Last Friday, I got the chance to meet with Brian O’Reilly, brewmaster of Sly Fox Brewery, a brewery staple in the southeast Pennsylvania craft beer scene. [...]

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New developments in the Great Pizza Dough Experiment! I made the dough using recipe version 1.1, which I outlined in my last post. It was a major improvement upon version 1.0, but I still want to do some tweaking.

First of all, greatly reducing the water in the recipe worked like a charm. The dough was much stronger and did not stretch out of my control. I was able to shape it using the method I outlined in version 1.0 without a problem.

Additionally, I bought a pizza peel, which was so much easier to use than the back of a rimmed baking sheet like I had done before. I dusted the peel with corn meal before placing the dough on top, and it worked perfectly. The fully topped pizza slid off the peel with ease onto the pre-heated pizza stone. And because I pre-heated my oven to the hottest temperature it would go (550° F), the crust baked up beautifully in about 6 minutes.

The crust was strong enough to be able to hold a slice with one hand, which was awesome. It had a nice flavor and the right amount of chewiness. Tim said it was the best pizza I had ever made. I was generally pleased!

But it’s still not perfect. I haven’t been getting a very good rise out the method I’ve been using. In fact, the dough hardly seems to rise at all. I’ve been using the same process that I outlined for version 1.0, but to sum it up — I combine the ingredients in the stand mixer bowl, mix, knead, coat in oil, cover with plastic wrap, immediately place in the refrigerator, and use the dough the next day.

Now, the weak rise could be caused by a couple things. Perhaps the ingredient ratios in my recipe are just not conducive to retarded dough (I’m not being rude; retarded dough is dough that has been refrigerated during fermentation). Or maybe my yeast was just past its prime.

For version 1.2, I’m going to do an experiment to see which of these two possibilities are causing the weak rise. I will mix one batch of dough using brand new yeast and split it in two. One half will go in the refrigerator, just like before. If this half of the dough rises nicely, then I’ll know it was just old, inactive yeast.

The other half I will leave to rise at room temperature. I’ll shape and make the pizza when the dough has doubled in size, which I’m guessing it will take around four hours.

Now, normally after the dough has risen, I split the dough into four pieces since I like to make my pizzas on the small side. So to add another element to this experiment, I’ll split the room-temperature-risen dough into two pieces on the day I make it. One piece will be used to make the pizza right away, the other half will be placed in the refrigerator to be used the next day. This is just so I can see how well the room-temperature-risen dough performs the next day after refrigeration.

I also want to tweak the flavor slightly. I felt the dough was just a little bit too salty and not quite sweet enough. Now, salt over 1% and sugar over 5% can both slow fermentation. So I’m hoping that if I reduce the salt and increase the sugar, the effects of both on fermentation will balance each other out and not affect the results of my refrigerated vs. room temperature proofing experiment.

Okay! So, here’s a summary of the changes I’m making:

I’m kind of loving eating pizza for dinner most days of the week. So I’ll probably post the results relatively soon!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I am not a fan of aging beer. So, why another vertical tasting article? I suppose you could say I’m… vertical-curious. [...]

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I am on a pizza crusade.

I decided this… 5 minutes ago.

I’ve written a few things about pizza in the past. First about grilling pizza, then a recipe for pizza dough. More recently, I wrote an article about pairing beer and pizza for RateBeer’s Hop Press.

The dough recipe that I wrote about was from Fine Cooking, and in the past it’s worked pretty well for me. But recently, I’ve been having trouble getting the texture of the dough right, and it’s been… frustrating.

The last couple of times, the dough was way too soft and would quickly stretch to the point of tearing. I ended up having to skip the pizza stone since the dough wasn’t strong enough to be shimmied onto it full of toppings. So, I gently stretched the dough directly on a baking sheet, topped it, stuck it in the oven, and ate my somewhat floppy (yet still tasty) pizza.

I decided to search for some pizza dough troubleshooting online, and I happened across a site called Encyclopizza. Not an incredibly attractive site, but incredibly informative nonetheless!

It turns out that the Fine Cooking recipe I had been using had way too much water in it. Typically, the amount of water used is between 48-58% the weight of the flour. For 1 lb of flour, this equates to 7.4-8.9 oz of water. I was using 11 oz. Yeesh!

Plus, when using a flour that has a protein level less than 14%, you need to use even less water to achieve the proper elasticity. I discovered that the bread flour I was using (King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour) only has a protein level of 12.7%. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I just should have compensated by using less water.

In addition, the Fine Cooking recipe calls for 1 ¼ tsp instant yeast. I glossed over the word “instant” and assumed that my active dry yeast would be equivalent. Not the case. Most of the recipes from Encyclopizza call for 2 ½ active dry yeast. No wonder I wasn’t getting enough rise out of my dough!

Also, I was making thinner crust pizzas, which can be difficult if the dough is too rich. Rich dough is higher in oil and sugar than lean dough. A rich dough is sweeter and more tender, but a lean dough is stronger, which is better for a thin crust.

A lean dough typically uses oil in the amount of 0.5-3% the weight of the flour. This is equivalent to about ½ tsp-1 tbsp for 1 lb of flour. A rich dough would be 4-15%, or 1 ½-5 ½ tbsp. I was using 1 ½ tbsp, which is in the lowest end of the rich range. Not terrible, but probably not optimal.

As far as the sugar content, typically sugar is used in the amount of 0-5% the weight of the flour, which is 1 tbsp or less of honey. The Fine Cooking recipe was in this range, but I wanted the dough to be a bit sweeter than it was. Plus, sugar actually speeds up the rate of fermentation as it approaches 5% by weight, though beyond that, it begins to slow it down.

The only part of the recipe I didn’t feel the need to change was the salt. Salt also slows down fermentation when more than 1% is used, but it’s also necessary for improving the flavor of the dough. The typical range is 1-2% the weight of the flour. The Fine Cooking recipe was 2%, so I found no need to change that.

So, after all these considerations, this is what I came up with (percentages indicate the percent by weight of the ingredient compared to the weight of the flour):

I have high hopes for this tweaked recipe and can’t wait to test it out. Stay tuned for the results!

The first time I ever tasted a chile beer was in Denver at Wynkoop Brewing Company — Patty’s Chile Beer. Smooth and spicy, with a wonderful slow burn that made me want more, sip after sip… After tasting this, I knew I had to brew a chile ale at home. [...]

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Last month, I wrote up an introduction to the basics of beer and food pairing, detailing four simple rules to get pairing newbies started. Methinks it’s time to dig a little deeper. [...]

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When I saw the tamales article in the last December/January issue of Fine Cooking, my first thought was, “Okay, I have to try this.” I’ve always loved tamales, and the sheer length of the directions intrigued me.

Tamales are made all over Latin America in various forms. Generally, they’re made with a corn-based dough, stuffed, wrapped, and steamed.

When I think of tamales, I think of Mexico, where tamales are often eaten on special occasions like Christmas, El Día de los Muertos, and Mexican Independence Day. The version of tamales in this article is in the Mexican style – masa (corn dough), stuffed with pork and chile sauce, wrapped in corn husks, and steamed.

Sounds delicious, right? That’s why I decided to unload a big batch of tamales on my family for Christmas this year since they keep well in the refrigerator for several days (or in the freezer for a few months).

The ingredient list for the pork filling, chile sauce, and masa is quite long, but don’t let that intimidate you! The majority of ingredients is just seasoning, and actually, I already had most of it in my pantry.

But I did have to order a few of the ingredients online. I was able to get the guajillo and ancho chiles, the masa harina, and the corn husks from MexGrocer.com. (Good prices and quick shipping; I’d recommend them.)

Masa harina

Guajillo and ancho chiles

The tamale-making process is pretty lengthy, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make them. Instead of roasting the pork shoulder in the oven, I saved myself some trouble by cooking it in a crockpot until it was cooked through and falling apart. Just place all of the pork filling ingredients in the crockpot and wait it out. When the meat is tender, remove it and let it cool briefly before pulling it. Strain the broth, let it cool, skim off the excess fat, and set it aside. I did all this a day ahead of time.

Shredded pork shoulder

You can also make the chile sauce ahead of time. For this, first soak the dried chiles in hot water for about 15 minutes, then drain them. Sauté one chopped onion and two-heads-worth of peeled garlic cloves in a little oil until lightly browned. Add the onions, garlic, chiles, puréed tomatoes, and a little of the reserved broth to a food processor and purée until smooth.

Cook 1 tbsp masa harina in ½ tbsp of oil for about a minute. Add the puréed chile mixture to the pan and cook for a few minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the chile sauce to the pan, along with enough of the pork broth to thin it to sauce consistency, and simmer for about 15-20  minutes.

The chile sauce

The final components to the tamales are the masa and the corn husks. The corn husks need to be soaked beforehand, either in hot water for 30-45 minutes or in cold water overnight. For the masa, start by mixing the masa harina with hot water, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to two days.

The masa, before being whipped

On the day that you assemble the tamales, you have to whip the masa with fat. I chose to use butter. Start by whipping the butter until it’s fluffy, then add salt. While beating, add the masa to the mixer in golf-ball-size chunks until about half of the masa has been added. Then alternate adding chunks of masa with 2 cups of the pork broth. Finally, add ¼ cup of the chile sauce and continue to whip until it’s light and fluffy.

Whipping the masa

To make sure the masa is fluffy enough, drop a small piece of the dough into a cup of cold water. If it doesn’t float easily, continue to whip the masa for a few more minutes and repeat the test.

The final step before assembly is to mix the shredded pork with 2 cups of the chile sauce for the filling. Now you’re ready to assemble the tamales.

Take one soaked husk, wipe away the excess water, and place it on a work surface. Spread about 1/3 cup of masa evenly over about half of the husk on the widest portion, leaving a ½-inch border on the edges. Put 2-3 tbsp of the filling in the center of the masa.

Spread the masa and the filling on the corn husk

Fold the husk in half lengthwise.

The first fold (from left to right)

Fold the seam back the opposite way.

The second fold (from right to left)

Fold the tail of the husk up to cover the seam, making sure it reaches at least halfway up the tamale.

The final fold

To make the tamale more secure, rip a long, thin strip of corn husk and tie it around the tamale to secure the tail underneath. Repeat these steps until all of the masa and filling are gone.

Assemble tamales, before steaming

Once all of the tamales are assembled, it’s time to steam them. For this, you’ll want to use a deep 8-quart pot with a pasta insert. Fill the pot with water, up to just below the insert, and boil. Arrange the tamales in the insert with the open end upwards, leaving enough room in between for steam to circulate. Cover the top of the tamales with extra corn husks. Place the insert over the boiling water, cover with the pot lid, and steam for 1-1 ½ hours. You’ll have to adjust the heat so that the water is only just boiling, and frequently add more water to the pot so it doesn’t go dry.

Arrange the tamales in the pasta insert

To check if the tamales are done, remove one from the pot and let it cool for a few minutes. If the masa is set and easily pulls away from the wrapper, the tamales are done. Remove them from the pot, let them rest for 5-10 minutes, and serve them in the husks with the remaining chile sauce.

Mmm, tamales...

To give these as gifts, place the cooled tamales in a large freezer bag and either refrigerate or freeze them. You can pack them in a styrofoam cooler if you like, or just give them as is. The Fine Cooking article suggests steaming the tamales to reheat them, but I found that microwaving them does the job just fine.

Tamales are a lot of work, but so worth it in the end. The flavor of the filling in this recipe is just fantastic, and the recipients of your tamale gift will be impressed. Alternatively, you can just be greedy and eat them all yourself. I wouldn’t blame you!

I mean it when I say it’s hidden… I lived 2.5 miles from TJ’s for about a year before I realized it even existed. TJ’s Restaurant & Drinkery is tucked away in a small shopping center set away from the road, near the Paoli train station on the Main Line. I discovered TJ’s online before I ever even noticed that it was across the street from my grocery store! [...]

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