The best pizza?

feralseppo

Billy Hamilton status
Feb 28, 2006
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Someone mentioned Lou Malnati’s about 17 years ago on page 1. Had it about 3 weeks ago when I was in Phoenix. I think it rivals if not better than Zachary’s in the Bay Area. D'amore's in Malibu is about as good as it gets for NY Style.
 

grapedrink

Duke status
May 21, 2011
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A Beach
Someone mentioned Lou Malnati’s about 17 years ago on page 1. Had it about 3 weeks ago when I was in Phoenix. I think it rivals if not better than Zachary’s in the Bay Area. D'amore's in Malibu is about as good as it gets for NY Style.
Is D'Amore the place that trucks in tap water from NYC? People forget that pizza dough is ~1/3 water. Water chemistry makes a big difference in terms of taste and how it cooks.
 

enframed

Tom Curren status
Apr 11, 2006
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Del Boca Vista, Phase III
Neopolitan can be great but IMO the crust on American style pizza dough is better. The touch of sugar and oil in the dough really goes a long way for texture and caramelization.

Pizza is only as good as it's crust. A pizza with an amazing crust but average sauce, cheese and toppings, assuming proper proportions, will still be a very good to excellent pizza. The reverse is not true. A pizza with amazing sauce but average crust will only be an average pizza.
Disagree about sugar in crust, I prefer none. Too much is totally distracting.

Sometimes I want fresh mozzarella, sometimes I want low-moisture mozzarella.
 

grapedrink

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May 21, 2011
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Disagree about sugar in crust, I prefer none. Too much is totally distracting.

Sometimes I want fresh mozzarella, sometimes I want low-moisture mozzarella.
I'm not talking enough sugar to taste sweet, just enough to help the crust brown up a touch. I do equal parts to yeast and salt. The oil is probably even more important for texture.

I do love the sauce on neopolitan pizza, basic but bright in flavor. A lot of pizza places are too heavy handed with tomato paste and/or oregano. Keep it simple.
 

kawika

Michael Peterson status
Mar 25, 2003
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Alaska/New Mexico/BCS, MX
If you're ever in PDX, get over to Brian Spangler's place Apizza Scholls. You will be stocked at what his crew is doing. By far the best, most consistent pizzas I've had. A kind of hybrid of the New Haven style apizza and the Napolitano. And like others have said, the crust is what matters most. Brian has been kind enough to share his dough formulations over the years over on the Pizzamaking forums (they have a pretty cool dough calculator tool, too). If you totally geek out on this stuff, check it out. I'm obsessed.

Where I live, there is not a single decent pizza joint within a 60 mile radius. I've had to pretty much learn how to do it myself at home. Started with a stone and a crappy electric convection oven that only ever got to about 550F. Not enough heat. I've tried the baking steel and mesh screens with some success. This past week the wife surprised my with an Ooni Fyra pizza oven. Reaches temps above 900F and cooks a pie in a minute. Excellent char and really produces a quality of crust that is top notch. Looking forward to the weekend to experiment some more with dough formulations and flour types.:cheers:
 

Swallow Tail

Billy Hamilton status
Oct 6, 2017
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Your Mom’s House
... being from NY, any local corner pizza place there will smoke everywhere else; especially the $30 Gucci pies here in CA.

here’s a big part of the reason why: the tap water chemistry- makes the dough a winner or a total looser. Pizza, bagels, beer - water chemistry is where it’s at
 

grapedrink

Duke status
May 21, 2011
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If you're ever in PDX, get over to Brian Spangler's place Apizza Scholls. You will be stocked at what his crew is doing. By far the best, most consistent pizzas I've had. A kind of hybrid of the New Haven style apizza and the Napolitano. And like others have said, the crust is what matters most. Brian has been kind enough to share his dough formulations over the years over on the Pizzamaking forums (they have a pretty cool dough calculator tool, too). If you totally geek out on this stuff, check it out. I'm obsessed.

Where I live, there is not a single decent pizza joint within a 60 mile radius. I've had to pretty much learn how to do it myself at home. Started with a stone and a crappy electric convection oven that only ever got to about 550F. Not enough heat. I've tried the baking steel and mesh screens with some success. This past week the wife surprised my with an Ooni Fyra pizza oven. Reaches temps above 900F and cooks a pie in a minute. Excellent char and really produces a quality of crust that is top notch. Looking forward to the weekend to experiment some more with dough formulations and flour types.:cheers:
Nice :cheers:

Interesting that he uses 100% bread flour. I do 2 cups AP flour, 1.25 C bread flour, 1.5 C water, and 2 t salt/sugar/oil/yeast. Works good for me :beer:

I have a gas pizza oven grill attachment but it only gets up 550ish. Still does the job. Usually dress the pizza on parchment paper, place on stone with paper, then slide the paper out. If the bottom gets too dark before the cheese melts I will slide the perforated pan unerneath :beer:
 

_____

Phil Edwards status
Sep 17, 2012
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I was camping in Sonoma a few years ago and a big group rolled in and some guy set up a weird contraption over the campfire of cinder blocks and stones, then started slinging pizzas for hours, invited us over, full pizza party. He said he was getting full on pizza oven hot (600? 900?). Maybe one of you scientists can figure this out but my pic sux. I think he was able to funnel hot air a specific way(?). It literally took like a minute to cook these things to bubbling hot woodfire style in that middle rack.

ca-pizza-smokes-ny-pizza.jpg
 

grapedrink

Duke status
May 21, 2011
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If it was literally a minute it was probably at least 900. 550-600 takes maybe 6-8 minutes.

There's something about the hot air circulation of a proper pizza oven, and whatever rig that guy had going, that makes it work. A traditional oven is simply not the same, even at a high temp.
 

feralseppo

Billy Hamilton status
Feb 28, 2006
1,469
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Is D'Amore the place that trucks in tap water from NYC? People forget that pizza dough is ~1/3 water. Water chemistry makes a big difference in terms of taste and how it cooks.
D’Amore’s claims to import everything from Italy, including the water.
 
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