Sat Nov 18, 2023
6 Hour / hand-mix autolyse 62% hydrated emergency dough Rv Camping in the California desert
STORYTIME 9amWe stirred awake early, our minds set on tackling the dough we'd shrugged off the night before. But, surprise! Our RV water tanks were DRY, not a drop of water to be found. So, we shifted gears, prioritizing the hunt for water over our culinary ambitions. Under the unforgiving sun, we journeyed, returning triumphantly only around noon with water, propane, and a realization: time was not on our side.
Our initial recipe was now a relic of the past. We needed a new plan, especially with the sweltering heat and arid conditions working against us. We decided to push pizza time to the cooler hours of the evening, adding a touch of cold, darkness, and maybe even a breeze to our baking adventure.
With a balmy room temperature of 27°C/80°F, I fiddled with the calculator and came up with this new formula:
The goal was to ball the dough after 6 hours, betting on the high hydration to settle around <60%, while hoping for a friendly gluten mesh formed by a mix of autolyse, minimal kneading, and plenty of folding. And guess what? It worked like a charm!
The first hurdle was measuring the flour with nothing but paper bowls. Luckily, our ZaMatic recipe calculator came to the rescue with its handy increments:
*** 1/3 RECIPE *** FLOUR 668g WATER 414g SALT 16.6g YEAST 1.649gTECHNIQUE
- In the proofing box, we combined all the cold water and flour. The proofing hardly seals, but allows for long pull and folds;
- A gentle mix, then let it sit for an hour;
- Next, we activated the dry yeast with some lukewarm water and flour;
- Once the mixture bubbled, we spread it evenly over the dough;
- With clean, slightly damp hands, we vigorously mixed everything, ensuring no dry flour remained. It was a bit of a messy dance at first, but everything eventually came together in a cohesive mass;
- After fully incorporating the yeast, it was time for the salt, sprinkled in while we continued to work the dough into a smooth ball;
- Finally, we transferred the ball to a clean, slightly oiled proofing box to ferment, returning at regular intervals to stretch and fold.
Fast forward to 2 pm: our dough, now ready for fermentation, faced the challenge of the overly strong Italian 00 flour and an alarmingly high temperature. I performed folds four times between 2 and 6 pm. The dough felt warmer than my hands when I shaped the balls. By 7 pm, the oven was lit, and by 8 pm, we hit the perfect temperature. The dough balls, having rested just two hours, were surprisingly easy to handle and shape. They stretched into consistent, round shapes without snapping back.
I was concerned about the oven spring of the cornicione, fearing the yeast might have succumbed to the heat. But to our delight, the first pizza emerged with a puffy, lively crust. With Robert's help on the cooking front, we churned out 12 pies in under two hours – a remarkable feat fueled by luck and teamwork!
The toppings were a smorgasbord of flavors: Spicy Salami (or pepperoni), Crumbled and Roasted Chorizo (Veg), Mushrooms, Olives, Onions, Bell Peppers... Kudos to the crew for their prep work!
RECIPECLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS RECIPE ON ZaMatic!
*** FULL RECIPE ***
FLOUR 2006g 100%
WATER 1244g 62%
SALT 49.8g 2.5%
YEAST 4.952g 0.25%
*** YIELD ***
12 x 12.0" (30 cm) Pizzas
275 g dough ball
3300 g total mass
*** INFO ***
Salinity 40 g/L
Hydration 62%
Suggested W190
Room Temperature: 75 F (23.9 C)
Room Fermentation: 4 hours
Refrigerated Fermentation: 0 hours
Total Fermentation 4 hours