I used AP with about 2% gluten added, plus a little (about 5% of total dough weight) sourdough discard. I was hoping the discard would make up for the short ferment but it wasn’t enough to add much flavor. I’ve heard great things about LDMP, I’ll have to pick some up and give it a try!
For those of you using a regular household oven, do you bake your pizzas with the convection fan on or off?
On, at 550F, the hottest this oven will go.
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Okay, thank you!
I should have said a little more: I read that the convection setting allows a 25% reduction in cooking temperature, and in fact the oven automatically reduces cooking temperature when using convection. I reset it manually, so I figure that it’s the equivalent of a 25% boost in temperature. So, 550F with the fan becomes closer to 675F. Can anyone check me on this?
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I think it mostly has to do with improved air circulation for more even cooking and faster evaporation. The actual temperature is the same.
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I always understood convection to have the effect on baked goods of the equivalent of baking 25 degrees F hotter, not a percentage. I treat 375 convection on like it’s 400 without convection.
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Ah, so it’s 575F with the fan. Every degree counts, though!
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A local bakery, Artisan Bakery in London, Ontario, sells their sourdough pizza dough. This was my first time using it. I liked it.
My DC mentioned they like my yeast pizza crust using a slow rise more, which was a compliment.
I used Rao’s Margherita sauce, which we liked.
I preheated the metal pizza pan in the oven.
This pizza was baked at 450 F without convection for 13 minutes, with 450 F convection for 2 minutes, convection broiled at 475 F for 2 minutes. The very centre was a little wet/ underdone. I’ll use a higher temp with the convection on the whole time, next time.
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I’m with @ernie_in_berkeley: as hot as you can get the sucka. I preheat my convection oven on max (with stone) for an hour before cooking the pizza.
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No one can really tell you what’s going to be optimal for your dough formulation, process, sauce, cheese, toppings, oven, your stone or steel, rack placement, your oven’s heat source (top and/or bottom) your desired pizza style and your palate. it’s going to take a lot of experimentation to dial in what works for you.
In the meantime, I’d suggest purchasing an infrared temp gun
any oven capable of 525-550F is capable of making great pizza. If you’re looking for higher temps, which may or may not be preferable, many electric ovens have a calibration setting which allows one to achieve higher temps. Having said that, many nyc pizza ovens, during lunch hours, run at 525F or less due to deck recovery time, yet the pizza is still consistently great.
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pizza looks great! would you mind posting a photo of the pizza pan?
you might consider cooking the mushrooms in a sheet pan with a little kosher salt and evoo while the oven preheats, looks like they may be dropping water onto your pie.
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It’s an old school pan that’s essentially a cookie sheet. I think we’ve had it since the 70s. Needs a scour.
I kept the parchment under the pizza tonight to transfer the pizza easily. I don’t have a big spatula that would lift the whole pizza onto the pan.
Thanks for the tips!
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Today’s pepperoni, bacon and mushroom pizza using sourdough pizza dough that had been in the fridge. The label said to let it rise 15 minutes outside the fridge. I shaped the pizza and let it rise 15 minutes or so as the oven was preheating. The dough might have benefited from 15 minutes rest at room temp before shaping and then another 15 minute rise, or maybe shaping and a 30 minute rise after that.
I stretched the dough thinner today. Decided to place most of the cheese on the dough first, then dabs of Rao’s pizza sauce on the cheese, then very thinly sliced mushrooms and crumbled bacon, topped with a little more cheese, then the cup and char pepperoni and oregano.
450⁰ F Convection on for 15 minutes. I didn’t go higher because the dough came with a label suggesting 450.
I liked the crust. It has a good amount of chew and some crispy parts, although it was a little raw/ wet/ not risen at the centre. Still crispy on the bottom.
I’ll try a hotter oven next time when I make my own dough.
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Yeah, this is a lie from the manufacturer. IMO fridge-cold dough needs at least 30 mins to come up to room temp before you even try to shape it, sometimes closer to an hour depending on hydration level.
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For what it’s worth, it’s a cute local bakery that printed the label, not a behemoth manufacturing plant. 
My dough was packaged in a plastic bag secured with a little tape, with instructions to use the dough within 48 hours of purchase. That deadline is why we had pizza for lunch today. LOL.
I catch your drift, and will let it rest longer next time I buy dough, before shaping.
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Don’t mean to just “jump” in, but I really like this dough recipe and technique. I use it for a variety of items – not just pizza. Works Every Time!!
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Thanks, Dan! I will give it a try next time.
Here are the 2 dough recipes I have liked the most, so far. I didn’t start making pizza at home until 2020.
Here are a few photos of my first pizzas in June 2020. Lol.
What's For Dinner #58 - the Uncertain Certain Summertime Edition -June 2020 - #724 by Phoenikia.
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I try to take it out of the fridge a few hours before shaping.
that’s a pretty good video and the pizza looks delicious. he gets a lot of basics correct. I think he needs to:
- use baker percentages
- weigh the ingredients
- edge stretch
- rotate the pizza after 3-4 minutes
- -see if he can get a pizza shop to sell him grande cheese
there’s some other nits and nats but one could do a lot worse.
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