Neapolitan Pizza... what else can I do?

[Hyperion]

I have been attempting to make neapolitan pizza at home without a professional pizza oven. I use my regular home oven that goes up to 500 degrees.

This pizza above is super thin (the crust itself is thinner than crackers), crunchy, and has enough dark spots with the woodfire taste.

BUT, I still don't like it. For one thing, I think the edge of the crust is too hard and it hurts my gum. Here's how I bake it: first heat the oven with pizza stone to 500 and wait for another 30 minutes. Slide in the pizza topped with only tomato sauce, and switch to broiling. after 3 minutes, I add the fresh mozzarella, and broil for another 2 minutes.

My expectation is a more puffy (but still super thin like authentic neapolitan pizza) crust with a lot of nice blisters around the crust, and the edge is toasted (dark spots) but not rock hard. I know if I have high enough temperature I can toast the surface of the edge without overcooking the inside, but with home oven condition, what else can I do to achieve the dark spots without drying out the inside?

 

[roadfix]

Nice looking pie. Have you experimented by using different hydration levels or flours?

 

[LindaLou]

Well, I am not sure what the answer is for the hard crust but the pizza looks wonderful!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Spray the edges with olive oil?

 

[jennyema]

Spray the edges with olive oil?

Olive oil has a pretty low smoke point, so it might burn.

 

[Hyperion]

Nice looking pie. Have you experimented by using different hydration levels or flours?

I have been using the gold brand bread flour. I probably should try adding more water, but too much water will be really hard to knead.

Well, I am not sure what the answer is for the hard crust but the pizza looks wonderful!

thanks!

Spray the edges with olive oil?

actually I have been using olive oil before but I realized that the oil will only make the crust even harder by frying out the moisture.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

More precise...spray the edges with oil after you remove it from the oven. Will it soften the edges then?

 

[Andy M.]

When you say the crust is too hard and it hurts your gums, is it because the crust is dry and brittle or too chewy or something else?

 

[roadfix]

I don't think olive oil is used in a true Neapolitan dough.....if that's what you're after.

 

[Selkie]

Olive oil is an ingredient in a good pizza dough along with water. There should be no need to spray it or anything like that. The oil in the dough is enough.

If you don't like the tough texture of your dough, substitute milk for up to 25% of the water you add during mixing. Milk will make your dough softer - OR substitute about 30% of your bread flour with cake flour. It will cut down on the amount of gluten.

I have used both methods individually, successfully.

Why are you broiling it? At 500 degrees, on a preheated pizza stone, it should brown properly on its own without the broiler in 7-9 minutes.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I don't think olive oil is used in a true Neapolitan dough.....if that's what you're after.

At least I didn't suggest sesame oil...

 

[Hyperion]

When you say the crust is too hard and it hurts your gums, is it because the crust is dry and brittle or too chewy or something else?

it's dry and brittle

Olive oil is an ingredient in a good pizza dough along with water. There should be no need to spray it or anything like that. The oil in the dough is enough.

If you don't like the tough texture of your dough, substitute milk for up to 25% of the water you add during mixing. Milk will make your dough softer - OR substitute about 30% of your bread flour with cake flour. It will cut down on the amount of gluten.

I have used both methods individually, successfully.

Why are you broiling it? At 500 degrees, on a preheated pizza stone, it should brown properly on its own without the broiler in 7-9 minutes.

it all depends on the thickness of the pizza though, because 7-9 minutes will definitely turn my pizza into paper... it's a 12-13 inch pizza made with 1 cup of flour (I made two using 2 cups of flour), so it's too thin to cook that long. but I'll try using only the baking heat next time.

the milk idea is interesting. I do need the high gluten though so that the pizza won't tear since it's so thin and I use hand stretching to form it, not rollers

 

[pacanis]

You look like you are trying to avoid the exact kind of crust I am after, lol.

 

[Zhizara]

I have been attempting to make neapolitan pizza at home without a professional pizza oven. I use my regular home oven that goes up to 500 degrees.

This pizza above is super thin (the crust itself is thinner than crackers), crunchy, and has enough dark spots with the woodfire taste.

BUT, I still don't like it. For one thing, I think the edge of the crust is too hard and it hurts my gum. Here's how I bake it: first heat the oven with pizza stone to 500 and wait for another 30 minutes. Slide in the pizza topped with only tomato sauce, and switch to broiling. after 3 minutes, I add the fresh mozzarella, and broil for another 2 minutes.

My expectation is a more puffy (but still super thin like authentic neapolitan pizza) crust with a lot of nice blisters around the crust, and the edge is toasted (dark spots) but not rock hard. I know if I have high enough temperature I can toast the surface of the edge without overcooking the inside, but with home oven condition, what else can I do to achieve the dark spots without drying out the inside?

I'd try moving the stone and pizza down from the broiler.

It looks tasty.

 

[70chevelle]

Pizza looks great! How are you shaping your crust? If you are rolling it, it will come out crispy. (Cracker crust) A true VPN Neopolitan pizza only has flour water and yeast in the dough, along with certified San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozz and then dressed with basil and olive oil once it's taken from the oven. (Some say the olive oil should be poured in a backwards "6") Anyway, Neopolitan pizza is baked at 800-900 degrees for 60-90 seconds. Since you are cooking in your home oven, I'd add a touch (1-2%) of olive oil to your dough since it's cooking much longer and maybe increase your hydration a little. And, Handle your dough gently when your shaping. Good Luck!

 

[Andy M.]

it's dry and brittle...

This suggests to me that you are overcooking it.

 

[Hyperion]

Pizza looks great! How are you shaping your crust? If you are rolling it, it will come out crispy. (Cracker crust) A true VPN Neopolitan pizza only has flour water and yeast in the dough, along with certified San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozz and then dressed with basil and olive oil once it's taken from the oven. (Some say the olive oil should be poured in a backwards "6") Anyway, Neopolitan pizza is baked at 800-900 degrees for 60-90 seconds. Since you are cooking in your home oven, I'd add a touch (1-2%) of olive oil to your dough since it's cooking much longer and maybe increase your hydration a little. And, Handle your dough gently when your shaping. Good Luck!

yea, increasing hydration is probably the right way to go, though it'll make kneading a little harder lol. I shape it using only my hands, first press into a disk with my knuckles, then toss between two hands, finally stretch them with my knuckles with a couple of spins in the air.

 

[roadfix]

....... with a couple of spins in the air.

There's your problem...lol.... You're not supposed to spin Neapolitan dough.

I would experiment with hydration first before changing any other variable.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

BUT, I still don't like it. For one thing, I think the edge of the crust is too hard and it hurts my gum. Here's how I bake it: first heat the oven with pizza stone to 500 and wait for another 30 minutes. Slide in the pizza topped with only tomato sauce, and switch to broiling. after 3 minutes, I add the fresh mozzarella, and broil for another 2 minutes.
[/QUOTE]This is your prob I think, my oven reaches 600f and I use a stone on the top shelf, for my dough I use Italian import 00 and add milk like Selkie does. I load my pizza and slide onto the stone and shut the door quickly as I want the min of heat loss. I take it the broiler means the grill in the UK?

 

[Hyperion]

BUT, I still don't like it. For one thing, I think the edge of the crust is too hard and it hurts my gum. Here's how I bake it: first heat the oven with pizza stone to 500 and wait for another 30 minutes. Slide in the pizza topped with only tomato sauce, and switch to broiling. after 3 minutes, I add the fresh mozzarella, and broil for another 2 minutes.
This is your prob I think, my oven reaches 600f and I use a stone on the top shelf, for my dough I use Italian import 00 and add milk like Selkie does. I load my pizza and slide onto the stone and shut the door quickly as I want the min of heat loss. I take it the broiler means the grill in the UK?

broiler is the heat element on the roof of the oven. broiling = radiated heat, baking = convection heat
600? not fair