This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! Would love to know where you got those storage containers for your dough balls and the wood board you cut the pizza on! Thanks!
Somehow I ran across your Friday posting a couple of months ago and so I bought your book and have enjoyed making a few of the pizzas. This week's email was personally interesting to me because I bought the Breville Pizza oven that you review when it first came out. I struggled with the fact that I found that in order to get my pizza dough off the metal peel I had to put a lot of semolina on the peel, which of course got all over the stone. I finally gave up and put it in the basement. Recently though I brought it back to my kitchen to play around with it and when I saw that you say that you could use parchment paper at 750 degrees I had to give that a shot. If it worked it would solve all my problems with the oven. So last night I made pizza using your low hydration Neopolitan-ish dough recipe and even used some "00" flour since somewhere you mention that "00" is a good high temperature flour. I had some 12" parchment rounds, although not the ones you recommend. On my first pizza the paper turned black and stuck to the bottom of the crust. What I could peel off, actually didn't taste too bad but I would rather not have paper on my dough. So while it didn't burn, that is probably because there wasn't any oxygen between the crust and the stone. But it didn't work like it does when I use my regular oven at 525 degrees. I just ordered the paper from Amazon that you recommend and I will see if that helps, but if you have any thoughts on what might have gone wrong, please let me know. Thanks - Paul
Ugh, bummer about the sticking! I'm sorry. When I recommend using parchment I usually include a note about not all parchment paper being created equally — I have had terrible sticking issues with certain brands, and not necessarily with pizza and not necessarily at a high temperature... some of them just don't work, and when they don't, it is a total pain.
I have had no issues with the brand you ordered, so I'm happy to hear you did this, and I hope it makes using your Breville oven easier — it's not an easy thing to clean otherwise. I also like the If You Care brand and Reyonlds brands, which you can find at most stores but not in circular rounds.
Regarding 00 flour, it is a good flour to use at high temperature, but I have to say, I am not loving the 00 flour I currently have on hand, which is the Caputo blue bag. I love it for my thin-crust pizzas — the extensible gluten structure it creates makes it so easy to roll out, and I like the texture of the finished pizza as well. I have not, however, been happy with it for my Neapolitan-style pizzas. I have not loved the color, spring, or crumb structure it has created recently. I did some research, and I just ordered some Petra flour. I will report back if I like it. With your next experiment, I'd suggest using 100% KAF bread flour and see how it turns out.
Totally agree about the "00" flour. I ordered some Caputo blue "00" some time ago and never really was happy with it. I used it up on my recent pizza thinking that perhaps this would be the place to use it, but I didn't like the feel of the dough and I had a few tears when I was stretching it out. I don't plan to order any additional "00" flour. My go to flour is KAF High-Gluten which I buy in 50 lb bags. I love the workability of the dough after it has go through its second rise in the refrigerator overnight. I guess because of the higher gluten content the dough doesn't tear and since it is so relaxed after a slow rise, the high gluten structure doesn't prevent shaping of the dough. By the way, when I was in Italy a couple of years ago I talked to a couple of cooks who admitted they only use American flour.
Yeah, the more I look into Caputo, the more I am reading that it has changed and is not the product it once was. Alas. I love KAF high-gluten flour for bagels. Haven't tried it with pizza. Will do soon!
Greetings! Always enjoy your recipe and can’t wait to try the garlic confit. What’s your recommended shelf life and should I put it in the fridge? Thanks much!!
Hi Patty! Thank you :) This is the note from Bon Appetit, but in short, two weeks in the fridge:
“In most cases, confited garlic is perfectly safe to eat, but storing garlic in oil does come with some risk of botulism, a food-borne illness caused by bacteria that thrive in low-oxygen, low-acid, low-sugar environments. The cooking process greatly reduces that risk, as does storing the cooked garlic and oil at a temperature below 38°F and consuming them within 2 weeks. For longer storage, or to store at room temperature, look for methods using a pressure canner.”
Thanks so much for this pizza formula and how to use the Breville oven with it. I have been patiently waiting for your input on the oven and how best to use your recipes with it. I would love to learn more tips on how best to make your recipes in “Pizza Night” using it. I am planning a pizza feast for the Fourth of July! And will plan to try some more of your recipes for both pizza and salad.
Caryn! You have been so patient. I went back to your email just now and saw that you asked about things like raw shrimp and would it cook in time. I think it will! If chopped small enough, at that temperature, 3 minutes should be plenty.
Regarding planning for a pizza party, one thing I think you could do is assemble a bunch of pizzas ahead of time on those parchment rounds... if you're up for getting them. I don't know how many people you are cooking for, but you could assemble 4 to 6 pizzas up to 45 minutes ahead of time. I'd cover them with a turned-over bowl or plastic wrap while they sit so that they don't dry out, but that would give you a jumpstart. Alternatively, simply measure out all of the toppings ahead of time so that you can quickly put together new pizzas while one bakes.
Thanks so much for your reply. I am getting ready for my pizza party tomorrow! Have you ever tried assembling the pizzas ahead of tome on the parchment rounds? Do you think that there is any chance the dough will stick to the paper while baking? Since they will be on the paper for a while? I am going to give it a try with caution!
I’m on my second Breville because I wore the first one baking pizza during the pandemic. Unfortunately I was having trouble with the stone breaking and after replacing it several times I contacted Baking Steel and they sent me a round steel that fit perfectly and never wears out. It does require a change in settings and there is a learning curve but overall I’m so happy with it.
It wasn’t listed on their website but when I inquired about getting a custom one made they said they already had some. When it arrived it had “Food 52” embossed on one side. I did some googling and found that there was a collaboration between Food 52 and Baking Steel. This was their round mini griddle and it fits perfectly!
I had the same problem with the stone breaking when I first got mine but they replaced it free of charge. I will definitely follow up with getting a Baking Steel to fit. Can you elaborate about what you do differently when baking with the steel instead of the stone?
Several things - I preheat for exactly 15 minutes. Any longer and the steel gets too hot and the undercarriage burns before the top is done. I typically set the bottom element at only 400 and the top at the highest setting. There is a sweet spot in there and sometimes I have to make slight adjustments as I go. Good luck!
Love the zucchini and garlic confit as well. What was really very interesting and great was your review on the indoor pizza oven. I have been contemplating getting one as my crew love pizzas.
Sheryl, before you get one, see Diane's comment below about the Ooni Volt — it is much larger, as in the cooking area is much larger, and I think it might be more versatile/better overall.
What a great recipe! Thank you again. My sister got me an Ooni Volt electric indoor/outdoor pizza oven for my birthday. Your new book has turned me into a pizza addict. This oven is AMAZING. It's big but so good. I absolutely love it. The pizza is amazing in it. I highly recommend it. I even have been cooking other things in it - pita bread, flat bread, baguettes, cobblers, cakes and using a grill pan for vegetables and meat. I am super happy with it.
I want one! I think I could justify the large size of the Ooni Volt because the cooking area inside is SO big — I have seen one in the flesh, but I haven't had a chance to cook with one yet. I'm so happy to hear you like it. I've heard great things from others as well!
Loving these tips for how to use zucchini on pizza and the bonus recipe for garlic confit! I’ll make it tomorrow when I heat the oven for some other roasting. Grazie! ❤️
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! Would love to know where you got those storage containers for your dough balls and the wood board you cut the pizza on! Thanks!
Hi! Here you go: https://kevjes.com/products/kevjes-pizza-dough-proofing-containers-500ml-3-sets-1
The board is from Sur La Table, but they don't make it anymore. I bought a new one from there not too long ago, and I didn't love the quality. I do not own this one from Williams Sonoma, but I saw them in the store one day, and I've been coveting them ever since... really nice quality: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/olivewood-round-cheese-board/?pkey=s~olive%20wood%20round%20cheese%20board~3&position=0&sbkey=default
Thank you!
Somehow I ran across your Friday posting a couple of months ago and so I bought your book and have enjoyed making a few of the pizzas. This week's email was personally interesting to me because I bought the Breville Pizza oven that you review when it first came out. I struggled with the fact that I found that in order to get my pizza dough off the metal peel I had to put a lot of semolina on the peel, which of course got all over the stone. I finally gave up and put it in the basement. Recently though I brought it back to my kitchen to play around with it and when I saw that you say that you could use parchment paper at 750 degrees I had to give that a shot. If it worked it would solve all my problems with the oven. So last night I made pizza using your low hydration Neopolitan-ish dough recipe and even used some "00" flour since somewhere you mention that "00" is a good high temperature flour. I had some 12" parchment rounds, although not the ones you recommend. On my first pizza the paper turned black and stuck to the bottom of the crust. What I could peel off, actually didn't taste too bad but I would rather not have paper on my dough. So while it didn't burn, that is probably because there wasn't any oxygen between the crust and the stone. But it didn't work like it does when I use my regular oven at 525 degrees. I just ordered the paper from Amazon that you recommend and I will see if that helps, but if you have any thoughts on what might have gone wrong, please let me know. Thanks - Paul
Ugh, bummer about the sticking! I'm sorry. When I recommend using parchment I usually include a note about not all parchment paper being created equally — I have had terrible sticking issues with certain brands, and not necessarily with pizza and not necessarily at a high temperature... some of them just don't work, and when they don't, it is a total pain.
I have had no issues with the brand you ordered, so I'm happy to hear you did this, and I hope it makes using your Breville oven easier — it's not an easy thing to clean otherwise. I also like the If You Care brand and Reyonlds brands, which you can find at most stores but not in circular rounds.
Regarding 00 flour, it is a good flour to use at high temperature, but I have to say, I am not loving the 00 flour I currently have on hand, which is the Caputo blue bag. I love it for my thin-crust pizzas — the extensible gluten structure it creates makes it so easy to roll out, and I like the texture of the finished pizza as well. I have not, however, been happy with it for my Neapolitan-style pizzas. I have not loved the color, spring, or crumb structure it has created recently. I did some research, and I just ordered some Petra flour. I will report back if I like it. With your next experiment, I'd suggest using 100% KAF bread flour and see how it turns out.
Totally agree about the "00" flour. I ordered some Caputo blue "00" some time ago and never really was happy with it. I used it up on my recent pizza thinking that perhaps this would be the place to use it, but I didn't like the feel of the dough and I had a few tears when I was stretching it out. I don't plan to order any additional "00" flour. My go to flour is KAF High-Gluten which I buy in 50 lb bags. I love the workability of the dough after it has go through its second rise in the refrigerator overnight. I guess because of the higher gluten content the dough doesn't tear and since it is so relaxed after a slow rise, the high gluten structure doesn't prevent shaping of the dough. By the way, when I was in Italy a couple of years ago I talked to a couple of cooks who admitted they only use American flour.
Yeah, the more I look into Caputo, the more I am reading that it has changed and is not the product it once was. Alas. I love KAF high-gluten flour for bagels. Haven't tried it with pizza. Will do soon!
Greetings! Always enjoy your recipe and can’t wait to try the garlic confit. What’s your recommended shelf life and should I put it in the fridge? Thanks much!!
Hi Patty! Thank you :) This is the note from Bon Appetit, but in short, two weeks in the fridge:
“In most cases, confited garlic is perfectly safe to eat, but storing garlic in oil does come with some risk of botulism, a food-borne illness caused by bacteria that thrive in low-oxygen, low-acid, low-sugar environments. The cooking process greatly reduces that risk, as does storing the cooked garlic and oil at a temperature below 38°F and consuming them within 2 weeks. For longer storage, or to store at room temperature, look for methods using a pressure canner.”
Thanks so much for this pizza formula and how to use the Breville oven with it. I have been patiently waiting for your input on the oven and how best to use your recipes with it. I would love to learn more tips on how best to make your recipes in “Pizza Night” using it. I am planning a pizza feast for the Fourth of July! And will plan to try some more of your recipes for both pizza and salad.
Caryn! You have been so patient. I went back to your email just now and saw that you asked about things like raw shrimp and would it cook in time. I think it will! If chopped small enough, at that temperature, 3 minutes should be plenty.
Regarding planning for a pizza party, one thing I think you could do is assemble a bunch of pizzas ahead of time on those parchment rounds... if you're up for getting them. I don't know how many people you are cooking for, but you could assemble 4 to 6 pizzas up to 45 minutes ahead of time. I'd cover them with a turned-over bowl or plastic wrap while they sit so that they don't dry out, but that would give you a jumpstart. Alternatively, simply measure out all of the toppings ahead of time so that you can quickly put together new pizzas while one bakes.
Thanks so much for your reply. I am getting ready for my pizza party tomorrow! Have you ever tried assembling the pizzas ahead of tome on the parchment rounds? Do you think that there is any chance the dough will stick to the paper while baking? Since they will be on the paper for a while? I am going to give it a try with caution!
Omg. I loooove confit garlic and I save the oil for everything from pasta to salads. So good. 🧄🤍
I want to use it in everything! First up: focaccia dimpled with garlic confit.
Ohhhh, that’s a good one 👌
I’m on my second Breville because I wore the first one baking pizza during the pandemic. Unfortunately I was having trouble with the stone breaking and after replacing it several times I contacted Baking Steel and they sent me a round steel that fit perfectly and never wears out. It does require a change in settings and there is a learning curve but overall I’m so happy with it.
Cool! So there's a Baking Steel that actually fits in the Pizzaiolo? I am so intrigued. Thanks for writing and sharing this.
It wasn’t listed on their website but when I inquired about getting a custom one made they said they already had some. When it arrived it had “Food 52” embossed on one side. I did some googling and found that there was a collaboration between Food 52 and Baking Steel. This was their round mini griddle and it fits perfectly!
Amazing! Thank you for the intel :) I'm going to inquire about any other "extras" they might have on hand!
I had the same problem with the stone breaking when I first got mine but they replaced it free of charge. I will definitely follow up with getting a Baking Steel to fit. Can you elaborate about what you do differently when baking with the steel instead of the stone?
Several things - I preheat for exactly 15 minutes. Any longer and the steel gets too hot and the undercarriage burns before the top is done. I typically set the bottom element at only 400 and the top at the highest setting. There is a sweet spot in there and sometimes I have to make slight adjustments as I go. Good luck!
Thanks for the suggestions. Before you got the pizza steel did you set the bottom element to a higher temperature?
I set it higher than I do now but I found I had to keep it lower than the top element.
Love the zucchini and garlic confit as well. What was really very interesting and great was your review on the indoor pizza oven. I have been contemplating getting one as my crew love pizzas.
Sheryl, before you get one, see Diane's comment below about the Ooni Volt — it is much larger, as in the cooking area is much larger, and I think it might be more versatile/better overall.
What a great recipe! Thank you again. My sister got me an Ooni Volt electric indoor/outdoor pizza oven for my birthday. Your new book has turned me into a pizza addict. This oven is AMAZING. It's big but so good. I absolutely love it. The pizza is amazing in it. I highly recommend it. I even have been cooking other things in it - pita bread, flat bread, baguettes, cobblers, cakes and using a grill pan for vegetables and meat. I am super happy with it.
I want one! I think I could justify the large size of the Ooni Volt because the cooking area inside is SO big — I have seen one in the flesh, but I haven't had a chance to cook with one yet. I'm so happy to hear you like it. I've heard great things from others as well!
Loving these tips for how to use zucchini on pizza and the bonus recipe for garlic confit! I’ll make it tomorrow when I heat the oven for some other roasting. Grazie! ❤️
Good idea Lolly!