In my quest to learn and master different types of pizza dough, I’ve been reading about NJ Boardwalk Style pizza, which has a similar thin profile as NY style, but with a slightly crispier crust. But there’s another difference between the two, and it’s a big one: with a typical NJ style boardwalk the cheese goes on the pizza first, then the sauce, the reverse of how most pizzas are made. I could see how this would allow for a crispier crust as the cheese acts as a "barrier" between the dough and sauce, keeping the sauce from seeping into the dough and making it soggy. This is a great article on one of the iconic NJ style pizza joints:
https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/food/a22550621/new-jersey-boardwalk-pizza/
Here’s a video of a popular NJ Boardwalk pizza stand showing how they make their pies:
https://youtu.be/Bs4h5Gr_GKc
How about that sauce hose? :biggrin1:
I was intrigued by this pizza, especially with a slightly sturdier crust than NY style, and I could see that the cheese going on first might help contribute to that, so I decided to give it a go. I used the dough (but not the sauce, as I like my own) exactly in the recipe in this video:
https://youtu.be/1510UWVHYbU
While this recipe makes 4 dough balls, each for a 10-12 inch pizza, so given that my pies are usually 14-15 inches, I split the dough into 3 portions, instead of 4. The dough cold fermented in the fridge overnight, and easily doubled in size.
I found this to be the most pliable dough I’ve ever worked with, too pliable, actually, and most likely due to the high hydration of the dough recipe. So, I followed the directions in the video to roll it out first, then finish the stretch by hand. I put a pile of whole milk mozzarella, then dollops of my homemade sauce, then a bit of sausage and pepperoni. I decided on a stone temp of 625 in the Blackstone Oven.
Here’s how it looked out of the oven:
Sliced:
A couple of skinny slices with basil, ready to eat:
Underside of crust:
I really liked how this dough came out – it was firm, a bit chewy, and had good flavor. Adding the cheese first, then the sauce was a different “mouth feel” which I also liked as well. I think I will make another batch, but next time with 50/50 AP and Bread flour, and with a slightly lower hydration and see how it comes out. The pizza odyssey continues!
https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/food/a22550621/new-jersey-boardwalk-pizza/
Here’s a video of a popular NJ Boardwalk pizza stand showing how they make their pies:
https://youtu.be/Bs4h5Gr_GKc
How about that sauce hose? :biggrin1:
I was intrigued by this pizza, especially with a slightly sturdier crust than NY style, and I could see that the cheese going on first might help contribute to that, so I decided to give it a go. I used the dough (but not the sauce, as I like my own) exactly in the recipe in this video:
https://youtu.be/1510UWVHYbU
While this recipe makes 4 dough balls, each for a 10-12 inch pizza, so given that my pies are usually 14-15 inches, I split the dough into 3 portions, instead of 4. The dough cold fermented in the fridge overnight, and easily doubled in size.
I found this to be the most pliable dough I’ve ever worked with, too pliable, actually, and most likely due to the high hydration of the dough recipe. So, I followed the directions in the video to roll it out first, then finish the stretch by hand. I put a pile of whole milk mozzarella, then dollops of my homemade sauce, then a bit of sausage and pepperoni. I decided on a stone temp of 625 in the Blackstone Oven.
Here’s how it looked out of the oven:
Sliced:
A couple of skinny slices with basil, ready to eat:
Underside of crust:
I really liked how this dough came out – it was firm, a bit chewy, and had good flavor. Adding the cheese first, then the sauce was a different “mouth feel” which I also liked as well. I think I will make another batch, but next time with 50/50 AP and Bread flour, and with a slightly lower hydration and see how it comes out. The pizza odyssey continues!