Introduction - Kalamazoo OL-APO User Manual

INTRODUCTION

:
Thank you for choosing a Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Artisan Pizza Oven. We are confident
that this fantastic oven will enhance your outdoor entertainment experience for years to come.
Whether you prefer the more traditional toppings or the gourmet variety, there is a pizza for
everyone. Making pizza is not difficult but it does require some patience and a willingness to
experiment. There are three spheres of influence that define pizza: Naples of Italy, New York,
and Chicago. Naples is the birthplace of pizza but one cannot deny the influences of the other
two famous cities.
Italy: Naples is famous for simple pizzas made with a few fresh vegetables and herbs on a
thin crust, served as a snack. Pizza Napolitano is famous for its specific dough and ingredients
and best defines pizza from Naples. Fewer ingredients and a thinner crust allows for hotter and
faster baking (usually in less than two minutes at 750 to 900 degrees). Italian thin crust pizzas
are usually smaller in diameter as well. The official pizza is made specifically to standards set
by the Italian government. For example, the flour for the crust is specifically defined under law
as Caputo Tipo 00. It is fair to say the Italians take their pizza seriously.
New York City: Pizza in New York originates from Italian Americans, but New Yorkers always
do it their own way. Most New York pizzerias use hot temperatures (from 500 degrees to 700
degrees) but a range of different ingredients and styles in cooking these pies. The crusts can
vary from paper thin to triple thick, but they are not the deep dish that is associated with
Chicago. The thicker the crust and the more ingredients on the pie, the lower the temperature
to allow for a slower baking process. A good compromise for a New York style thin crust pizza
is about 550 degrees, and you can vary this depending on the thickness of your dough and the
arrangement of the toppings. Precooking vegetables and meats will also help manage the
timing. However, while it is not necessary to precook all the ingredients, due to the design of
the pizza oven hood, it does help to cut down on the moisture and grease on the pizza.
Chicago Style: This is an American creation from the Midwest and one of the most famous
pizzas in the world. This is thick, heavy-duty pizza that varies greatly within the deep-dish
world from flakey pastry type dough to chewy, thick and crispy dough. The cooking style of
this pizza is due to its thick crust and deep levels of cheese and other ingredients. It is baked
in a deep-dish pan, usually on the lower side of the temperature range, from 350 to 450
degrees. This technique is closer to baking a pie than the fast high temperature baking
associated with thinner crust pizzas. A good oven is even more important for this pizza in
order to allow the top of the pizza to become fully cooked, while the bottom is baking on the
stone. If this process does not happen evenly the results are less than appealing. Raw dough
in the middle, with a well done bottom and a burned top can often be the result of trying to
cook a deep dish pizza at home in a standard oven.
These are the basic spheres of influence to get you traveling into the world of pizza making.
There are so many possibilities with this wonderful dish that the sky is the limit. We suggest
you familiarize yourself with the tools and accessories of the pizza-making trade (see page
26), and keep experimenting with different ingredients and crusts. Don't be afraid to take some
risks—sometimes accidents are the best opportunities for discovery. Feel free to call or email
us to share some recipes or simply ask questions. We truly look forward to hearing from you.
4
Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet 1.800.868.1699 www.KalamazooGourmet.com
™