Pizza Dough VS Bread Dough
When I find the difference it will explain a lot.
I have been frequenting "Jerry's Pizza" for over 30 years now. There is something that he does that I have spent at least 20 years (on and off, mostly off) trying to figure it out.
Here is the set up: The crust that Jerry makes tops out all other pizza. Hands down! If I were to compare other pizza doughs, I have to remove his from the picture because all other evaluations are simply flat lines. No, I am neither related nor selling his restaurant. However, if you are ever in Connecticut, he is located in Wesleyan land on rt 9 in the south end of Middletown.
He makes his own dough and I am starting to think he even grinds his own flour.
When you go there, order yours with just sauce and cheese. Be ready to enjoy that first taste as soon as it is delivered to the table. The aroma of the bread is what I recall the south end of Hartford would smell like on an Sunday morning when the the Moon Bakery was in full swing.
The dough carries that fresh out-of-the-oven bread scent. I tout his crust as being bread dough and not pizza dough. However, I can not explain why this happens as the ingredients are not all that dissimilar. He, apparently doesn't know how not to create it that way so I cannot figure out what he is doing directly from him.
I have tried many times to make my own bread and followed a lot of suggestions from many sources. I have used hand-made breads, purchasing fresh raw dough from the grocery store, and have made many breads using a bread machine.
I can not recreate it here at home. This means that he and the Moon Bakery have something in common. My breads and croissants are good, just do not have that powerful just-out-of-the-oven scent, taste, and texture. I now cook directly on a pizza stone and have tried many combinations of temperature, rising times, kneading, and baking times.
I am desperate and have been spoiled!
Is there a magical miracle chant or spell I should be using?