Essegi 2015

Jamison · Jan 20, 2015

Essegi said:
Thanks! But really nothing special (i'm not too good making that kind of pizza). Speaking about heat... I'm not sure i'll be able to finish moruga powder before new peppers will be ready. It's so... Damn hot!

The method is interesting cause you just need a standard oven. Also some strong flour (manitoba is good here), though that time i used a barely medium flour... High water on flour (like 80-85) and a no knead method. Also no expensive gadgets. Just a blue iron baking tray (i don't have that but i'm buying it, in the mean while i use some standard baking tray). Seems that iron is better than alluminium for that. Dough ripe time 24 to 48hrs, on fridge, depending on flour.
Strechting dough is maybe the most difficult thing. Rolling pin is not possible with a so soft dough, also it depends when panielli (dough balls) are done.

For baking itself: precooking dough, with a bit of oil spread above to prevent drying, in lowest position (i mean on bottom with a grill on middle), for...10 minutes (it should be fine to precook 5-6 mins but then you need to cook on low position again).
That should help rising dough (not that i've achieved
Then top it and cook until ready in top position with grill if you want.
So cooking of toppings is faster and better (overcooking cheese imho it's just bad).

Following that thread (i hope gtranslate will do good, btw videos are without voice).
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&langpair=it%7Cen&rurl=translate.google.com&u=http://laconfraternitadellapizza.forumfree.it/%3Ft%3D69617704&usg=ALkJrhgjSpUIotQkVwrFVcXpb10onT3G0w

Yup the Google Translate is working enough for me to capisce! Thanks for the tips! You haven't had or grown a Scotch Bonnet before I read? I'd love to send you some MoA Scotch Bonnet seeds to grow so you can experience magic! Please PM me with your address.

BTW, how hard is it to find San Marzano tomato seeds by you. I've been looking for legit seeds for quite a while now.

Essegi · Jan 20, 2015

Replied to Jamison in PM.

Btw that post is for 3 new hooks, i checked 3 hours ago and now i went to water... Jay's Peach, Bhut Peach and Moruga Caramel!

Now i'm missing just Brain Strain and Chocolate Moruga!

EDIT: spotted a Brain Strain a bit later!
Waiting Chocolate Moruga!

Essegi · Jan 23, 2015

Although peppers aren't hurrying, today has been a good day: a chocolate moruga hook!
So i have at least one hook per type. Of course assuming i planted the right seeds in the right containers. Total 14 out of 69.

Also primo is starting the second round of leaves:

And some news about pizza...
Yesterday finally arrived the blue iron tray.. Was that a good thing? Yes but...
I could just heat it, clean, just oil it before using and live happy.
Of course i choose the hard way. Too bad it has been the freaking hardest way.
TL;DR

I explain: to use those trays it's a good idea to burn them with oil. I didn't found exact instructions on how to make that, also some info are discordant. So i proceded with a method and seemed fine. Oil the tray, put on oven for 4-5 min at 200-220 (when it starts to smoke), remove and clean. Repeat twice.Well, i failed the clean way because i used too much oil (just a bit but was alreafy too much). It was a bit sticky and impossible to clean with paper or clean rags... I lost some time then in proceede with the process... Obvious epic fail. Cleaning it has been hell on earth: tried to heat at 180°C for 5 hours as adviced, no good... Tried with baking soda, salt and water for 1 hour... No good. Tried to scrape without ruining.. Too hassle, and by a mile. Oh, i tried on a tiny spot if Trichloroethylene works and i didn't (well, not that i had used it anyway). Tried again baking soda, salt and water, heaten it, left overnight without heat... Nothing. I used twice a product specific for scrape off dirt on oven... With that the oil crust became a bit softer... I scraped it off with a spatula, but not all... Btw. i heaten again the tray, remade the processi with just a tiny bit of oil... Repeat 3 times...

Now it looks horrible but it works and doesn't seem ruined.
I tried a pizza and it sticked just a bit so it's useable.
And cooking quality?
Improved! Now it's a bit crunchy and not hard by any means, bottom is darker (before it was too anemic), airiness more regular in spite of doing really a bad job at stretchigh the dough...

Damn! So much time lost to use that tray and i can't even complain!

For pizza in teglia iron is the way!

PaulG · Jan 23, 2015

All right, starting to show true leaves! Off to the races, Giancarlo!

Pr0digal_son · Jan 24, 2015

In bocca al lupo!

Jamison · Jan 24, 2015

Damn, sounds like a rough time! Glad everything is ok. Good job with the seeds!

Essegi · Feb 3, 2015

Thanks to Jamison that sent me some seeds, now i'm starting 10 of Moa and Bahamian Goat and 6 of Caramel Moruga.

Now i'm soaking them in a solution of 0,3% of hydrogen peroxyde...

At the moment i've had very bad germ rates, 19 out of 59.

Btw i'm ok with that, i'll discard what is still not born to make room.
So for Jamison seeds i'll try something different, i'll use 2 parts of topsoil, 1 of peat moss and 1 of perlite. And a lot more of care like watering only from bottom. Unfortunately i haven't found vermiculite.

Also some basil:

Also i must plant capers.

Devv · Feb 4, 2015

Your garden is off to a great start!

I use a pizza stone to cook pizza, we just love it

PaulG · Feb 5, 2015

It looks like you have a start in almost every cup - that's good!

Good luck with the B Goats, MoA and Morugas!

Jamison · Feb 7, 2015

Thanks a ton Giancarlo! I really appreciate your efforts. Wifey is extremely happy as well!

Essegi · Feb 13, 2015

Hope they germinates well!
Btw you seeds have started something! After 8days+2soaking i have 1 bahaminan goat and 1 moa sprouted and a bahamian goat hook!

I have gifted all double plants and now i have one each + Jamison ones.

Here's some stuff:

Plants are growing faster than last year and seems more green (with that light they seems less green than reality).

3 plants are having iusses:
Caramel moruga

Small and a bit yellow.

Yellow moruga: as caramel moruga but is bigger.
I suppose that will adjust...

That one is maybe the most worrisome:

Peach Bhut: the most green but leaves are bad...
Some ideas?
Other Peach Bhut i had, now gifted, was exactly the same, dark green with folded leaves...

There's other action:
Basil:

Tomatoes: some San Marzano Lungo

Those has been planted monday and has nearly germinated all...
Probably tomorrow i'll buy some Roma seeds and plant them.

Other Jamison seeds, 1 tray of parsley and 2 of capers. About capers i saw that seeds are for sale on some stores.

Also a full tray of parsley:

And about pizza maybe in next week oven will be ready... In the meantime i'll knead some dough with emmer wheat (trictum dicoccum, typical italian type of hulled wheat) and some whole wheat.
Hulled wheat (farro) is interesting, i've read that it satiates more and has less fat than normal wheat. And some really skilled guys uses it so it must have some good points. Of course being a less productive plant it costs more. It's old and it seems that it was the base of roman legions food, so it's cool too.

update: an hook also of Caramel Moruga (Jamison)

Spicegeist · Feb 13, 2015

I've had peach bhut issues in the past too. They're just problematic until they get bigger. Jay's peach scorp were also difficult when young. The leaves on my plants would just get too big and floppy... they outgrew that eventually.

Essegi · Feb 14, 2015

Thanks Charles, that's good to know! Some Jay's Peach and Red leaves have some minor folding, but nothing problematic and are a tad bigger. I hope all will solve on repot.

Essegi · Feb 15, 2015

Other hooks/sprouts!
At the moment i have 2 plants each (2 Bahamian Goat, 2 MoA, 2 Caramel Moruga) from Jamison seeds!

Also, i bought some Roma seeds and some have been planted.

In parsley trays that has sprouted:

I'm not sure that this is parsley since seed seem different and just one of about 200 seeds...

Oh, also made the pizza with emmer/whole wheat, good!

EDIT: another of MoA and Moruga Caramel, 8 total from J.

RI-EDIT: other 3 tonight, 11 total now also some parsley that seems definitely different compared to above pic!

Jeff H · Feb 16, 2015

Plants are looking good Essegi.

So do tell a little more about this blue iron tray for your pizza. Is that just a iron cooking stone or something different? Got pics?

stickman · Feb 16, 2015

Nice work Giancarlo! I'm lovin' all that new green and the foodie pics! If you've never tried the MoA Scotch Bonnets, you're gonna love them! They're the perfect accompaniment to tropical fruit. I am officially jealous of your success in germinating Parsley... Here, the saying goes that Parsley goes to the Devil three times before it finally sprouts, and that's certainly been my experience. Keep up the great work!

Essegi · Feb 16, 2015

Jeff H said:
Plants are looking good Essegi.

So do tell a little more about this blue iron tray for your pizza. Is that just a iron cooking stone or something different? Got pics?

My main reason was to discard nonstick tray because with high temps (like > 230°C, wich i intend to use) can be harmful (coating contaminates food).
Mine on iron is exactly that, 40*30: http://shop.paderno.it/en/products/cooks-tools/utensils/baking-trays/baking-sheet-rectangular/41745100.html
I treated it doing a mess and looks horrible (i'll post a photo, on that seems that some producers and some users doesn't agree. For sure in general they need to be "cooked" alone before the first use to remove some oil). But with spreading a bit of oil pizza doesn't stick and cooks well.
Btw all guys on the pizza forum i am advice for that kind of tray (for that type of pizza), in the end it's just a cooking tray.

stickman said:
Nice work Giancarlo! I'm lovin' all that new green and the foodie pics! If you've never tried the MoA Scotch Bonnets, you're gonna love them! They're the perfect accompaniment to tropical fruit. I am officially jealous of your success in germinating Parsley... Here, the saying goes that Parsley goes to the Devil three times before it finally sprouts, and that's certainly been my experience. Keep up the great work!

Thanks Rick! Considering other are superhots, i really want MoA and Bahamian Goat.

About parsley the fun fact is that are germinated seed with leftover soil of not germinated peppers... That has been washed for watering... So soil should be worse than others...
Tonight i'll check better other tray (those ones with "fresh" soil and perlite).

Essegi · Feb 16, 2015

Some photos:
The tray:

Believe it or not, with some oil pizza doesn't attach at all and cooks fine.

Parsley:

Oh, and still nothing on other trays, where soil should be better. To think that i put here seeds just to not throw them away, they were too much but soaked and i had that leftover soil...

tsurrie · Feb 16, 2015

I have one similar tray for baking, it needs a little oil or just flour, and you're ok... well your's maybe looks just a bit tougher

damn man, that pics just reminded me I have to plant some parsley, all I did beside peppers recently was sweet basil

PaulG · Feb 17, 2015

All your seeds are germinating nicely, Giancarlo!
You should have quite a garden this year!