Hello from Global Signals HQ. I was curious about when I started writing these posts so I looked back on the origins and discovered that the first-ever Signals story was published on May 7th, 2008. (By the way, only two of the original links in that story still work.) Coggins is out here celebrating 5 years of The Contender, and I’ve got rubrics with their driver’s licenses.
I. Pizza Making 201
If you follow me on IG you might notice I make a lot of pizza in our outdoor Ooni oven. These posts lead to a lot of questions from people, and typically, I just send this story about pizza making that I published a few years ago. I thought it was a good time to update you all on some things I have learned since I published that piece.
Updated Intel
I Love the Dough, More Than You Know. Making dough is generally always better than buying it based solely on the ingredients. Homemade pizza dough is just flour, water, salt, and yeast. Store-bought dough will generally have preservatives. If you can’t make your own then a good small market or local pizza shop is another good option. I do buy Trader Joe’s pizza dough, and it tastes good. If I had the time I would always try and make my dough at home.
Pizza Oven Buying Advice. I’ve owned a wood-fired Ooni (which was destroyed in the Palisades Fire) and now have a gas-fired Ooni Koda 16, so I’m familiar with both heat sources. I do prefer the taste of the pizza from a wood-fired oven, but the convenience of propane is hard to beat. In my opinion, the only two suitable options are a dual-source oven or a propane oven. I wouldn’t recommend the wood-only version, even if it is inexpensive. I also think the larger the better when it comes to ovens. I frequently found that my Karu 12 was too small.
Going Pro. Avoid Bezos' land and visit a restaurant supply store to purchase a few pizza pans and any other necessary accessories. A good stainless steel table for your oven would also be a good thing to have. The Ooni pizza peel and oven cover are two items worth buying from the Ooni brand. Plus, there are few stores more fun than a restaurant supply shop.
Only (Mozz) Fans. Avoid buying pre-shredded cheese, which is coated in all sorts of weird stuff. Instead, buy one ball of whole milk and one of skim, and shred it yourself. If you buy fresh mozzarella, let it rest and drain in a colander on the counter for 30 mins to let the moisture drain and avoid swamp pizza.
Room Tempted. Let the dough sit out for 3 hours in a bowl coated with olive oil covered by a towel. It’s hard to work with cold doughs, so this can really help with getting the pizza to the correct shape and size.
Please No Store Sauce. One can of peeled tomatoes will be all you need. Strain the sauce from around the tomatoes, then add it to a blender along with a bit of olive oil and salt to taste. Good tomatoes will get the job done.
Pre-Game. Let the oven warm up for 20-40 mins. You want to get that stone to absorb a lot of heat so the bottom of the dough will cook as quickly as the crust and cheese.
In the Bubble. If you have an issue with your dough forming giant air bubbles, then these dough rollers help. If you think that’s sacrilege, then don’t use them!
The Eye in the Sky. Watch the pizza in the oven very closely. When the temperature is very hot, the dough will burn quickly. Rotate often, and with the gas ovens, ensure the gas control is set to no more than 50% while the pizza is on the stone.
Ground Control to Papa John. The most challenging aspect of home pizza making is successfully removing the pizza from the peel. The trick here is to dust the peel with flour, then quickly dress your pizza on it. If the dough sits on the peel too long, the moisture will build up and you won’t be able to slide it off the peel into the oven. Work quickly and don’t be afraid to jiggle the peel occasionally to keep the dough from bonding.
Remember, the first pizza is like the first pancake, so always buy or make one more dough ball than you might think you need. Have fun, send me home pizza pics!
II. Material Goods
Original Madras Trading Co. x Coggins
There are a few more Coggins x OMTC shirts available on the site after the initial wave sold out very quickly. David was wearing one while we were in Iceland earlier in the summer. They are great for fishing as David intended, but the big pockets and breathability of cotton make me love them for travel.
The depth of the hand-loomed cloth that OMTC is making really makes me love the brand. It's cool to see these two come together on something unique and new.
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