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π Sourdough pizza, calzone, focaccia & more!
Published about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
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Sourdough calzone, pizza, and focaccia
This week, with the return of warm weather outside, I was eager to fire up my wood-fired oven and bake pizza, calzones, and focaccia.
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However, don't worry; if you don't have a wood-fired oven, all of these recipes can be prepared just as well in a home oven.
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I mean, look at this beauty right out of the oven:
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This dough is based on my Sourdough Pizza Dough, which has been available on the site for years. It's designed for home ovens, but it works well in high-temperature ovens, such as wood-fired or gas ovens, as it doesn't require olive oil, which is unnecessary given the shorter cooking times.
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Okay, read on for some pizza inspo!
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In this week's newsletter:
Recipes: Calzone, OG Sourdough Pizza Dough, Cornmeal Skillet Pizza, Focaccia
Reader's Baking Question: What is type 80, and why is my dough so sticky?
What I'm Watching and Reading: Why is Roman food everywhere? (Because it's delicious?!)
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π Sourdough Calzone
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There's nothing quite like a calzone: crispy and yet tender crust with gooey cheese (and meat, if you prefer) on the interior. They're not hard to make, and even easier to enjoy.
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While I made these in my wood-fired oven, I have instructions on how to make them in your home oven, too.
So I've made this in my wood-fired oven, but honestly, it's just as good in the home oven. Probably one of the easiest pizza recipes out there, using the pan makes it perfect for busy weeknights.
This is my first time making your My Best Sourdough Bread, and the dough was wetter than your photos. I withheld 125 grams of water when I doubled the recipe. It is in the oven now. So weβll see. I was using T80 French flour. Can you comment on how this might have impacted the hydration ratio? Thanks so much.
T80 French flour is going to behave differently from the typical US flours I use in my recipes. T80 (and Type 85, too) is what we'd call a "high-extraction" flour, with more bran and germ particles than typical US all-purpose or bread flour. Typically, this means the flour can tolerate a higher hydration level, but several factors come into play. My guess is your flour is lower in protein than many of the flours we use here in the USAβthis could mean you need to reduce the hydration to avoid a sticky, unworkable dough. β For your next bake with this flour, I'd suggest starting with about 10 to 15% lower hydration than the recipe calls for, then slowly adding more water during mixing if the dough can handle it. If you held back 125g, go up to 200g. Look for a dough that's tacky but still holds its shape. β The good news is that T80 usually produces bread with excellent flavor and a slightly darker crumb.
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Want to make bakery-quality sourdough bread from home? Subscribe for the best sourdough guides and recipes to take your bread from ordinary to incredible.
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