Grill Top Pizza Oven – #2

On 4/8, I used my grill top pizza oven for the 1st time. If you recall from my posting at that time, I used Publix dough since I couldn’t make my own.  Although it was a very good pizza, it was not the elusive “GREAT”.   I felt that I could do much better with my own dough.

So, on 4/15, we had a chance to use the grill top pizza oven again.  We had our friends over.  It was their 2nd time for “Vitamin P Friday”, so I’m guessing, they like the pizza and/or Cathy, since I doubted they came to visit me!. 

A quick aside…why is it called Vitamin P Friday? It goes back to after my heart surgery. I gave up so many foods initiatially, including pizza. I realized that some of those foods provided LIFE for me. So, I coined the term Vitamin P Friday because PIZZA IS VITAL for ME!

On this occasion, I was able to make my own dough.  Here’s my recipe and some notes:

Dough Date	Mixer	Flour Type(s)	Brand	Flour Amt	Water Amt	Dough Weight	# Dough Balls	Weight/ball	Notes
4/13/22	By Hand	Bread + All Purpose	Publix	5c `600g + 1c = 720g	2.25c ~636g = 88% hydration	1362g	5	272.4g	Likely added about an extra cup of flour during needing to improve workability – it was too wet otherwise (shown in calculation)

First off, the grill top pizza oven reached temperatures over 700F this time.  I’m unsure why the temps were so much higher on this bake than on 4/8 (700F vs 550F).  It might’ve been the high humidity/air temp we had. 

My dough also needed extra flour to reduce the dough’s moisture, and improve its kneed-ability too.  So, my guess it was due to the high humidity/air temps.

But, oven temps in the 700F range bode well for a Neapolitan pizza bake.

After two days in the refrigerator, I took the dough out and worked into 5 smaller balls, floured, and set out on the counter for final proofing.  After a few hours, I started to work the dough balls into pizza rounds.  The dough was very airy and easily workable. 

Additionally, I made hand crushed San Marzano sauce with only a little sugar and oregano.

Between the oven and its temps, the dough, and simple sauce, it was likely the best pizza that I’ve ever made.  When I cook, I make sure that I have at least one slice from every pizza of that baking series.  I enjoyed them all very much.  And judging by our friends, they did too since Bob kept up with me bite for bite!

Date	Dough	Sauce	Rating	# Made	Pizza style	Notes
4/15/22	4/13/22	Simple – Cento San Marzano, hand crushed, oregano, sugar	GREAT!	5	Neapolitan	5th pizza was GREAT.  Charred bottom, great puff of the cornicione, very thin & soft in the middle, cheese baked well, and pepperoni (Boar’s Head)

I continue to be impressed with this inexpensive grill top pizza oven.