to its previous shape and didn't stay thin! The tearing was probably my rubbish technique. It had maybe about 3 hours resting, could the problem be it should have had longer?
 

figbat

Slippery scientist
It was a strong flour; the main problem was it was too stretchy, i.e. it stretched but went back to its previous shape and didn't stay thin! The tearing was probably my rubbish technique. It had maybe about 3 hours resting, could the problem be it should have had longer?

Maybe. Or you just need some patience. I use fingertips to slowly prod and spread the dough out, and then when it gets thin I drape it over my fist, moving it around to shape and stretch it. You can always pinch a tear closed.
 

Legs

usually riding on Zwift...
Location
Staffordshire
I just use the dough-making setting on my Panasonic SD253 breadmaker, and leave it in for 2 or 3 hours, which invariably makes great dough. I roll mine out, then cook them in the oven at 200C, for 3 minutes each side, then with watered-down puree or passata for a couple of minutes, then 6 minutes with the toppings (minimal mozzarella; current fave combo is salami, thinly-sliced mushroom and artichoke).

(I'm 42, 6'3", 72kg, have low blood pressure and a resting pulse in the low 40s, have an FTP of 4.3W/kg, can smash out an 18 minute parkrun, and it sounds like I enjoy my life and food more than Killjoy101 does.)
 

Jameshow

Veteran
I just use the dough-making setting on my Panasonic SD253 breadmaker, and leave it in for 2 or 3 hours, which invariably makes great dough. I roll mine out, then cook them in the oven at 200C, for 3 minutes each side, then with watered-down puree or passata for a couple of minutes, then 6 minutes with the toppings (minimal mozzarella; current fave combo is salami, thinly-sliced mushroom and artichoke).

(I'm 42, 6'3", 72kg, have low blood pressure and a resting pulse in the low 40s, have an FTP of 4.3W/kg, can smash out an 18 minute parkrun, and it sounds like I enjoy my life and food more than Killjoy101 does.)

18.59 then!!🤣🤣🤣
 
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