Pizza Margherita after Jeff Verasano
The pizza I made two weeks ago (Pizza Napoletana) elicited many helpful comments and suggestions. That pizza had a cracker-crisp crust and minimalist toppings. This week, I was shooting for a more robust, chewy crust that would stand up to tomato sauce and cheese. (Heavier toppings yet await a future pizza-making session.
Based on the advice of several more experienced pizza makers, I chose to make my dough using Jeff Verasano's well-known method. His long and passionate treatise on pizza-making at home can be found on his website. (Jeff Verasano Pizza) His formula for dough is as follows:
Jeff Verasano's Dough for one 13” pie
Ingredient | Wt. (g) | Baker's % |
Water | 110.5 | 65.5 |
Flour (12.7% protein) | 168 | 100 |
Salt | 6 | 3.5 |
Liquid levain | 15 | 9 |
Instant yeast (optional) | 0.5 | 0.25 |
Total | 299.5 |
|
This formula is scalable. For two pies, double the ingredients, etc.
Because of a variety of considerations (including whims), the dough I made was modified from Verasano's as follows:
dmsnyder Dough for five 11” pies
Ingredient | Wt. (g) | Baker's % |
Water | 440 | 65.5 |
Flour (12.7% protein) | 672 | 100 |
Salt | 14 | 2 |
Liquid levain | 120 | 18 |
Instant yeast (optional) | 2 | 0.3 |
Total | 1248 |
|
As you can see, I quadrupled the formula for one pie, but divided it into 5 pieces. I decreased the salt and increased the levain. The effect of doubling the levain percentage was to raise the actual overall hydration of the dough to 68%.
Verasano's instructions for mixing and fermentation are very specific about some steps but leave out some other information which would be helpful. Here is my method, annotated:
Method
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the water, salt, levain and 3/4 of the flour for 1-2 minutes at slow speed.
Cover the bowl and let it rest (autolyse) for 20 minutes.
Mix at low speed for 5 minutes. (Note: Verasano is using a DLX mixer. I have not altered his mix times for the KitchenAid.)
Add remaining flour gradually (over 1-3 minutes).
After 6-8 minutes, increase the mixer speed to medium (Speed 2-3 for a KitchenAid).
Mix until the dough forms a ball, then for another minute. (Note: For me, the dough formed a ball very quickly and cleaned the sides of the bowl. However, it was extremely slack and left a large portion of the dough in the bottom. In hindsight, I had not compensated for the increase in water and dough hydration resulting from my doubling the percentage of 100% hydration levain. I mixed at medium speed for about 15 minutes, at which point I had a rough window pane.)
Let the dough rest in the mixer bowl, covered, for 20 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board, dust the dough and your hands with flour, and divide the dough into 4 or 5 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. (Note: Verasano says that, after transferring the dough to the board, he kneads it for a few minutes before dividing it. I did two sets of stretch and folds, after which the dough had really good strength.)
Place each ball into a lightly oiled container and either allow to ferment until increased in volume by 50% or refrigerate for 1-6 days to use during that time or freeze for future use. (Note: Verasano does not specifically say to divide the dough before bulk fermentation, but that is a common procedure, and I believe that is his intent. He also gives a huge range of estimates for fermentation time. He does not say whether these estimates are with or without the optional instant yeast. I suspect they are without the added yeast. I froze 3 balls and allowed 2 to ferment at room temperature. They were 50% expanded after about 2 hours, at which point I refrigerated them.)
If the dough is expanded 50% before you are ready to use it, refrigerate it.
If the dough was refrigerated, allow it to warm for 60-90 minutes while you pre-heat your oven for baking the pizzas. If the dough was frozen, I would thaw it in the refrigerator and then proceed.
I made two Pizza Margheritas. I made the crust quite thin. The sauce was that in Floyd's A Pizza Primer. I used a very soft fresh mozzarella. Fresh basel was added after the pizzas were baked.
Pizza, dressed for baking
Ready to slice
Slice crumb
This crust stood up to the sauce and cheese rather well. It was not soggy at all. It was very chewy under the toppings, but the corona was crisp. The flavor was good, but I bet it would have been better if the dough had been cold retarded for a day or two. That said, I covertly watched my wife eat her pizza slices. The truest test of pizza crust is whether she eats the rim. She generally doesn't eat the crust when we have pizza out. Tonight, she left not a crumb. I guess it was pretty good.
Personally, I'd like to split the difference between this crust and the one of two weeks ago. Maybe I'll try adding a little oil to soften this dough or use a lower gluten flour. I'm less tempted to try a much lower hydration dough, because I like the extensibility of this dough so much.
Thanks to all of you who contributed to my previous pizza blog. The quest continues!
David
Comments
Nice pizza. I admit, I've read Verasano's website several times and have never tried his method because his formula is so rambling and hard to follow. He's all over the place. Now that you've made it coherent, maybe I'll try it.
By the way, on some pizza discussion, someone said his formula is next to impossible without an electric mixer. What do you think?
Glenn
I mined the ramblings for what real information was there and made notes regarding that which remained obscure to me. (I think they call those "tailings.")
Verasano added a little section on hand kneading, but I don't think it's very helpful beyond saying it can be done. If I were to hand knead this dough, I would treat it just like the Tartine BCB or my San Joaquin Sourdough - S&F in the bowl for 20-30 strokes every 30 minutes until the dough has some strength, then S&F on the board. The time this would take would also result in very little additional fermentation time being necessary. Hmmmm ... It's worth trying.
David
Did you know Jeff Verasano was an expert at solving the Rubik's Cube? This is a video about his new restaurant in Atlanta, and at the very end of the interview he solves the Cube in under 30 seconds. Very impressive. This is one very determined and focused guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdZPBk6EhdA&NR=1
When I saw your subject title, Barbara, I thought you were going to compare decoding Verasano's instructions to solving Rubick's Cube.
David
I tend to think there is some sort of a connection, don't you? He seems to have taken the same approach to discovering the secrets of the Patsy's Pizza Puzzle.
Glenn,
You're right about Varasano's directions being rambling and hard to follow. I rewrote them for myself when I first started doing these pizzas, and subsequently published my condensed version on my blog post for the benefit of others who might not have otherwise been bothered trying to work their way through the Varasano maze - much as David has done here.
I always hand-mix them - it's the only way I've ever done it - but I had to develop a way to do it initially. Ended up being easy and quick. Rather than re-writing my hand-mix directions here, I'll just direct you to my blog (link here). Ignore all the stuff in the preamble if not of interest, and go straight to the directions you'll see further down the page under the heading 'Dough Method'.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Ross
Another proud owner of the full printout of his pizza treaty, who never put it to test.
Great to have a streamlined version to follow, maybe it will be the push I need to try it.
All 53 pages of it :)
David,
Great looking pizza, perfect amount of sauce and cheese. Your crust looks outstanding, thin and light. We make pizza every couple of weeks or so. I'll give your recipe a try later this week. I think the pizza quest ranks right up there with the baguette quest---it never ends.
Howard
So many quests, so little time! ;-)
David
Nice One David!
I do exactly as you and observe how much of the crust Alison munches through to guage the "success" levels.
I use a stiff biga for pizza dough, and hydrate at 75%. Delayed salt is worth using too. Then sequence of S&F to maintain dough strength. This allows for retarding, or, baking off within a couple of hours.
The simplest pizzas are my favourites too.
Best wishes
Andy
Right now, our tomatoes are at their peak. I wanted to try pizza with tomato sauce, mostly to challenge the crust. but pizza topped with fresh-picked, vine ripened cherry tomatoes or romas (peeled, and seeded) is more wonderful, to our taste.
When you make pizza dough at 75% hydration, what strength flour do you use?
David
Hi David,
I mostly make pizza with the students in college.
For the TFL course next week my formula uses the following formula:
BIGA: %
Strong Bread Flour 50
Water 30
Fresh Yeast 0.2
TOTAL 80.2
FINAL DOUGH:
Biga 80.2
Gilchester Pizza Flour 50 [Local English Wheat; not at all strong!]
Salt 1.8
Fresh Yeast 2
Water 45
TOTAL 179
High amount of Biga, you can reduce this if you wanted a longer retarding period!
Best wishes
Andy
50% pre-fermented flour ... Interesting.
Since I expect I'll stick with my levain, I wonder if a higher percentage firm levain in the final dough would develop flavor similar to cold retarding dough with less levain for 2-3 days, as Ross prefers.
What do you think?
David
That's the point, David.
I use a ripened dough like this as we will be eating the pizzas for our lunch, just 3 hours after starting to mix the dough in the first place.
Slower fermentation/retard just needs the % of biga reduced, and maybe that yeast quantity in the final dough too. I would still keep hydration the same, and the 50-50 balance of flour.
I'm starting to feel hungry; pasta with salmon and broccoli in this house tonight!
All good wishes
Andy
Like that crumb shot!
One observation I can make about this dough is that it can tend to be a bit chewy if you don't get the timing just right (and it's always chewy on re-heating a day or two after the bake, so best to eat fresh-baked). I've found that achieving a perfectly baked base with this dough is a far more exacting task than with non-SD doughs. When you get it just right, it's an absolute joy, but even after baking hundreds of these, I still don't get a perfect crust every time. I generally bake two per session, and often get one just right and the other not quite spot on. Toppings alter the optimum baking time, as does the ambient temp and how long you leave the dough out of the fridge before baking - those are just a few variables that spring immediately to mind. Reminds me of a comment I saw from a food critic a while ago: pizzas are pretty simple to bake but far from simple to bake perfectly. That sums up my experience with this dough.
I've tried increasing the leaven proportion as you did here, also, and always end up returning to Varasano's proportion. I don't think it can be improved on with this style of pizza. But of course, who of we folk on a permanent quest for the ultimate is going to accept that? :)
Something I just have to add: there is no doubt that you need to retard this dough at least 2 days in the fridge to have it at its best in terms of flavour. I usually retard for 3 days.
Re olive oil. I incorporate a couple of tablespoons (approx) in my hand-mixing process. It figures that the oil does soften the final crumb somewhat - this little bit of oil has always been a part of my SD pizza dough, in any case. I'd try it without if I could - but the oil is necessary if you're going to hand-mix my way, aside from any other qualities it might add to the dough.
Finally, my experience with this dough has been the higher the hydration, the lighter and airier the crust (within reason - I have pushed it too far). My doughs are so 'wet' that I need my partner's help to lift a stretched dough on the the peel before applying the toppings. It's a 4-hand job! And a fast one! You'll notice in Varasano's write-up that he is not definitive about the quantity of flour in the mix, so concerned is he about ensuring the dough is not too dry. Very different from any other pizza dough I've made in this respect (although I noted that one of the Reinhart doughs I tried was almost as 'wet'...but not as tasty!).
You'll doubtless go your own way, as I would, since the quest for the ultimate pizza is an intrinsic part of the fun and mystery of it all, but just thought you might find it useful to factor in some of these observations.
Cheers!
Ross
I very much appreciate your sharing your experience with this pizza dough. I'll try to force myself to follow Verasano's formula without tweaking next time. It's hard! ;-)
I'm curious about why added oil is necessary for hand mixing. It's not obvious to me.
David
My inaccuracy, David. I shouldn't have said hand-mixing - I meant hand-kneading.
I hand mix as per a bread dough, so no issue there. However, if you're following Varasano's process, after the autolyse he kneads the dough for a few minutes in his electric mixer. This is the part that is problematic if you're working by hand, because the dough is very wet and sticky and the usual bread strategy - stretching and folding every 30-60 mins or whatever - is not applicable unless you do a bulk proof outside the fridge (which he doesn't, and I don't either). So, to stay true to JV's process, you've got to somehow knead this wet dough by hand as well as would be achieved in an electric mixer and as fast, before resting and consigning to the fridge for an extended retardation period. Thus, I adapted my wet-dough hand-kneading method, which is as follows:
Pour 1-2 tablespoons olive oil on your bench, scrape the mixed dough out of your mixing bowl and on to the oiled bench area and work it with your hands, squelching it between your fingers, squeezing, 'kneading', whatever. When the olive oil is absorbed, the dough will begin sticking to your hands again, so at this point I change to slap-kneading with one hand. You'll see the typical change in the dough signalling when the gluten has developed sufficiently, and at this point you're finished! The whole thing takes no longer than a few minutes. Then I just revert to JV's process (rest, then weigh out the dough and put in oiled plastic containers or oiled plastic or whatever, rest again, then into fridge for 2-4 days).
Thought I should elaborate on my blog directions for the sake of clarity, since it was my lack of same that prompted your query!
BTW, thanks for articulating your appreciation of my sharing my experience with JV's dough. I'm always a bit fearful that you'll take exception to my giving you any suggestions (rarely happens - it's usually you giving a grateful moi the benefits of your experience!), but I should have known better. I have to admit to some paranoia after some of my web forum encounters over the years.
Cheers!
Ross
First, my appreciation of your advice is entirely sincere ... even if I don't choose to follow all of it. Different strokes, etc.
And, speaking of strokes, my way of "hand mixing" interposes a silicon spatula between my hand and the dough. I use the "stretch and fold in the bowl" technique for wet doughs. Some actually use their hands for this. Others use a flexible plastic scraper. For me, a silicon spatula works best. So, after an autolyse and adding salt, I do 20 to 30 strokes, folding the dough over itself and rotating the bowl about 60 degrees between strokes. I repeat this 3 or 4 times at 30 minute intervals. By then, even a pretty gloppy dough has developed enough strength to make S&F's on a floured board reasonable.
I take it that "slap kneading" is the so-called French Fold à la Bertinet. I've tried that a few times and prefer the method described, but I think they accomplish much the same thing: Good gluten development without risking oxidizing the dough.
The technique you describe for incorporating oil after the autolyse - squishing the dough between your fingers - can also be done in a container rather than on the board. It works for oil, salt and additional water. I think it works better for incorporating oil and water than a stand mixer.
With all of these variations, I don't think there is a "best way." It's what works for you.
Regards,
David
I had to look up the Bertinet French Fold. I had heard of it but hadn't investigated until now. Found this video of da monsieur demoing the technique - LOVE watching the dough change before your eyes as he progresses. My 'slap-kneading' is not quite the same; I guess you could sum it up as a cruder, violent variation on the French Fold! Omit the fold, use one hand only, and swinging it from one end, slap the dough down with a...well, a slap. Periodically alter the part you grab to make the swing so the dough is evenly assaulted. Inelegant, but effective - and therapeutic. The dough comes together in the same way as on the Bertinet video. It doesn't dare misbehave under this punishing regime. (I am exaggerating only slightly).
Oh, certainly. I have tried 'your way' but I'm prone to hand-cramps when I repeatedly S&F in the bowl (what a macho image I present). Thus, I prefer to tip it all out on the counter and go from there. Also, have to confess, I like that preliminary squelching of the dough through my fingers as the olive oil is incorporated. Heh heh - but granted, that's getting away from the main point of it all!
Cheers!
Ross
David, your posts always have the advantage of actually being useful to others. That's a real contribution that's appreciated.
David
Lovely pies and cornicione. You nailed those pies. And your translation/condensation of Verasano is clearly appreciated.
Your experiments are always a good read!
Thanks!
Jay
David
As an ex New Yorker pizza Junkie, I started playing with Jeff's recipe a couple of years ago. Why? Anyone more fanatic then me in the quest for the ultimate must be taken seriously. Jeff has spent more time in putting into words his sheer addiction in the quest for the best is amazing. Now for the results. In my humble opinion it does not translate to the home oven environment unless you are willing to crank it up to that 800 degree burn your house down equation.
For those of us who live in the 550 degree world I find Floyd's Rustic Bread Recipe works for me. Keep it simple. The overnite preferment is still supreme in every pizza makers recipe, no shortcutting this step.
For this transplanted to Northern California Junkie, someone who drives his family 50 miles to his favorite Pizza Joint this is as fanatical as it gets.
Paul
Pizza Margherita, is my favorite pizza, though Mike likes the toppings, especially pepperoni. I'm converting him to fresh torn basil and EVOO finish.
It does take a very hot home oven and stone to get the crust good and crispy enough to support a heavier topping.
How do you like the fresh Mozza as compared to the harder shredded mozza? Fresh is my favorite and I especially like a sprinkling of fresh grated parm or romano added. Fresh mozza, does tend to run and make a hugh mess on an oven stone, causing the pizza crust to most likely stick to, if placed to close to the edge of the pizza...I tend to use large chunks, keep them away from the edge and love the flavor of a big crispy, bubbly, 'crown', cornicione or corona, it also helps hold in the cheese and get more of that delicious crust to eat, after all that's the best part of a great beginning.
The larger crown I want, the farther away I place the sauce from the edge.
How about a bottom picture of your pie...that also tells a lot about the results you get from a heavier toppings.
Pizza I think is the most world wide popular bread, food there is...IMHO!
Sylvia
The last two pizza versions I made were my personal bests. I pre-heated my stone for a good hour in both cases. Not a WFO <sniff>, but probably the best I can do. Hmmm ... I haven't tried using the broiler yet, and neither crust was partly pre-baked before dressing. So many tweaks yet to try! I think, when I try some heavier toppings, pre-baking the crust would be a good idea.
I have never been tempted to use hard, American-type mozzarella. I do like the flavor of fresh, and I can get several brands at WFM. The one I used yesterday was a bit softer than most, and it had a sweet flavor - less tangy than some. It was very similar to the cheese I had in Bologna in a Caprese salad at a restaurant suggested by nicodvb's friends. Since fresh mozzarella is wetter than the rubbery type, I think one must resist the temptation to use too much, as it will keep the crust from getting crisp. I also like using chunks rather than shredding the cheese.
I didn't take a photo of the bottom of yesterday's crust, but it was very firm and had some nice browned spots. The center drooped more than the very thin, crisp crust of two weeks ago, but I could have eaten a slice without folding it.
David
The best pizzas I've made (other than those in a friend's WFO) were made in a convection oven with the stone pre-heated for over an hour with the last 20 minutes or so on "convection broil" setting. I bet it was well over 600 F in there and the pizza was done (with a nicely caramelized crown) after about 6 minutes.
Glenn
Nothing beats coming in for a quick pizza dinner made in the indoor oven, so I do use my indoor oven often for pizza's...though the wfo is a whole different level of flavor, there's a lot to be said for those days when I just want a quick pizza fix...and they can be delicious.
I believe it's typical of the famous NY style pizza to be folded and eaten. I would think using a levain, as in JV pizza's would benefit the softer center of the crust.
I've had nice crispy, firm crusts using the Roma style pizza crust with duram flour and no oil...there's a nice recipe in American Pie for Roma style pizza with duram flour. The duram gives a little extra crunch adds a crispy to the crust or even a fine extra fancy semolina pasta grind is nice.
I can get a very nice medium firm Italian. 'fresh' mozza that shreds nicely at my local store and, has a longer shelf life, great for those days I can't run to the deli but, the soft balls of fresh made mozza are hard to beat. I guess next we'll all be making fresh mozza..it's not really that hard to do from what I've read..I've only made cheese once before. I found that when I use a larger chunk it tends to melt without melting away and getting a little to firm and loosing some fresh flavor. In a home oven, because it does take a longer bake time, sometimes this happens. My indoor oven goes to 550F convection heat, makes a nice crust with heavy toppings without the par bake..never done that..though I would be tempted to add the fresh soft mozza a little later into the bake if I used smaller chunks. Also I toppings placed on top of the cheeses help to keep cheeses from being overly baked or browned.
Sylvia
The pizza we had in Northern Italy had a soft crust, and I've not been to Rome or Naples or anywhere South of Tuscany. I suspect I'm always going to lean towards crisp crusts.
Durum flour, hand kneading, add cheese half-way into the bake, pre-baking crust, heavier toppings, ... So many tweaks to try!
I figure you need to make 10,000 baguettes to truly master that bread. How many pizzas does it take?
David
With baguettes you are dealing with so many fewer variables... Pizzas are much more complex. Yet in some ways easier IMO for the proofing is not so critical. But from a variable perspective I will go with 10 to the 12th power - a trillion! That ensures it will always remain a learning experience!
What a great thread!
Jay
Well, let's see, how many flavor varieties do you like, how many can you eat 'lol' : -) can you really pick a favorite? I've decided on Pizza Margherita, I keep my ice cream simple too, vanilla is my very favorite.
Sylvia
I have followed his advice with a hand-knead. You can do it, you just really need to know what you're doing. I've found that getting an extremely elastic dough right after kneading isn't something that makes or breaks a good pizza. I get it to as far as I feel it will go without putting some serious work into it, and then I follow the rest of the instructions. I end up refrigerating the dough for at least a day before I make the pizzas (mostly for scheduling reasons) and I find that develops both flavor and some gluten, so I've never had a problem with my dough not having enough gluten, although I will admit, I can not get it as paper thin as he can right after the knead. After the autolyse in the refrigerator I have no problem with it.
I'm pretty sure those of us who have hand-mixed breads with similar hydration to Verasano's pizza dough would have no problem.
In fact, at this point, I think I have a better feel for the gluten development in my hand-mixed doughs than those I machine mix. Right now, my 3 favorite breads are all high-hydration, and I hand-mix them all.
BTW, I'm positive the photo of the window pane on Verasano's web site was made only for purposes of demonstration. That dough is way over-developed for any lean bread (or pizza dough). If it were baked, you could break a tooth trying to chew it!
David
When I first started looking at JV's lengthy posts on the finer points of NY style pizza, I was struck with how much better the bread tasted after fermenting a day or so. This was way before I had heard about Anis Boabsa and overnight retarding of baguette dough. Over time I shifted into making my pizza dough with chilled water, allowing an autolyse with out salt and with holding a small portion of the flour for a full hour. After which all remaining flour, salt are added. The dough doesn't need very much more than a few stretch and folds to arrive at a smooth satiny consistency. I believe that the final shaping on the board is the place to develop the gluten. My dough is elastic without oil and doesn't smoke or have the taste of EVOO that has been burned on a hot stone. I do apply a small amount of oil out to the edge after shaping the crust. I like the flavor and sheen on the crust with the oil. I still will make a quick batch of yeast risen dough now and then bake it within a few hours. But I much prefer the results when I have had the foresight to plan ahead.
For all the interest in great pizza here, I'm a little surprised nobody is talking about the neatest little pizza oven ever. The Little Black Egg. Made from a Weber 18 inch charcoal grill with the bottom cut out and the top opened up and modded slightly. I have been a member of the pizzamaking.com forum since 1997 and built a LBE back then. They are an easy DIY project and you can bake a pie in around 2 minutes that looks like it came right out of a 800F WFO. Some serious pizza photos over there.
Eric