Chef James Reacts... To Adam Ragusea's 2.0 NY Pizza.

Head to squarespace.com/chefjames to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code chefjamesmakinson
Here is Adam's 2.0 NY pizza video! Let me know what you guys think in the comments below!
Do you think this is better than the first one?
My Cooking Course: james-makinson-s-school.teach...
Adam's Video: • New York-style pizza a...
🙏 HELP SUPPORT MY CHANNEL
👉 Single Donations: paypal.me/chefmakinson
👉KZbin Memberships: / @chefjamesmakinson
👉Become a Patreon: / chefjamesmakinson
📱FOLLOW US ON:📱
▶ Facebook: / explorebcn
▶ Instagram: / chef_jamesmakinson
▶ Twitter: / explorebcn
🛒MY KITCHEN EQUIPMENT:🛒
KNIVES
▶WÜSTHOF Knife Set: amzn.to/3IS94TD
▶Paring Knives: (can never have too many!) amzn.to/2S5y6Ia
▶MIYABI 5000 MCD SANTOKU: amzn.to/499sbmM
▶MASAMOTO KS 240mm Gyuto: amzn.to/3VAPyCq
STONES
▶Shapton Whetstones 1k 5k 12k: amzn.to/3VCFSYf
▶KING Whetstone Set 1000/6000 Grit: amzn.to/3VBAa99
POT AND PANS
▶STAUB Cast Iron 5-qt Cocotte: amzn.to/4ah0KJ1
▶STAUB Braiser 28cm: amzn.to/3vmso8r
▶T-fal Nonstick Pan set: amzn.to/4cxs0Vc
▶HexClad Hybrid Wok 12-Inch: amzn.to/3TRRaqa
▶HexClad Frying Pan 12-Inch: amzn.to/4cxS8PQ
▶Paella Pan!: amzn.to/2UQWT3s
OTHERS
▶Le Repertoire De La Cuisine in English: amzn.to/44fh7Tv
▶BlackBoard Plate: (Pizarra): amzn.to/3dAi3JS
▶John Boos Maple Cutting Board: amzn.to/4cyMnkU
▶Pepper mil: amzn.to/3JKpSMb
▶Microplane Fine Grater: amzn.to/3FQOwcN
▶Flim for wrapping food: amzn.to/42ztQjv
🎥CAMERA EQUIPMENT 🎥
CAMERAS
▶GH5 Panasonic: amzn.to/3IU4g03
▶Sony Alpha 6700: amzn.to/3PHcg8m
▶Sony NPFZ100 Z Rechargeable Battery: amzn.to/3PHy9Ep
LENS
▶Sigma 18-50mm F2.8: amzn.to/3PFiSE4
▶Sigma 16mm F1.4: amzn.to/43AjzEA
▶PolarPro 67mm Peter McKinnon Variable ND Filter: amzn.to/3PESPgo
▶Gobe 67mm UV Lens Filter: amzn.to/3TSfkkv
▶Gobe 55mm UV Lens Filter: amzn.to/3TSrqKs
MICROPHONES
▶RODE Wireless PRO Microphone System: amzn.to/3xewNdZ
▶Rode Pro+ Shotgun Mic: amzn.to/3xf94ug
OTHER
▶NEEWER Camera Tripod Monopod: amzn.to/3xf9b9a
▶Elgato Key Light 2800 lumens: amzn.to/4ac2svi
▶SanDisk 128GB SD Card: amzn.to/3TzrPAc
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: This description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link, I will receive a small commission. This helps to support my channel and allows us to continue making awesome videos like this. Thank you for your support!
#newyorkpizza #nypizza

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I hope you enjoy this video guys! It is one that you have been asking for! :)

[@happyherpDerps7395]

Hi James. just thought I'd update you. It's been 5 months since I started the journey to becoming a chef. The head chef is on vacation, so I haven't been yelled at in a couple of weeks. I thought I'd find this releiving, but I have already noticed that the absence has allowed me to become a little sloppy in some areas. Otherwise, still enjoying the work and learning the craft. Thanks for inspiring me to take this path. After 10 years in an office, I feel lucky every day to have the opportunity to pursue something I love.

[@danusdragonfly6640]

I think that you are quite generous in your reviews in not being too critical. ELEVEN YEARS??? 😳

[@poeticyy]

your video has a few understandable mistakes from not knowing Adam's perspective as an American. First, when he says lasagna, he means a cheese lasanga made with ricotta and mozzarella... no meat. unlike the lasagana bolognese you put in your video. i also think you misunderstand why adam made the pizza oblong. it's not because he is being carefree. he states he's intentionally doing it because it allows him to get longer slices that are common with a new york slice. as for the oil, yes, american pizzareia actually coat their doughs in that much oil during their rise... giving the dough a more pasty quality than a dry dough in naples. finally, while you're right to use a scale to measure the flour, and the dough for the balls, the point of adam's videos are not for restaurant cooks but for home cooks. so your critique, while valid for professionals, is kind of comparing apples with oranges.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

@@poeticyy I am American and I understand what he's saying but I've been in the culinary industry for more than two decades

[@happyherpDerps7395]

@@poeticyy lol, dude, James is American. He's from the west coast. I am Australian, but from what I understand food is totally different on his side of the US.

[@tildessmoo]

The reason for adding flour before he's done kneading is that he's going by feel; it's best not to rely on measurements for flour; it's an agricultural product, which means that, while manufacturers _try_ to keep their product fairly consistent, it will end up with different moisture, starch, and protein levels at different times, from different manufacturers (especially that for the home cook, who will often get whatever's on sale), from different harvests or storage times. I know a lot of bakers like to be precise (KZbin bread making channels are very into precise times, weights, and temperatures), and it's less of a problem when you're working in the large batches a professional baker will deal with, but it's actually a very good idea for a home baker to learn to work by feel. Home bread recipes (at least the good ones) aren't really recipes so much as guidelines. My basic guideline is that pastry is a science but bread is an art. Definitely weigh your flour (and your sugar!) for pastry, but there's a lot of feel and "by eye" in bread, at least in the home kitchen with consumer ingredients and home equipment. "Thermal interface" describes any surface that is involved in heat exchange. It's used a lot in the tech industry, because it's a very important concept there; Adam is using it the correct way, even if it's not something you usually hear in relation to cooking. You don't need a separate first rise if you're doing a slow cold rise; chilling the dough slows the yeast far more than it slows the gluten formation, meaning that, so long as you leave it at least 24 hours as Adam suggests, you'll have a good texture. A long slow rise also gives you more yeast flavor for slower CO2 production and more thorough yeast spread, meaning you get a finer crumb like if you'd risen two or three times punching down in between, with a yeasty flavor like from an extra rise.

[@valhallakombi7239]

Flawless comment. You wrote it in a much better way than I did lol. Thanks for pointing out all the correct things Adam did. James didn't even listen to the explanations whatsoever and went on a pro cook rant about everything. He doesn't understand home cooks or Adam's intentions whatsoever

[@bobd2659]

It's not entirely the manufacture of the flour (though between manufacturers, it will differ a bit). It's more due to how you store it, and even WHEN you make it. Generally, you'll use a little less flour if you bake early in the morning, or late at night when the humidity is usually lower... if your home has consistent humidity level, you should be able to use the same measures all the time. If it's not, it'll vary a bit... If I make 4-5 batches of cookies in a day, by the end, I'm usually using almost 1/2 cup more of flour...since I love to bake on rainy days!

[@sheriefelsayad5578]

@@valhallakombi7239 That's because Adam sucks at cooking, James was correct in all his criticisms, seems like a bunch of Adam fanboys have bombarded this comment section. You don't freestyle or do things by feel when making dough, or even bread. You measure .. home cook or not that's how its done. And not just for pastry, this comment was totally worthless.

[@DurealzForReal]

@@valhallakombi7239 because he's not trying to. he's trying to give you his perspective AS A PRO FUCKING COOK. adam ragusea dickriders need to stay in their lane. if you want to be a home cook you don't need to watch any videos just do it or don't criticize people who actually prepare the highest quality (subjective) of food for a living.

[@lqfr8813]

in the end the most important point is for the dough have enough rest time/fermentation to moisturize all the flour inside and creating gluten networks depends on what the dough is made for. but it doesnt mean measuring weight isnt important because different dough hydration makes different baking product if the ratio between flour and water become too far from the plan

[@kassemir]

I think Adam's approach has always been teaching a method, rather than a strict recipe. Which when it comes to baking will always vary based on the flour you're using, so I actually think this was a pretty good video. I also think he wanted to target the widest number of people, and from my understanding, and looking up American recipes, measuring by volume is just how they do it, a lot of people, I think don't even own a kitchen scale. Which can actually make American recipes kind of a pain to use, because in Europe where I'm based, pretty much all recipes use scaled measurements for stuff like flour and liquids.

[@JonCausithONS]

I agree with this statement - relating to this on a personal level, up until about a year ago, I had worked with volume measurements rather than with scaled metrics due to not owning a kitchen scale. By the previous method, my pizza doughs will either be too dry or incredibly sticky, so I could never figure out how to work accordingly until I saw videos from chefs as Brian Lagerstrom or Vito Iacopelli who went by metrics. Working with exact measurements ensured a consistently fantastic product, but as you pointed out, not everyone's going to have a kitchen scale. Working with the recipe, I did end up making a pretty fantastic pizza that was NY style-ish, though instead of doing the gravity stretch, I did the slap and pull method and I got some rounder pizzas as a result. (although one got stuck to the peel and became an accidental calzone. Oops!)

[@kaboomkp]

Can confirm, the only people I know in America who have a kitchen scale are people who cook very regularly. One of my friends is a pretty damn good home cook and I don't even think he owns one. Hell, the only reason I have one is because I follow so many recipes from all over the world and most don't provide volume (and weight is more accurate)

[@HoliRae]

Totally agree. I've been home cooking for about 20 years. A scale has always been an important piece of my equipment. Cooking by weight is so much easier. I don't understand why we don't use that method more here in America. I will often convert recipes into weights instead of volume after I make them a couple times. So much easier!

[@Kazaki000]

What I like about Adam Ragusea is that he challenges many paradigms of cooking, tests many methods that have lasted for years, and explains why those methods that have been preserved are unnecessary due to how technology has advanced, and are only still being used because of "tradition".🙂

[@Maplecook]

Bingo. Tradition has its place, but hardcore traditionalists are all too often, dead set against the idea of improvement...which is not good.

[@aaronruss6331]

Tradition definetly should be respected. However there are times when something is done unnecessarily(such as using a pestle and mortar for making pesto instead of a blender/food processor when there isn't much of a difference in taste). I think there common sense should also be used,but tradition itself should definetly be respected overall. Otherwise the dish will be lost for future generations and become something thay it isn't,and if that is the case why make anything really if you're not willing to keep the good aspects of it? And preserve whatever is good?

[@NoKrAzYz]

Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people =)

[@aaronruss6331]

@@NoKrAzYz explain.

[@aaronruss6331]

@@NoKrAzYz does logic,reasoning,good and bad,right and wrong etc exist?

[@tokiomitohsaka7770]

Thermal interface material can be used for heating an object as well, not just for cooling it. In computer hardware it is indeed used to transfer heat away from the chip. By the way, that was a great picture you used, because it showed that a thermal interface material is not just about thermal conductivity, but also about filling all the gaps in the uneven surface so there will be full contact. In food, even though water is a much better thermal conductor than oil, the oil is going to be a better thermal interface material for this application because it won’t boil at 100° and you will not lose the heat.

[@michaellopate4969]

Heat transfer is a matter of perspective, as you point out. In computers it can be thought of as aiding the processor in heating up the heat sink just as much as helping to processor cool down.

[@greenblack6552]

@@michaellopate4969 The purpose of the oil is to help the pizza steel heat up the pizza. Thermal paste helps the cpu cook the heatsink 👍😄

[@combatLaCarie]

yeah, it's just allowing heat to flow. It can go either way depending on context.

[@sleepless9026]

its like thinking of it as it says, "transfer" not cooling or heating but moving.

[@milanstevic8424]

@@sleepless9026 Similarly "interface" is an abstract notion of a contact between two materials, which works in both ways. The word interface is itself a portmanteau for a concept of something sitting between two faces, usually figuratively, such as surfaces or face-value concepts, not human faces per se (although a dialog is also a type of interface). Both words come from Latin, and in post-Latin languages, 'inter' is usually attached as a prefix to specialize or introduce new meanings that relate with something on the inside of a system, or you know, it's interior. But on the whole, through modern usage 'inter' as a prefix almost always means "in between". For example you can describe "intercontinental" both as "within the system of continents" or "between the continents", both are correct. In this sense, saying "thermal interface" is highly legible and adequate to describe any physical process in which heat gets distributed between any two materials (or within the system of varying materials). It's not a tech jargon, it's just a functional concept that relates to the Universe we live in. I'd say it's more of a physics thing, and as such it overlaps with engineering quite a bit, but also cooking.

[@danestrenton]

I worked in a German bakery for 4 years, everything pretty much made entirely from scratch. It was the bakery equivalent of an extremely busy restaurant, even on slow nights we were doing in total around 600 loaves of bread total. Scraping down the bowl is important, for both keeping down on waste and also lessening cleanup afterwards. Dough that's dried, especially on a metal bowl, is almost exactly like concrete and it's absolute hell to try to remove lol. Fresh yeast is always superior to dry yeast, especially if you're making very rich breads like ones that use rye flour and need long periods of time to prove. Also almost a necessity if you want to make a sourdough culture, which by the way will pretty much last forever as long as you maintain it. Also, Adam had to keep adding flour to the dough when he was first kneading it because it was a bit too wet. Plus he was using regular store bread flour which doesn't absorb as much water as high gluten flour does, which was something we exclusively used for our breads. Lethal for anyone with a gluten allergy but the gold standard to use for making any white breads lol, not to mention the consistency is far better with much more defined and longer gluten chains from the kneading. For anyone looking to make doughs and don't have much experience I highly recommend getting a mixer, doing it by hand is extremely tedious and time consuming, typically 20-30 minutes is how long it takes depending on the size of the dough and what the dough is supposed to be used for. Smaller doughs of course take less time to knead and larger ones take much longer and are also even more physically taxing to knead. For anyone making dough and don't have any appropriate/usable scales the golden rule is less is better. Start low then work your way up. If you need more flour or water you can always add more. If you add too much you just screwed yourself and now you have to try to balance the ratios, when you get used to making doughs it's a minor inconvenience and if you don't really know what you're doing you pretty much just screwed yourself. Yeast you don't need to stress too too much unless you're completely off the mark and added way too much. Even a little bit less of yeast will stay prove the dough it'll just take longer. A little bit more and it'll just prove a bit faster. Way too much you can either stick the dough in the fridge/freezer or add more salt to the dough if it wasn't a significant amount extra you added. Bread doughs are far more forgiving than pastry doughs, which are a whole other ordeal. If you have scales then cool, you just need to calculate your ratios and then you're set. Just pay attention to the dough while mixing and forming to see if anything needs to be corrected. If you don't have scales then just start with less and add as needed. You can always add more, but can't take out if too much. Also a trick we had to help contain the temperature of the dough during mixing, especially if you live somewhere hot, is to replace a portion of your water with ice. Some doughs like pretzel dough you're really gonna want to have a bit chilled anyway when you're rolling and forming the shape of it unless you wanna have a rough time

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Very interesting! We tend to add ice to green sauces to keep the color as well. Thank you for all the information, baking is a another world and something I would like to do more of! :)

[@triniececummins2015]

This second pizza feels and looks much more like the traditional NY Pizza which is a completely different beast than Chicago pizzas (there are two), your Italian pizza, etc

[@reikoshea]

As an IT nerd by trade, I liked using the term "thermal interface". I think it accurately describes what's going on. If im browning some polish sausage rounds in a pan without oil, they don't brown as evenly as if i put in a touch of veggie oil, which, to my home cook brain, says that the oil is acting the same way a TIM would in electronics.

[@giantpunda2911]

Using thermal interface in my opinion makes him sound like a narcissistic midwit who wants to appear to be smart without actually being smart. His audience are home cooks. Dropping an entirely unnecessarily term like that might impress them but to a professional, much like it's portrayed in the video, it's ridicule worthy. Particularly when the use of such technical terminology which isn't used in that context is not at all required.

[@reikoshea]

@@giantpunda2911 the irony of you not just coming to the comment section of a KZbin video, but replying to a comment, because you want people to know you think Adam is a narcissist is, for lack of a better word, delicious. I was responding to a question James specifically asked. You’re just some edge lord. Not only was your opinion on Adam’s motives in no way solicited, the only thing you have to gain from it is what? A like in the replies of a KZbin video? Bless your heart. I hope me pressing like has helped you achieve your desired outcome and you’ll do the world a favor and keep your unsolicited opinions to yourself in the future.

[@GoneZombie]

@@giantpunda2911 I view terms like 'midwit' in much the same way. People should express themselves how they feel best, though, so neither is actually an issue.

[@Tinil0]

@@giantpunda2911 Huh? It's such a normal term to me that is instantly understandable even if you have never heard it used that context before. Honestly, your comment comes across as way more narcissistic and focused on appearances than what was said in the video by the dude. He was speaking normally and you come in saying "WELL ACTUALLY professionals RIDICULE you!" Surely you see how eye-rolling that response is now that you have had time?

[@Junebug89]

@@giantpunda2911 I think it's a great term to use because it correctly conveys what the point is - that oil is good at transferring heat. Maybe that's just because I'm used to fiddling around with PCs a little so I know the term from heat sinks and it wouldn't be as obvious to someone else, I am not sure, but it landed perfectly for me.

[@1isaacmusic]

We used to prank the reps for our purveyors by throwing a little flour on the back of their black pants as they walked out the back door of the kitchen :P

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Haha I used to do the same to my dad! 😂

[@brownsugar0000]

I work at a Neapolitan pizza restaurant and re: the flour what Adam is doing is to my knowledge relatively normal if inexact. Where I work we mix it with a specific weight of flour, but after the first rise we flip it and give it a little flour until it's the right consistency. The amount of flour you have to add can vary enormously from day to day (especially here in DC where the weather is unpredictable as hell) based on temperature and humidity, and getting it right is very important, especially at scale; if you add too little it will just be a puddle, if you add too much it will tighten up and won't retain its shape when rolled and will be much more likely to tear when stretching. There is no way that I know of to determine how much flour to add here other than by feel as well so overall I think what he does there is okay. Also he gives away in the stretching portion why he doesn't think rolling properly is important: if you don't care about the shape having a perfectly spherical dough ball is a waste of energy. In a professional kitchen it's obv important to roll the dough into a sphere otherwise the stretcher is going to be very mad at you for having to fix your mistake. Also the amount of oil he uses is fine but there is going to be a very very strong olive oil flavor in his dough. Also he's making his life unnecessarily harder by using white flower instead of semolina to stretch.

[@wullaballoo2642]

Very interesting. I've made pizza dough with the same recipe and that's why it's different every time despite the same ratios and sometimes when working the dough I seem to need to throw more flour down. I've since discovered that slow ferment works better for me I get a more relaxed dough that I can handstretch easier. Last time I made pizza I flattened a ball of dough, poked the edges to mark the crust and span, flipped and stretched it. It was only a out 12 inches but it was perfectly formed like it was machine made. I remember it well because every pizza I've made before then was with tougher dough I had to squash with a rolling pin into a random shape

[@lperkins2]

There are two ways to determine how much flour to add. The first is to produce the dough in a temperature and humidity controlled environment (not possible for a home kitchen). The second is to develop a 2d table that indexes temperature and humidity and gives you an adjusted recipe. If you want to make the dough completely by machine (even in a home "bread machine"), it can be worth putting together that adjustment table, but it does mean tracking the amount of extra flour you add. If you don't mind a bit of variation, and are hand processing it anyway, it's simply not worth the effort to do.

[@ryanhiggins3911]

The humidity thing is so true. Where I live the humidity is insane, in spring It's common for water to condense on the walls. I'll work a dough until it's ready, cover it for proofing, and then come back to find the dough is almost unworkable due to the moisture it absorbed while rising.

[@cogspace]

And on the topic of humidity, Adam lives in Tennessee. The humidity there varies quite a lot, from 60% in the dry season to 70% in the wet season. A recipe that yields a perfect pizza in 60% humidity will be far from it in 70% humidity. Here in Las Vegas things are even worse, with humidity ranging from 20% to 45% depending on the time of year. Back when I lived in California, I could make the same dough all year with a scale, but in places where the humidity fluctuates so much, it's simply impossible to get consistent results without adjusting hydration by feel.

[@lperkins2]

@@cogspace You made me curious what it is around here (Eastern WA). Afternoon humidity varies from about 30% in the summer, to about 80% in the winter. We also vary morning to afternoon in the summer from 90 down to 30.

[@mimosveta]

he did use thermal interface properly. he reads quite a few scientific articles, and then when he comments them, reveals that he often doesn't understand them, but that aside, yeah, it's a thing that goes between two things, and helps them get better contact and this allows for heat to be better transferred between the two. if you put two clanks of metal against eachother, they are going to interface pretty well, but there are going to be little scratches between them that are going to slow down heat transfer, so you add thermal paste and all of those groves are effectively smoothed out. similarly, if you plop a piece of meat, or a potato into a dry pan, it will be in contact or it will interface with the pan in some spots, but not the others, which will make those spots burn before some ever start to cook. but by adding water of fat, you create uniform contact with uniform heat distribution, so, yeah, they do act as thermal interface.

[@melenatorr]

When I first had to start cooking for my parents, and knew nothing about the art, I asked my very intelligent brother. The first bit of advice he gave was "Clean as you go". Absolutely correct!

[@bikzimusmaximus5250]

I think for the flour what Adam is kinda getting at is that you should just add an amount of flour you are reasonably certain will be less than what you need, but still enough that you can start kneading, and then adjust stuff in the process. Which is less accurate, but at the same time, imagine if you're making a carbonara video and you made an egg, pepper and pecorino mixture that you pour into the pan after mixing the pasta and you cook it with the residual heat from the pan and the pasta, largely off the heat. And then someone tells you "Well yeah, but if you really want to be precise, you would need a double boiler to cook the egg, pepper, and pecorino, whisking a bit of the pasta water in to get just the right consistency before you add it to the pasta. It will take you longer, create more dishes, and you can get a perfectly fine result 95% of the time without it, but it won't be as precise." Like... yes it is true, but is it actually likely that you will mess up the dough if you are actually aware that flour can be overpacked, and aware of what texture the dough should have? Like is it not just an initiation ritual to mess up the dough a bit the first couple of times, kinda like the first couple of times you learn how to make carbonara you just kinda end up eating scrambled eggs with pasta and bacon.

[@lqfr8813]

yea, this is what i was thinking. Adam knew the proper adjustments from his experience learning the proper details. sometimes if we use bigger eggs, the hydration becomes different than what we usually did because we cannot control how big or small the eggs we bought when the difference is not that apparent. . but i understand if he want to make his content easier even for ppl who have never cook / bake

[@gemofamara92]

Adam deliberately started with a much higher hydration percentage than he wanted, nearly 100%. He deliberately kneaded in more flour in order to judge the right amount by feel rather than measuring it out. He's explained in other videos that he thinks this avoids things like humidity and different types of flour having big influences if you just weigh out a listed amount as the recipe demands, and that using your senses will get a result that accounts for all of these variables.

[@verdtre4573]

It also means youre going to knead a lot longer than necessary. I recommend documenting how much flour you need with the ingredients you use when you make it the first time and noting it down. The dough is way too wet baseline and if you "add as little as possible" until you got it right it will be a bit frustrating.

[@uli11]

This is what I've found works best for my pizza crusts and Flatbread as well. Living somewhere with pretty extreme variability in humidity and temperature it becomes essential to do this.

[@douwehuysmans5959]

Sound like 'This is your brain on imperial measurements'

[@Chris-eh8mi]

@@douwehuysmans5959 What a weird attempt to shoehorn anti-imperial measurements in. This has absolutely nothing to do with the measurement system being used.

[@douwehuysmans5959]

@@Chris-eh8mi yes it does. The Imperial system is so bad that Americans have resorted to using football fields and cups for measurement. 1 cup of flour whatever that means. It's a small step from '1 cup of flour' to 'just add some stuff together until it looks alright'

[@keefahh]

Thermal paste on CPUs helps with thermal TRANSFER, so in the Adam's example it helps the heat from the steel transfer to the pizza. cool vid btw!

[@RaizerF]

I was not expecting a CPU thermal paste example lol. That completely took me by surprise.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

😂

[@aerob1033]

I think the motivations of a home cook are very different from the motivations of a professional chef or somebody who works in a professional kitchen. In the latter, you want a recipe that is repeatable, consistent, as similar as reasonably possible each time. At home, you might not care as much if it's different from day to day, as long as the end product is a tasty dinner. And not having to take out an extra tool (like a scale) or add an additional mess (like a dirty countertop) may have a relatively high value to you. One thing that's a bit tricky with Ragusea's videos is he's kind of trying to have it both ways to some degree--he's trying to cater to the home cook, but also trying to use evidence-based, repeatable methods. I think he's gotten better about striking this balance over the years since he made this video, but it's still a difficult line to walk. I'd be very interested to see what a 2023 New York-style pizza recipe would look like from him.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

A professional chef does not want to waste more time cooking at home

[@muhilan8540]

Adam didn’t use a precise quantity of flour, that’s the whole point. That’s what he was explaining when he added the flour by volume at the beginning and you brought up the weight thing. His idea is to start with a baseline amount and add until the dough feels right.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

If you don't have a base to go by and you don't know what the consistency should be it's like driving without a map you don't know what you're going to end up with

[@SamsungSmartWasher]

@@ChefJamesMakinson I think good "base to go by" is his video, you can see how the dough is exactly supposed too look like and even in previous video he did mention to stretch it until you can see some light trough it. Same brand of flour can be different when you buy it a say spring or winter.

[@FBI-bj9kr]

@@SamsungSmartWasher nah

[@SamsungSmartWasher]

@@FBI-bj9kr nuh uh

[@aaronlopez492]

Alright Chef James, my stomach is ready---- I mean I'm ready for the Pizza tutorial review 2.0.🍕😋

[@turkeyman631]

Adams first video is what got me to start making homemade pizza. Theres just a few things, like getting low moisture cheese, making your own dough, and atleast in the first video, getting a pizza stone and getting that sucker hot before putting in your pizza. It's amazing how slightly tweaking how you go about making a pizza makes all the difference.

[@play_history]

I have made this recipe dozens of times, with some modifications necessary for my setup. Some things to note here: -The dough texture is way more important than precise measurements. Different flours will give you different results, this is why Adam doesn't give precise weighted measurements. I like the brand he uses but it's too expensive by me so I do something different, and I had to figure out that for some flours 5 cups was too much and others it was not nearly enough. -The olive oil coating may seem heavy-handed but it serves many practical purposes. For a small scale operation - four pizzas at a time, individually portioned - it's perfect. -Galabani Mozzarella which I get in the brick form is good, at least by American cheese standards. It's got great tang. -I don't have a pizza peel so I actually make it directly on the stone, using some tips Adam gave in the "grate pizza" video. -I have never made my pizzas round. I don't fold my slices so I would like to, but under no circumstances am I going to mess up all that work by dropping the pizza on the floor trying to learn how to toss. It's simply unnecessary for home cooking. There's some good tips with these videos but interfacing with the recipes from their perspective is also important. The Instagram types want something that looks pretty above all else. The "simple and easy" people will compromise on exactness and flavor. Traditionalists want things to taste and feel exactly as they remember it. Adam is a practicalist and that's why I love his content.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Good to know! Thank you!

[@emilymarriott5927]

I think his video on french macarons really shows his mindset as the whole thing is about "Macarons can seem hard, but they can be easy if you decide they don't have to be perfect" You'd never see chefs taking these shortcuts, but in a home environment it's fine. He's a home cook talking to home cooks and is fine with veering into non-traditional ways of doing things and that not having perfect technique is no bar to making something delicious.

[@lqfr8813]

@@emilymarriott5927 yea, if his theme of content to make things easier for ppl to learn, its quite understandable if he leaving out details. however he can do that because he knows the proper basic on the details, ppl who never knew it will be confused when what they did somehow results in different form than what they saw in Adam's video. knowing the knowledge details later on is never hurt

[@punklejunk]

A professional chef that knows about CPU thermal paste!💻 You, sir, have a new subscriber🥰🍕

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you! :)

[@SolidDragonUK]

As someone who is a nerd for a living, I was touched by the comparison.

[@bryanparkhurst17]

I think the most important thing about Pizza to remember is that it's a personal thing. If you like it, it is the right way to make it. Personally I like to make my dough and I also like to have the Brick Oven style flavor so I went and built a brick oven in my backyard so that I can have it all the time.

[@MrGrimsmith]

I would add one note about stand mixers - if you cook a reasonable amount they're an investment. I'm using my mother's twice repaired one that's more than 40 years old but still works perfectly (and is used several times a week). Yes, it was expensive to buy but it's proven its value over the years especially as I'm no longer able to knead dough by hand.

[@greenblack6552]

They were higher quality back in the days. The ones you buy now are not as durable as the one made 40 years ago.

[@IvanVasin]

Regarding whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella: this is, indeed, a defining feature of the flavor and texture of classic NY-style pizza. It's the key to that thoroughly melted, stretchy layer of cheese that pulls into long strings as you eat it (while it's still hot) while conveying a lot more flavor than part-skim low-moisture mozzarella and avoiding the soggy mess that you get from fresh mozzarella if you try to use it in comparable amounts. WMLM mozarella is quite a different product from fresh mozzarella di bufala. As Adam notes in his video, there is quite a lot of variance in quality and properties across brands, in large part because it isn't controlled by any strict standards like that of DOP mozzarella di bufala. That being said, generally speaking, WMLM mozz has a firm texture that can be coarsely grated, melts beautifully into a super-stretchy layer (as long as it's not pre-grated, i.e. coated in anticaking agent), and carries a flavor profile that is slightly aged, tangy, and salty in contrast to the delicate sweet creaminess of fresh mozzarella. As Adam mentions, when using this cheese as a whole-pizza topping layer, it is generally advisable to chill it after grating it; I actually put it in the freezer, as I find that this additional chilling allows the crust to brown very nicely by the time the cheese is cooked just right (on a pizza stone in a home oven). To answer James's question directly-“Is it a good cheese?”: I certainly wouldn't put it anywhere near the same level of delicacy as a good mozzarella di bufala, and I would never use it in an insalata caprese or eat it sliced and simply dressed as I would a DOP mozz, but for certain purposes-as a stretchy, melty, roughly mozzarella-flavored topping-it's perfect.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you for the explanation!

[@hokudadog7637]

Thanks for the review! I had the same reaction to the flour measurements and I agree with your comments. Yes, it’s very sad that Adam didn’t explain any taste or texture changes from the old version to the next. Nice video

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

It is easy to forget when make these videos

[@hobolooter]

Big fan of your work, keep it up James! I learn a lot from your analysis and you never take cheap shots. Also appreciate the lack of gimmicks in your video editing.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Much appreciated!!

[@altrogeruvah]

Since we're talking about international audiences, I'd also like to point out how extremely uncommon it is for European ovens to reach temperatures above 250˚C, so a lot of American-based pizza recipes here on KZbin are irreplicable at an EU home oven, so we do have our own workarounds.

[@lqfr8813]

as asian i really envy ppl out there who has oven that can provide enough uniform heat. my oven can only reach 170˚C if i only use 1 gas panel (the upper gas panel seems has faulty design, the fire hole is going downward instead of upward)

[@SakuraShuuichi]

My mother hated recipes that used weight instead of volume(and also was always dissapointed in her bread) until I bought her a kitchen scale. It changed her entire view on it and she became a lot more confident in her breads. As for the the recipe, For NY style pizza I have been following Charlie Anderson's series and find it to be the best. Always enjoy your content!

[@daemondan666]

Thermal interface material is literally just something that transfers heat from one thing to another. Has nothing to do with dissipation. So Thermal paste helps bridge the gap between a cpu and the heatsink, helping transfer the heat from the cpu to the heatsink. The heatsink dissipating heat is an independant process from the heat transfer. Oil *is* a thermal interface material between the uneven surfaces of food and your cooking surface, helping transfer heat from the surface *to the food*.

[@user-bc7cb8uu7e]

Adam actually has a video on measuring by weight versus volume where he discusses all his reasons for it. It'd also be interesting if you could try to comment on these videos also more from the perspective of a home cook, since these videos are very explicitly for an unpretentious home cook. The shape of the pizza seemed to really bother you, but I suspect that most people watching his videos don't care at all about making a perfectly round pizza

[@Cathowl]

Yeah the comments on the shape seemed... uncharitable. Attributing it to putting in "less effort". But Adam says he prefers a different shape for how his oven cooks. He's not putting in LESS effort, he's putting the effort into a different aspect of the pizza.

[@ThePr0biker]

I am a big fan of adam, but measuring by weight is way easier and better.. and there is no extra dishes if you do it right, you can just slap everything into the bowl, pan or whatever

[@khrenaud]

Good point about weighing. 5 cups = 1.183 litres and using the conversions recommended in Sweden that is 600g/l which gives 710g. (This matches the strong bread flour I use) Using the King Arthur conversion chart 5 cups equals 580-600g depending on flour. So using just the volume even if dosed carefully, not packing the flour you can have a difference of 120g depending on which flour you use which will make a big difference to the result.

[@omechron]

A lot of youtube cooks like to cut the weighing out of their recipes. Apparently average home cooks don't like weighing stuff and find it intimidating or something. I cannot comprehend this. The scale is my second favorite kitchen toy behind the mortar and pestle. I will go out of my way to find recipes that let me weigh stuff. It feels very precise and very scientific and I love it.

[@TheSpartanMoose2453]

I used to think Adam was a bit too over the top with his praise of the Galbani string cheese. One day I saw some and decided to try it instead of the usual mozzarella I use for pizzas. I figured why not, what's the worst that can happen? I've been using it ever since. It just hits that "local pizza joint" vibe.

[@MedievalChips]

I usually don't follow the recipe anymore. When I am working with dough nowadays I go by feel and the end product is always good. So what Adam did with the cups is totally fine when you know what you are doing. For home cooking that is.

[@poptartmcjelly7054]

Oil inhibits gluten development, which is what you need for the gluten window test, so it makes sense to add it at the end of the kneading process.

[@Akixkisu]

I always enjoy your added perspective in these react videos.

[@fakhruddinnalawala5451]

David Seymour did a video where he compared the different NY style pizza recipes popular on KZbin, and ended up deciding that Adam's recipe was the best approximation to the real deal

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Really?

[@fakhruddinnalawala5451]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5fMpX6GfqmgpZo Yep, have a look

[@feralgrandad4429]

Ha, total coincidence. My 12 year old grandson Ashton who loves cooking and wants to be a chef when he grows up. made pizza following this exact video last Thursday. Was fantastic. we're pretty fussy about pizza in our family. My daughter Jessica spent 6 months of her university degree in Naples and my ex is a crazy Sicilian but can honestly say as "New York Style" pizzas go it came out really, really good. Nice reaction as always James 🙂

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

That is awesome! Thank you!

[@clashwithkeen]

I highly highly recommend watching Charlie Anderson's NY style pizza video. He has a series where he develops his personal favorite recipe and the last video is the final product. I believe you would very much enjoy his take even if you only watch the final video. Through the process he tests various other recipes from other youtubers like Adam and Kenji as well as tests, tinkers with and deconstructs famous NY pizza shop's recipes. I just received all the ingredients in the mail a couple days ago and am about to try it myself this week. Always love your reactions, keep them coming!

[@mimosveta]

thanks guy, you're always informative. I actually prefer your style, it's like, when watching recipes, you can either make it, or forget about it, but this way, with you explaining why something is done certain way, I at least get to remember, and same rules will apply across many recipes, so definitely useful

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I appreciate that!

[@torstenneuer1560]

Very nice touch of you mentioning the "cleaning as you go". Most people will hate that, but it can also help releave a little stress. So instead of watching the timers or doing silly things on the smartphone, a little cleaning will make the "end of the day" much more enjoyable, since you will have to clean up less then. Even at home that pays off (and especially when you have guests). With the dough: Yes, important to use scales and not cups. But also, every batch of flour is different - even if the type of flour is said to be the same on the package, it might be different from supplier to supplier and from season to season. It is a natural product after all. So any recipe one makes will only be as reliable as the ingredients used and a little adjustment must be made when the old batch of ingredients is used up and the new batch goes in. Of course with flour, the changes might be minor, but with some ingredients it can take the world apart (e.g. chili or other potent spices).

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@rauleli]

My ratio for pizza bread is 480g all propose flour (10g or 12g protein) and 320ml/g water with 9g dry yeast, 2 spoons of sugar, 1 spoon of salt and 2 spoons of olive oil. Mix all together with aid of a scraper and let it rest for 15 min. That leaves a non that sticky dough and then work the dough for another 10 min and let it leven for 1 hour (depending the room temperature, winter takes even 2 hours). BTW, we in Mx dont use that "leven" term, we say "dejar que se esponje". In that process, i use a little bit of olive oil in the container so the dough does not stick to the sides. Best taste results if I leave it overnight in the fridge and bake the pizza next day. Lazy method to extend the pizza by gravity and extending it by hand in the table, no fancy rolling in the air methods hehehe. And yes, much easier to extend pizza dough while is cold. I've tried Oaxaca cheese and Chihuahua cheese, and tends to leave an oily pizza (still tasty), but the more usual is to buy the greatvalue blend for pizza (mozzarela, monterey cheese). Never used canned tomatoes, just natural roman tomatoes blended and cooked in a fried onion/garlic over olive oil for about 1 hour, add herbs at the last 10 minutes and thats the right kind of pizza salsa. But i will try that method, as the kind of pizza I cook is more like domino's panpizza. Oh! something else. I haven't tried stone or metal platforms to cook a pizza. The common pizza aluminum plate works fine in my home style! Nice review and tips! Thanks!! Saludos!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Very interesting! Thank you!! :)

[@tortugalisa4748]

Fantastic comment Rauleli🤙 And I could see and taste everything in my mind because of how you explained everything so clearly💯 A great cheese and oil make all the difference I'm finding out👍

[@lqfr8813]

i think dough hydration is really important point to decide what texture the pizza or bread become in the end. so unless we already know how much by eyes, flour weight and water used in dough is very important to be measured

[@samuelmahoney6878]

I think the big thing this gets at is that baking bread does not have to be about precise measurements! Texture is by far more important and if you know what to look for, you don’t really need to measure. Perhaps it helps that I grew up in a bread baking house (we had our own mill), but it also goes down to comfort and style. I have a sibling who feels the need to measure everything out to the gram. I almost never measure anything out at all. I’m not a restaurant that needs precise results and consistency. I just cook to taste. Baking doesn’t have to be a science! I will say baking temp and length is aided incredibly by science. But that is where texture comes in. That is the greatest variable, so if you control it, time and temp is easy.

[@cedainty]

I love Chef James' approach to cooking. In my 60 years of cooking for a large (seven) family and now down to two I have practiced most of Chef James teaches.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I'm so glad to hear that! :)

[@Valintinus]

I find your tolerance and explanation excellent, Chef Makinson.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@bisonfarm]

I enjoy your videos chef! I like your educational input and your calm demeanor. I look forward for watching more of your videos.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you very much!

[@jaylynn8630]

I don't think he meant that cooking the tomato sauce makes it taste like a lasagna in general, I'm pretty sure he meant like the tomato sauce in the lasagna. Of course that's a little hard to pin down, because there are a lot of other flavors in a lasagna, you're right. But personally, I know what he's talking about - after simmering tomato sauce to make the bolognese and baking everything together for about an hour, the tomato sauce tastes different. I always notice this, because I quite dislike that fresh tomato flavor. For that reason, if I'm making a bolognese sauce from scratch with canned tomatoes, I never simmer it for less than 3 hours: in my experience, that's how long it takes for the flavor of the tomatoes in the sauce to fully change into something I enjoy.

[@ALessandrone]

Sugar doesn't help browning as it does not participate in Maillard reaction. I work in bakery industry and i can tell you that. Use lactose, malt, fructose and glucose separately instead. Sugar will help feeding the yeast but that's a whole different issue

[@theblackhand6485]

Pizza dough Napolitana: Flour 60 - 65% water 2 - 3% salt 0,5 - 1,5% fresh yeast No oil No sugar Sauce Canned tomato cubes Salt No oil No sugar Topping Chucks of fresh Mozzarella No shaved cheeses Make to dough. Let it rest for at least 1 hour. Make balls. Save them in a Tupperware like box for at least 24 hours. Best is 3 days: most crispy result due to fermentation process. Do not use a roller. Press the ball flat from the inside to the rim. The rim is called 'Corona' or 'Crown'. So do not press there. The inner circle must be nicely thin. Add the sauce and some chunks of Mozzarella. Launch your pizza into the oven on a preheated stone. Cook until the chucks are just starting to melt. Before serving you can use torch to give this wood oven effect to the Corona. Finally add oregano and some olive oil! Bake around 400 Celsius. At home your oven as high as possible and shuffle the pizza on a preheated stone.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you for the recipe and tips!

[@jaycarneygiants]

Great breakdown. I love the professional thoughts going through your mind. Thanks

[@UnbornHeretic]

I made this recipe! It was good but we had two main issues! Firstly, we used these same or similar sized bowls but the tops they came with would weren't strong enough and would pop off when the dough is in the fridge rising due to the increased pressure. This can ruin the dough and we had to throw one away. Secondly, we didnt have a great way to transfer the pizza to the oven. It would stick to what we used to get it from the counter to the pizza pan. Because of that trouble getting it onto the pan, the first part would burn by the time we've transferred the rest of the pizza. We should have bought that pizza transfer wooden thing or used a different material that it would be less likely to stick to. We thought a metal cookie tray would be a sufficiently flat and large transfer tool. The unburned 3/4ths was really good though!

[@andrewsanchez4988]

My first job was working under an incredible pizza chef from Newark NJ he was always so proud that he didn't use oil in his dough. The pizza was by far the best I have ever had granted I'm from nebraska, and there isn't much out here haha but still...

[@hugoarchena]

Hi from Spain. And let me tell you that is a pleasure to hear a person with such a formation, talking with so calm. Explaining everithing with REAL knowledge . I learn a lot with your videos... Thanks a lot.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@MattyVice]

I know what he means by the lasagna flavor. Its a thicker richer sauce when pre-cooked

[@HeiressEllie]

I love this recipe, the crust is so delicious after aging in the fridge for 3 or so days, cheap and delicious, although I top my pizza with ranch instead of tomato sauce, red onion and buffalo chicken.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Ranch on the pizza?

[@kevincoate9426]

@@ChefJamesMakinson Ranch dressing is a dipping sauce that comes with all chain pizza places in the USA....

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

@@kevincoate9426 I don't remember that years ago

[@Ojisan642]

@@ChefJamesMakinson Ranch is an abomination. My theory: If you need to dip your pizza in ranch, the pizza is not good - which is why the big chain pizzerias offer it. Ranch is the midwestern bland palate making spicy food accessible to middle America. And if you serve buffalo wings with ranch instead of blue cheese, then those aren’t buffalo wings! Joey Diaz the stand up comedian has a brilliant bit about ranch from an appearance on the Joe Rogan show. Worth looking up if you haven’t already seen it 😂

[@torstenneuer1560]

@@Ojisan642 Not as polite as Chef James would have been, but yes, ranch dressing on pizza is an abomination. Like pineapple. Or banana.

[@gregorylewis4783]

Thanks! I love watching your videos. I just discovered you and happy I did

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you so much!! :) I hope you will enjoy the rest of my videos!

[@awwastor]

I think Adam doesn’t shape the pizza into a circle not just because it’s easier, but also because he can make a much larger pizza this way. Home ovens are comparatively small, so making something that approximates their shape will allow you to make it much larger (and he wants the foldable, large slices!),

[@timward2069]

Omg he is killing me I’ve been a pizza chef for20 years! Add you oil with room temperature water! He did not need it enough to get the gluten going! You need then rest then need again! Oil as a wash on the out side is just crazy! I would recommend semolina to stretch the dough not flour. And the semolina will help more crispiness ! Love your vids bro but this was criminal! 00 flour is the way to go not plan flour

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@jakx2ob]

I've been using Adam's recipe for a while now but I usually end up using almost the entire kilo bag for the amount of water to get a work-able dough. Either by mixing in more in the beginning or by needing a lot more to keep the dough from sticking to my work surface.

[@mistageeb]

He got his string cheese back replacing the Walmart and Boar’s Head cheese for the Stuffed Crust Pizza video in 2021 so now all the Adam Memers out there can confirm that He’s is now unstoppable

[@philso7872]

Thanks for all the great insights.

[@aimlessknight]

I use this crust recipe for making pizza in my air fryer in my RV/Caravan and I like it. In my own experimentation I let the dough rise twice and I do like it better that way. I will try weighing the flour as I have had trouble with inconsistent doughs. Thanks for that tip. I have found this dough is good for a lot of applications in an air fryer simply because you can get it pretty thin and that allows it to cook quickly with whatever you top it with. I've even mixed seasonings into the dough and made breadsticks for tomato soup and pasta dishes. Thanks for the video.

[@mamaschmeeda]

I bake my pizza in the air fryer and double rise also.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Really? How does it turn out?

[@mamaschmeeda]

@@ChefJamesMakinson It works great for me. I will par cook before putting on sauce and toppings. I like my crust crispy so I par cook mine longer. I also par cook and freeze.

[@jamesandrews3535]

Love your insights as always :)

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I appreciate that!

[@MagnaNemo]

I've followed Adam's pizza 2.0 recipe about 5 or 6 times now and I found that cooking the sauce a day before, reducing it a bit made it taste much, much better, whether I used DOP San Marzanos or cheap crushed tomatoes I really don't like that "brightness" in the pizza and cooking the sauce an extra time makes it so much better in my experience.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you for letting me know!

[@FabbrizioPlays]

If you want more clarification on the "thermal interface" topic, Adam has an "Oil vs. No Oil" video that goes over this topic and his thoughts/experiments with it. I'd be very curious about your opinions on that video.

[@supernoobsmith5718]

"Tastes like lasagna"....obviously he means cooked vs fresh. He's exactly right. Pizza tastes totally different with a long cooked sauce. Carmelization, etc

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

He was talking about the sauce and canned tomato sauce is already cooked

[@supernoobsmith5718]

@@ChefJamesMakinson Canned tomato sauce is not the same as a long cooked ragu with meat. I didn't mean fresh literally.

[@tortugalisa4748]

Yes Chef James, I think the shape of a pizza from a chef is important because a key component of a creation is presentation, very important to a chef🤙 Stone to steel is a big change! My electricity in Arizona is real expensive too Chef! Great review Chef🙏

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@christophertaylor9100]

Its kind of funny because artisan places, especially food trucks or high end foodie places, will make irregularly shaped pizza, like its more "authentic" that way or something.

[@tortugalisa4748]

@@christophertaylor9100 Makes sense👍 or how about the pizza places that make pumpkin shaped pizza for Halloween or heart shaped pizza for Valentine's day.

[@christophertaylor9100]

@@tortugalisa4748 Yeah. Honestly I don't care how its shaped, I care how it tastes. Just as long as I'm getting my money's worth: did you make it smaller and hide that by it being not a circle?

[@valhallakombi7239]

Which is exactly what Adam did though? He wanted oblong so that he can have foldable slices.

[@danbuter]

Now I'm hungry! Great review, I learned a few things from both of you.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@JoeBlow-mw5oo]

Weighing flour is good if you’re a total beginner but you will quickly learn that the same exact measurements will get different results each time because of differences in the flour, yeast and even weather. You can make decent pizza like that but great pizza requires feel and it will be different every time

[@caseyczarnomski8054]

Greetings Chef James, I have to agree with your critique on how much flour to use when mixing the dough. In the restaurant business cost and consistency is of the utmost importance. Too much flour and the dough is too dry and difficult to work, too little and it becomes messy in the trays. 1st rise tends to happen during the ball rolling and tray stacking process. The amount of time it takes to make stacks of trays filled with dough as tall as a person allow for the rise. The proper trays are needed, high walled sides that stack securely and allow for little ventilation for the overnight in the walk in. The next day the dough has slightly dried and no oils are added, Oil is too expensive to use when wood fired ovens produce enough heat to crisp the dough. At home I tried to use a stone, but it cracked after a couple uses, so now I'll probably switch to steel or cast iron.

[@TheBastardSermon]

I enjoy your videos but I do get the sense that you cant stand Adam Ragusea. Just from the facial expressions and constant criticism of the way Adam does everything. I think his videos are more geared for home cooks that enjoy the hobby and wanna get a little better understanding of cooking and less for people either looking to go into the culinary field or perfect recipes at home. Your tips are good but I think by making things less complicated for people (i.e. by using a measuring cup instead of insisting on weighing the flour and kneading the dough in a bowl instead of in a stand mixer and using kitchen appliances the average American is likely to have in their kitchen already) it makes his videos more appealing to the average Joe. I understand your video is a pro chef breakdown but I've spent many years as a chef as well and I think making cooking feel more accessible and less of a thing you have to spend 1000's of hours and dollars learning how to do it makes more people likely to do that instead of eating out or eating a frozen dinner for every meal and I think that's a positive thing. Maybe I'm reading into this too much but food for thought I guess. Anyways, thanks for the content!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I like Adam and would like to meet him but I don't agree with everything that he makes

[@pdubb9754]

Eva from Pasta Grammar uses a kitchen scissors to cut pizza. Seems like it could work here. I don't have a great deal of experience but have been enjoying Adam's videos lately. I think your review of his first pizza was how I found this channel. I tried to make a recipe of his for the first time yesterday, his Sicilian/Detroit style dough. It is still in the fridge, on the cold slow rise. Doesn't look like much if any rise over 20 hours. The yeast seemed to show signs of life when I hydrated it. Just going to be patient and try to cook a pizza with it toward the end of the week. I never met a pizza I didn't like, so even if the dough doesn't rise as expected, I won't go hungry.

[@supernoobsmith5718]

Polly-O's real low moisture cheese in the big block is different, and it's a pretty well-known thing.

[@merlluthor1371]

When I buy low moisture mozzarella I really like the "queso para pizza" from Lidl, i think it's pretty good for pasta and some quesadillas 👁👁

[@loki_l_1380]

I cannot stress how incredible and stress free baking becomes once you start weighing all of your ingredients on a kitchen scale. The dough you make will be of a perfect wet and dry ratio.

[@chrissolace]

It probably is for accuracy and professional use! I think Adam may not have done that because kitchen scales aren’t the most common tool for home chefs and maybe he didn’t see as much of a difference. I wonder if such tools take you out of the realm of home chef into more of a professional chef (as well as increase the difficulty of recipes and such?)

[@A1BASE]

@@chrissolace I disagree. I don't think there are many home chefs in existence who doesn't own some sort of scale. PARTICULARLY if you're doing any sort of baking.

[@douwehuysmans5959]

@@A1BASE there are hundreds of millions in the US

[@owenwilson4059]

@@A1BASE Yeah lol cooking scales are cheap there's no reason to not have one. Adam does these things sloppily pretending to be for your "average" home cook but it's just stupid and pointless.

[@valhallakombi7239]

@@owenwilson4059 Not really, by him disproving that "Baking is not cooking but science", he makes it so much more accessible to people by using intuitive approach rather than math. What is the need for weighing when your hand tells you what you need. All you need to know is whether you need wet, soft or hard dough for a partcular product. Like he explains in all of his videos, his content is for people wanting to try something new, but still practical. Like his macaroon video, if you want perfect macaroons, go get factory made ones! He does mention the tips needed to make something perfect in every video, for people assumably you who wants to recreate stuff for the achievement of having perfected a technique. So overall his videos aren't pointless and stupid

[@caseyczarnomski8054]

One thing for sure, you can use a rolling pin but please don't. It takes away all the fluffiness from the dough and it gets tough. While the pizza is in the oven, you can use a fork to pop the bubbles before they rise and make a mess of the pizza.

[@_veikkomies]

I don't know why, but James' voice is very pleasant to listen to. And he definitely shows his expertise and knowledge. Amazing videos, keep it up!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Wow, thank you!

[@owenwilson4059]

Agreed

[@ryanhiggins3911]

I usually don't add olive oil to my dough because I cover the dough, and dough balls, in olive oil when they are rising. I do my first proofing before I roll the dough balls and proof a second time. The crust seems to rise much better with two separate proofings. I also don't measure the flour for any kind of bread dough. I always just add it until it is just workable without smearing all over the place because it's so much easier to add a touch of flour to a dough that's too sticky than it is to add moisture to a dough that's too dry. Learn the slapping technique for stretching your dough, it's faster and the texture is much softer because your working the dough much less.

[@webfox1]

I do appreciate that the cost of electricity has gone up. There are ways to spread that cost out. You can make a casserole at a lower setting, raise the temp and bake bread, and finally bake a pizza all in one day. That way the oven heats up gradually, you have multiple meals, and you don't use the oven for just one dish. I'm sure you would agree that we don't chop down a tree, build a fire and just make eggs with the wood. We also use that to heat up other food and boil water or make coffee/tea. I really love your channel. Subscribed, and will continue to enjoy your shows. Thank you, Chef! :)

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@itsomegali5342]

interesting i never thought about flour compressing. i usually use cups since i dont have measuring devices. though i never really understood how much change a slight increase or decrease is gonna affect the dough. however it does make sense if you play with the main ingredients too much then you would get very different results.

[@donicarobinson24]

My mother worked in a Brooklyn pizza shop in the early 60's. They used shortening for the oil. I alternate between olive oil and shortening (whichever is easier to grab at the time goes in), but I have to admit that the shortening makes a smoother dough. And, in the US, vital wheat gluten is pretty easy to get your hands on. Adding a bit to AP flour hikes the protein content and make it more like bread flour.

[@Anesthetist]

i love how he giggles after adam says "balls" 😂 8:38

[@farmerfootball27]

YES. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I'm so glad to hear!

[@denniskirschbaum9109]

Adam's videos, both 1 & 2, inspired me to get serious about pizza. My recipe has evolved from his. I have a baker's formula for my dough and I always measure it to the gram. It takes the guess work out of it. Measure out the flour, mix it up and forget it. No need to constantly assess the hydration. I do use Adam''s method of proportioning the dough at the beginning and then putting it in the fridge for 24-48 hours (not a week though). Because the dough take time to cool down, you still get a first rise. You get the second when you take it out to bake it. I now favor Tito 00 flour for my pizza but bread flour works fine. I switched from a stone to a steel because of Adam and am happy with the result. Thanks for your analysis!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

😉

[@gaelencarter4804]

It's worth remembering who Adam's audience is and what he's trying to accomplish with his videos. I think the point of avoiding a scale to measure flour was to make baking more accessible to a casual home cook, not to describe how one would make perfect dough in a professional kitchen.

[@nicolainielsen7700]

Except for the fact that most of the world measures flour by weight.

[@arson55]

Maybe. But most Americans don't have kitchen scales, and I'm guessing most of Adam's viewers are American.

[@777Nny]

You can buy a kitchen scale for cheap, it's not about accessibility.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I am but I could have been a lot harder with all of his videos that I have reviewed

[@arson55]

@@777Nny Sure. But most recipes over here are by volume. Hardcore foodies or serious bakers will have a scale, but for the average person it's not necessary. I cook more than most Americans, I think, given I cook at least one meal every day (and just cook in sufficient quantities to have leftovers for my other meals) but I certainly never bothered to pick up a scale. Because most of the time I'm just throwing together what suits me on a given day, and in the rare case I'm following a recipe the ingredients are all measured by volume.

[@tylerhamilton9056]

Another great video. I really like Adam as just a "regular Joe" home cook. Keep up the good work James!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thanks! Will do!

[@Maplecook]

I gotta take care of something urgent, so I'll run this in full, and then come back and watch it for real. All the love in the world to you, brother!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you very much buddy!!

[@Maplecook]

@@ChefJamesMakinson Okay, I finally came back and watched it, because (even though I am slow) I always keep my word. When he said that the first rise doesn't matter if it's at room temperature or not, I was like, "WTF?" Dude obviously doesn't know the difference between yeast action and bacterial action if he can say something like that. Temperature makes ALL the difference when working with yeast. I say that as a brewer, too. But whatever, it's his kitchen, and he can do whatever he wants, eh? hahaha

[@arthaal]

Nice! Been waiting for this vid for a while; haven't finished it, but the comment Adam makes on the stand mixer is a way to deter a very annoying type of comment that started showing up at around the time, in which people said "wow yeah of course you can make good food if you have that stand mixer!". A lot of cooking channels got an unreasonable amount of this comment that... honestly makes 0 sense.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I know what he meant and it is a good thing

[@abesouth3805]

Home cook here. I've been cooking pizza for years. One trick I was shown years ago was not to use flour (corn, semolina or other ) on the peel to make it slip. Use baking paper instead. No mess and really easy. You can buy nowadays baking paper cut into circles for whatever size pizza you want to bake.

[@JoannaHammond]

I love the autolyze method, let the dough knead itself to start with. Still needs a finishing knead but a lot less work. EDIT: As for weighing, I don't. I just go by the consistency of the dough, I like my dough to be a lot wetter than his and I can get that by look and feel.

[@graydomn]

You have to judge dough by consistency. Even if you weigh your flour different flours require more or less water.

[@gregorylewis4783]

Thanks! Again!! So happy

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you very much!

[@TenthElementGraphics]

The points you made from 5:40 to 6:27 really marks the difference between being a chef coming from working in restaurants, in comparison to being from an Italian family. When making pizza dough or making fresh pasta from scratch we don't ever measure flour. We go strictly from feel and texture. To paraphrase a joke from Uncle Roger, we add flour until our ancestors tell us it's enough. I could tell in a split second just from looking at his hand that more flour was needed, regardless of the dry flour still on the walls of the bowl and regardless that the dough wasn't fully kneaded. I will admit that this might not be the best way to teach a beginner that's brand new and needs exact steps to follow, but with a last name like Ragusea I totally understand why he does it the way he does it and also why he would show it to other people that way as well.

[@TenthElementGraphics]

P.S. ok I went and looked at the rest of this comment section. Sorry to give you more grief about it 😂 If anything, I would have nitpicked him using bread flour instead of type 00, even though he did mention it.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

That's okay.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

A home cook does not cook the same as a professional and because of this you need to make your life easier so you don't spend as much time in the kitchen. Now working in the kitchen professionally you pick up a lot of skills and tricks to make life easier so if I see someone that is doing something the hard way I will say something if I know that there's an easier way to do it. I like many others don't want to spend unnecessary time making something when it's not necessary.

[@JonCole]

Galbani whole milk mozz string cheese is pretty darn solid, I've also used it in a pinch just because I also like to snack on them. In my area you can also get them at wholesale clubs so I basically buy them in bulk 😋

[@mario7501]

I made my first fully homemade pizza a few months back. It is totally worth learning the stretching method and not rolling it out with a rolling pin. The crust is 100x better that way

[@debd6246]

Am I the only one who liked the first pizza more than the second?

[@combatLaCarie]

lol you two don't entirely understand each other. Adam is focusing on the home cook aspect. Making things easy. When shaping the pizza part of it was to fit the dimensions of the oven, the near rectangle was to match the rectangle of the oven, this wasn't a mistake. When he says taste like a lasagna, I highly doubt he's being literal, he's not saying cooked tomatoes suddenly taste like tomatoes+cheese+noodles etc. he's saying the cooked tomatoes taste like the cooked tomatoes in a lasagna. You are a much more precise person where he's intentionally not. Both approaches are important in this world! :)

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I'm focusing on a home cook as well there are a lot of shortcuts that we use in the kitchen that make life easier to make things that Adam doesn't know about

[@timotius17]

@@ChefJamesMakinson I would love to hear about these cooking shortcuts that make life easier. Please, share your secrets.

[@MrJruhl1]

I add oil while kneading the dough, as it generally results in a more clean mixing bowl - picking up any extra flour and preventing sticking.