Crust browning

Pizza Shop Talk The Think Tank
1

Tom,

I am getting light crusts. The bottom is perfect and the cheese is browning perfectly. I am using 800 grams of flour, 500 grams of water. 1/2 tsp ADY, 1- 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp honey, 3 tbs whey, 3 tbs Malted Milk. 1 tsp olive oil, after a 5 hour poolish of 300 gram flour and water plus the 1/2 tsp ady and malted milk I add 1/2 IDY. Knead for 5 minutes and 48 hour cold ferment. I bake on a baking stone at 475 for the first 4 minutes and finish it on a higher rack in a 1-1/2 and 2 in. seasoned pans. The bottom is a perfect golden brown but the rim still to light.

What should I experiment with to increase the browning to match the bottom? Sugar? Tempature? Pan depth / type, bake time? Or all.

I am getting the same results with KASL and All TRumps and Guistos all high gluten flour.

MWTC

2

If you add more sugar, whey or anything else to help the browning of the crust you will certainly help the top of the pizza (edge) to color-up. but, at the same time you will also increase the bottom color, so that is not a viable option. Look at the following as things to try in your home oven:

  1. Bake on a higher rack in the oven.
  2. Bake at a slightly higherv(25 to 50F) higher temperature.
  3. Bake your pizzas in a pan with a lower side wall height, maybe a 1 or 1.5-inch deep pan.
    Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor
3

Thank-you Tom,

I’ll experiment tonight.

MWTC