OT: Best Pizza in CT
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storrsroars
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I've made Detroit style and pan pizzas with all purpose flour with no issues. "NY street style" recipes I've had success with use a combo of AP and bread flours. Neopolitans are a different story and pretty much require 00 flour.
Two major variables in flour are the grind ("00" is the finest) and the protein (gluten) level. For pizza making, here are some basic ranges:
00 flour = 8%-10% protein content
All purpose flour = 9%=11% protein content
Bread flour = 11%-13% protein content
If you want a stickier, chewier crust (higher gluten/protein), there are cheats regarding hydration, heat, and use of vital gluten where you can make a lower-protein flour act more like a higher protein one. If you've got a powerful blender, you can also toss your AP flour in there and perhaps get an even finer grind.
As far as the best crust I've made, I've used Chris Bianco's recipe using bread flour a number of times. I've never tried that with AP flour, but I imagine you could get close using AP flour with some vital gluten tossed in.
However, the simplest cheat I know of - and one I've used often - is TJ's refrigerated pizza dough. Let it come to room temp before you start working with it, and a pizza docker is very useful in getting it to a really thin crust (TJs dough comes in a 1 lb package which I'll separate into two balls, an 8 oz ball is capable of making a 13" inch thin crust pizza). When I'm using TJs, I'm usually using a pan in my convection oven, not a stone in the big oven. I oil the pan and will also drizzle some oil on the stretched out dough before adding sauce/cheese/toppings.
Two major variables in flour are the grind ("00" is the finest) and the protein (gluten) level. For pizza making, here are some basic ranges:
00 flour = 8%-10% protein content
All purpose flour = 9%=11% protein content
Bread flour = 11%-13% protein content
If you want a stickier, chewier crust (higher gluten/protein), there are cheats regarding hydration, heat, and use of vital gluten where you can make a lower-protein flour act more like a higher protein one. If you've got a powerful blender, you can also toss your AP flour in there and perhaps get an even finer grind.
As far as the best crust I've made, I've used Chris Bianco's recipe using bread flour a number of times. I've never tried that with AP flour, but I imagine you could get close using AP flour with some vital gluten tossed in.
However, the simplest cheat I know of - and one I've used often - is TJ's refrigerated pizza dough. Let it come to room temp before you start working with it, and a pizza docker is very useful in getting it to a really thin crust (TJs dough comes in a 1 lb package which I'll separate into two balls, an 8 oz ball is capable of making a 13" inch thin crust pizza). When I'm using TJs, I'm usually using a pan in my convection oven, not a stone in the big oven. I oil the pan and will also drizzle some oil on the stretched out dough before adding sauce/cheese/toppings.
I noticed a small drop in quality five years ago at Sally's and Pepe's, and larger drop in quality at Sally's two years ago. I'll never go to Sally's again especially with the prices they charge now. Modern and Zuppardis are still really really good, and are my favorites. Have not been to Buffalina yet, but hearing great things about that place.
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I knew your complaint about me linking to older music was just grasping at straws. Run DMC from 1986 is the newest of your most recents that include Jackson 5 (1973), Glen Frey (1984), and the Pointer Sisters (1983). Good for you.
ClutchSlurpy so OG on the Shoreline, eating New Haven apizza.
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Do you ship to the Hartford area?
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ClifSpliffy
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umm, this is 'the pizza thread,' so no response other than 'this is the pizza thread' is appropriate.
storrsroars
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I hope you meant 25# of flour and not 25# of vital gluten!
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Thx for illin', homie
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4 pounds gluten. Should last a long time
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The non pizza special wasn’t great. I’m a big potato fan in general so maybe it’s more me than the pie, but this was sort of like scalloped potatoes on a pizza, just a creaminess that was delicious.
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I have only been there once, but it is very clear that these people excel at what they do. It amazes me that so few people have heard of this place outside of the Boneyard and a local following.
.-.
I get wheat gluten from Hodgson's Mill
Vital Wheat Gluten
Professional bakers rely on Hodgson Mill Vital Wheat Gluten to give their yeast breads the highest rise, best shape and texture, and extended freshness.
8893
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Well I called them for more than a half hour yesterday from around 1:00 to 1:45 to try to place an order for last night and I never got through, so however many people know of them is clearly enough!
Thank God the Clam Castle is open now, so we had a great backup available.
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I have never met anyone from the Hartford area who even knows about Bufalina. I've tried lots of places throughout the state and Bufalina stacks up real well with the likes of Pepe's NH, Modern, Harry's Glastonbury, Little City (Avon, formerly Simsbury) and La Scarpetta on Old Lyme. Those would be my top 6.
8893
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You should put Zeneli and Zuppardi's on your list to try.
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I placed 125 calls to Cristy’s in Madison from 9, when they open, to 9:10 this morning before getting through. I used two phones. Had to get a real Mother’s Day brunch though.
It’s definitely easier to order out on weeknights, but it’s clear places in the suburbs just weren’t equipped for any meaningful to-go volume.
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8893
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If it’s any consolation, the current special is a rare miss imo. I was so psyched that they had ramps so I got just that and a salad to complement the dinner we already had planned, but the lemon totally overwhelmed it and eclipsed the ramps entirely. Wayyy too lemony. Two of my daughters liked it, but with the ricotta and burrata and all the roasted lemon taste it was not what I was looking forward to when I saw ramps on the pie.Bufalina message says no more orders for the evening, at 1 PM!
I also failed to notice until today that they have switched their seasonal menu. The cinghiale that was a special a few weeks ago is now a regular menu item, joined by an interesting meatball pie (with Sicilian meatballs) and ones with leeks and broccoli rabe that sound less interesting to me.
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Good to know on the special. I was leaning away from it, but was hoping to nab a soup container for lunch this week. Looking forward to trying the meatball the next time I can get in there.
Did you try the cinghiale? "tart cherries" scare me off a bit.
8893
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Yes. It was awesome. My whole family loved it. Like most of their pies--and unlike the current special--the balance of flavors is perfect on that one imo. The blistering mellows the tartness of the cherries a bit, the sweetness of the mache and the nuttiness of the fontina offsets them, and the wild boar adds just the right savory flavor to complement them all.
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i think someone in this thread mentioned Campions in S Windsor. but unfortunately like the Red Onion, they closed. then a few months back, a friend mentioned that Campions had become Buckland Bar & Grill. so on Sat since i was tired of being cooped up and hadn't had pizza since Xmas, i decided to try BBG after getting groceries at S&S next door. well, for my taste, BBG was terrific. right up there with Pepe's Manchester. i got their smaller 9" personal pie and ate all of it which i've never done before. so that's one recommendation. i'll probably have to go over my list again since i'm sure some of them have closed since i last posted.
storrsroars
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So I'm working on a Colony knockoff. Use an oiled pan, oil the stretched dough, slide off from pan during final couple minutes of baking and finish directly on rack.
Produced a very thin crust with integrity. Not quite the flavor profile yet, but getting closer.
I didn't have a ruler handy, but the crust thickness is slightly more than the edge of a quarter, but less than a quarter and dime together.
Produced a very thin crust with integrity. Not quite the flavor profile yet, but getting closer.
I didn't have a ruler handy, but the crust thickness is slightly more than the edge of a quarter, but less than a quarter and dime together.
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That looks really good, bravo.
8893
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Stingers?
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I'm impressed with the pie looks very good. Nice burnt edges on the pepperoni's too, nice. Also impressed with the Skippy's PB in the background, only way to go!
storrsroars
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Thanks! Still some adjustments to make... dough still a bit too chewy for bar pie style, but much better than when I started working on it last year.
That's my wife's pb. Now, can you identify the blurry bottle in the middle? I'm confident @HuskyHawk and @8893 can...
8893
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Lagavulin 16!
And I suspected that wasn’t your PB. I’m all about the all-natural super chunky, usually Teddie.
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Big fan of Colony so please let us know when you perfect the flavor profile.
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