So I felt I needed a reward, and food rewards have always worked for me in the past. So why not cook up some brick oven pizza! Why did I need a reward? Because I completed the Memorial Day Murph. Its a workout that honors LT Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic efforts in Afghanistan. This was his favorite workout, so why not honor him by completing his favorite workout. Trust me, after you do this workout you will need food!
I used the Neapolitano pizza dough recipe from this book. The recipe is pretty simple and calls for caputo flour, yeast, salt, and water.
I put the flour into a large stainless steel bowl and make an indentation in the center.
Then I add the warm water with yeast, and the water with the salt to the indentation in the flour.
Now slowly start mixing it together with a wooden spoon, working from the center out.
Once the all the ingredients are mixed up its time to move it to the counter to start kneading it. Use some of the extra flour to keep it from sticking to your hands and the counter.
I usually spend about 12-15 minutes working the dough. I am going more for consistency than actual time kneading. I cannot explain the right consistency, but after doing this a few times I now know what it should feel like. Wow, that’s pretty vague.
Then I cut the dough into balls weighing about 9.5 ounces each using my food scale.
I then take the dough and knead it up to shape it into round balls and then place them into plastic containers that I coated with cooking spray.
After a few hours on the counter they are ready. You can also use this same technique and throw them in the fridge and they will be ready the next day.
While the dough is rising I start the fire in the pizza oven. Once its up to temp I start shaping the dough and adding toppings.
It takes about an hour to come up to temperature. I usually cook the pizzas in the 800-900 degree range. They cook in less than 2 minutes. I push the coals back, sweep it off with a brass bristled broom, and throw the pizza right in there.
Now you really need to stay close because at that temp you have to rotate the pizza every 15 seconds or so. Here it is crisping up nicely.
Keep an eye on it and keep moving it around or it will burn. Trust me on that. I have served up more than one really well done pizza.
Here is a shot of the finished product.
And here is a shot of another pie I cooked. Doesn’t that look good?
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) fresh cake yeast
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 7 1/4 cups Caputo flour, plus more for dusting
Instructions
- In a small bowl, using a fork, stir the yeast into 1 cup of the lukewarm water. Set aside until yeast dissolves.
- In another small bowl combine salt and remaining 1 cup of water. Stir to dissolve the salt.
- Place 7 cups of flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center of the flour and stir in the yeast and slat mixtures. Using a wooden spoon, mix the dough, incorporating as much flour as possible.
- Then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured kneading surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 12-15 minutes. It will still be a little sticky, but shouldn't stick to your hands. Add a minimum amount of the remaining flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
- To prepare the dough for rising cut the dough into even portions (about 5 or 6) each weighing about 9.5 ounces. Pick up one protion of dough and start folding the edges underneath toward the center to form a tight, smooth ball. Pinch to seal. Repeat with remaining dough balls. Place the dough in a plastic container or ziploc bag that has been coated with cooking spray. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bags or containers, leaving enough room for the dough to double in size.
- Let the dough rise in a cool area (60 degrees) for 6-8 hours, a warmer area for less time, or put them in the fridge for 10 to 24 hours to rise more slowly.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator at least one hour before using to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Take the dough out of the container and shape it on a lightly floured surface using only enough kneading to shape it as desired.
- Add toppings and cook.
I just discovered your website via Kristan at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. I have to tell you I’m insanely (or is it insanly?) INSANELY jeolous of your wood burning oven. I want one. I’d move next door and beg you to be my friend — only it means I’d actually have to packup 40 years worth of STUFF and get a moving van and drive 3,000 miles. *Sob.*
Thanks Marie. Packing up 40 years worth of stuff? It would be easier if you just built your own oven! there are much smaller pizza ovens that can be built, and even many pre-built units. I went a little over the top on mine. Its one of my bad habits.
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