text:
Polar Bear Protest To Follow POTUS
Above photo: Protesters stand outside the White House. | Courtesy Center for Biological Diversity
It's nearly Christmas, and Frostpaw the Polar Bear is coming to town. To Oahu, that is.
The Center for Biological Diversity's chief mascot, Frostpaw, has followed President Barack Obama on various vacations and to other high profile events, using the costume to draw attention to the organization's anti-Keystone pipeline message. The next stop is the First Family's upcoming Christmas vacation in Hawaii, where Frostpaw will stand in stark contrast to the beaches and palm trees.
"We want to keep the issue in front of him and the American people," said the Center's co-founder and Director of Policy Peter Galvin. "People really respond to the polar bear. [It] is one of the most potent symbols of climate change and it introduces a visual element to the issue and gets people to think about it. The contrast in certain locations, like Hawaii or Nebraska, is really effective."
The Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity works to protect endangered animals and advocate for other environmental issues, boasting about 625,000 members and online activists and 15 local chapters. Activists working with the center have followed the president to over a dozen fundraisers and other media-heavy events in the last year, capitalizing on the groundswell of crowds drawn by the president to magnify the organization's message about climate change and to push its anti-tar sands message.
"If polar bears — and the rest of us — are going to have a future on this planet, we need to address the climate crisis head on. Keystone may be thousands of miles away but the effects of climate change will be felt right here in Hawaii," said Valerie Love, the Center's Keystone campaigner, in a written statement.
The First Family won't have to worry about its vacation being ruined, however; the center isn't protesting Obama specifically, just trying to keep their message gets some airtime.
"We have no intention of disrupting the holidays for the President and family, we just want to make sure he knows that Americans from all states and all walks of life want a livable future. The actions will be fun and light, in the spirit of the season," Galvin said. "The president has got a real, real decision to make on this. A lot of his agenda items are blocked by Congress, but the keystone pipeline is his decision alone to make."


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Question of the Week: Homebuilt Dreams
A Washington State man has finally finished his tiny Dormoy Bathtub homebuilt after 60 years of effort.
Have you started and/or finished a homebuilt?
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subset: commoncrawl


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Halos bolster bullpen with righty Rasmus
By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com
ANAHEIM -- The Angels went back to a three-man bench for the second time in five days on Monday, calling up right-handed reliever Cory Rasmus and sending down third baseman Luis Jimenez.
Such is life without a traditional long reliever.
The Angels needed the extra arm after five relievers compiled 6 1/3 innings in Sunday's blowout loss to the Rangers. Rasmus, the 26-year-old who was acquired from the Braves for Scott Downs last July, had a 2.76 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 12 appearances in Triple-A Salt Lake and is capable of pitching more than one inning if necessary.
Ian Stewart figures to get the vast majority of the playing time at third base until David Freese returns from a non-displaced fracture in his right middle, perhaps as soon as May 18 if all goes right. John McDonald and Grant Green are also options at the hot corner, though Green will get a lot of action in left field.
With J.B. Shuck in Triple-A, and Josh Hamilton and Kole Calhoun on the disabled list, the Angels are down to four outfielders. One of them (Green) is a natural infielder; another (Raul Ibanez) is 41 years old and normally a designated hitter.
Ibanez's struggles allow room for Cron vs. righties
ANAHEIM -- C.J. Cron batted cleanup for Monday's series opener against the Yankees, which says a lot about how well the power-hitting prospect has fared against Major League pitching early on. But it may say even more about Raul Ibanez's struggles in general.
The left-handed-hitting Ibanez sat against an opposing right-hander -- in this case David Phelps -- for just the fourth time all year, due in large part to a .144/.222/.289 slash line through his first 27 games. If that continues, the 24-year-old Cron -- with five hits in his first nine Major League at-bats heading into Monday -- could take away a lot more of Ibanez's at-bats at designated hitter.
But Angels manager Mike Scioscia downplayed that notion pregame.
"Raul's going to play," Scioscia said. "We need him to find his way and hit. But on occasional days, we're going to mix and match a little bit. We'll let Raul exhale a little bit and relax and get back in there. C.J. is obviously swinging the bat well. We're going to try to find room in our lineup for guys that are swinging the bat well, and right now, he is."
Ibanez, 41, is hitless in his last four starts and has struck out 30 times, with a strikeout percentage of 30.3 that's on pace to easily top his career high (25.8 percent, set last season). But Ibanez has historically been a slow starter -- his .756 career OPS in April is his lowest of any month -- and Scioscia said Ibanez is fine physically.
He's just searching for some timing.
"He's trying to find his rhythm in the box," Scioscia said. "Sometimes he's a little up front, sometimes he's a little behind, sometimes he's swinging at some pitches that are a little bit out of the zone. There's probably a lot of factors to look at why he's struggling, and all that being said, his production numbers are still good. The number of guys he's driven in [17] is what you're looking for. He's hit some key home runs for us. It's definitely in there. He'll find it."
Pujols happy to DH in order to keep healthy
ANAHEIM -- Albert Pujols was back at first base on Monday, after spending the previous two games at designated hitter while nursing some tightness in his right hamstring.
Pujols initially hurt his hamstring while fielding a throw from Hector Santiago on Friday, then felt it grab on him while taking grounders at first base prior to Saturday's game and told Angels manager Mike Scioscia it would be best to use him at DH for a couple days.
Pujols said the injury wasn't serious, and that he would've played first base if it were a National League game, but the important point here is that he doesn't have to. Being able to utilize the DH spot whenever minor leg ailments pop up is an important avenue to keep the 34-year-old fresh for the long term.
"Definitely," said Pujols, who entered the series opener against the Yankees with a .287/.353/.598 slash line to go along with 10 homers and 25 RBIs. "You have to be smart. I've had other ailments in my legs. I don't want to have to tweak my knee or my plantar fasciitis. I need to be smart with that, protecting my hamstrings. It was something that I thought these two days could be a benefit, and they were."
Jeter: Trout 'can beat you in every way'
ANAHEIM -- The Southern California media learned two things about retiring Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter on Monday: He doesn't like the term "farewell tour," and he doesn't believe "hype" is an accurate description for what surrounds Mike Trout.
"I don't like the word hype around him," Jeter said prior to the opener of his final regular-season series at Angel Stadium. "It's all deserved. He can do everything. He can beat you in every way."
Trout grew up a Phillies fan in South New Jersey, but he idolized Jeter while growing up a shortstop, and told Jeter as much when the two met during the 2012 All-Star Game in Kansas City.
"It makes you feel good as a player when you have guys that come up and appreciate how you play the game, but he has a very, very bright future," Jeter said of Trout. "He's got a bright present, too."
Bright enough that the world has basically identified Trout, 22, as the new face of baseball; as the guy who will take the proverbial torch from Jeter and be the guy fans most identify with in this game.
Asked what sticks out most about Trout, Jeter, who will be honored by the Angels prior to Wednesday's game, said, "I don't think you pick one thing."
"It seems like he has a desire to keep improving," the Yankees' captain added. "He doesn't play the game like he knows he has it made. He plays hard. He runs every ball out, which when you've had the success like he's had for a couple of years, you like to see that. You like to see guys who play the game the right way."
Worth noting
• Dane De La Rosa (right s/c joint irritation) threw a scoreless inning in Salt Lake on Sunday, giving up one walk and no hits. Scioscia said De La Rosa's velocity "wasn't where it was a couple days ago, but still good. It's definitely a step forward." De La Rosa will have at least one more rehab outing.
• Sean Burnett, still recovering from August 2013 elbow surgery, threw in yet another extended spring training game in Arizona on Monday, and Scioscia said he "looked good." Burnett could start a rehab assignment after completing another one of those outings.
• Freese took ground balls with one hand on Monday and said his right middle finger, which suffered a non-displaced fracture on Friday, "feels better." He still can't hit or throw.
• Right fielder Calhoun (sprained right ankle) took live batting practice prior to Monday's game, and Scioscia said Calhoun's close to being able to jog on the field.
• Pujols took a Yu Darvish fastball to the front of his helmet on Sunday, but said he felt perfectly fine on Monday and didn't require any concussion tests.
Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Gonzo and "The Show", and follow him on Twitter @Alden_Gonzalez. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Topic: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters) (Read 9673 times)
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Registered User
Posts: 45
My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
December 22, 2011, 05:57:24 PM »
As per
this other recent steel plate thread
(and to gain Scott123's valued insight into flour):
Since it seems that - for pizza cooking in a home oven - steel plate is "the new black", I recently picked up a 12mm x 400mm x 400mm (that's 1/2" x 16 x 16 for you imperial types) chunk of steel from a local engineering shop.
I used it to bake pizzas for the first time the other day using a straight, simple dough - strong white flour, 58% hydration, 2.6% salt, 0.7% yeast with overnight cold ferment.
Oven heated to 550-560 degrees (Fahrenheit) for one hour. It's a fan forced electric oven, with a single element only located on the rear wall (behind a shield where the fan is). I don't have an infrared thermometer, so couldn't measure the steel plate temperature.
I did three pies (one of which was a garlic bread) - all turned out similarly. I'll get some pictures online soon once I'm reunited with my home PC, but in essence, they turned out nicely - and a definite improvement over my thin ceramic stone. Crispier crust on the outer edge (with a bit less oven spring - although I think I only used 0.5% yeast in this mix), and a crispier base crust - not soggy like previously. My bake times were around 5 minutes.
Overall pretty happy, and will definitely continue to work with it. That steel is one heavy mutha!
1) Some pies do seem to need a turn to be fully evened out. The fan forced bake does a reasonable job of evening out the oven temps from front (the door) to back (where the heating element is).
2) I use Champion 'Beta Strong' flour, which is readily obtainable from wholesale food warehouses here. Here's the guff:
It does well for all my pizza, pasta and bread-making kneads.
[EDIT: corrected plate thickness to 12mm]
Last Edit: December 23, 2011, 02:43:26 AM by breadman_nz
Registered User
Posts: 104
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #1 on:
December 22, 2011, 06:27:11 PM »
I think you meant 12mm thick.
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #2 on:
December 24, 2011, 08:39:42 AM »
Breadman, according to the specs for the flour, it's 12% protein. For NY style, 12% isn't horrible, but it's not ideal either. Ideally, you want to be in the 12.5-12.7 realm and even a bit higher if you want something with a little more chew.
You might be able to work around the lack of protein in the flour with a little more kneading, maybe, but I think if you really want to do justice to the style, I'd keep your eye out for stronger flours.
Is the dough doubled by the time you used it the next day? If it is, it's enough yeast. If it isn't, add some more. If it went beyond double and began to deflate, than use less.
58% hydration might be about the absorption value for your flour. In my experience, as you go above the absorption value, the tendency is to gain oven spring but develop more gluten/lose a little tenderness. In your particular instance, because of the protein deficiency of your flour, you could stand to develop more gluten with some more water. The only question is manageability. As you add more water, the dough could get too slack and a bit too sticky to work with. I would still give more water a shot, though- maybe 62%, and see how it feels.
2.6% salt is more of a Neapolitan quantity. I might be wrong about this, but I think, with your particular rear element oven, you most likely will never be able to produce Neapolitan bake times with it, so, until you get a WFO, I'd stick to NY style ratios. For NY style, 1.5% to 2% salt is more in line.
Some photos would be especially helpful. Your unique oven element placement could require a specialized approach, but I won't know what that might be I until I get a better sense of what you're getting out of it now. I'm a little concerned that the vertical element might not give you enough top browning- if that's the case, then we're going to need to take a different approach than steel.
Registered User
Posts: 45
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #3 on:
December 24, 2011, 02:45:25 PM »
Thanks for the tips - good stuff to work on!
I can cut the 12% with some gluten flour (calculated) to up the protein content a few points, since I haven't come across a stronger flour here in NZ. I thought you were going to suggest tipo "00" for a minute, which is available here (yes, it's a milling process rather than a composition). I'm sure I've seen the Beta listed previously with a higher protein content - and it certainly provides more than ample chew at it's current rate (not that I've compared it, mind).
I'm a fan of neopolitan-style pies - but yes, the home oven is a LONG way from the 1000F ceiling of a good wood-fire. The WFO is in the 5-year pipeline, definitely (it partly depends on the WAF). I love the Tony Gimignano demonstration of his award-winning pie:
. It's the reason for the dough formula I'm using (higher salt), along with the fact the 60-62% is a bit sticky and saggy to work with (I find). I could go to 60% and harden up, I suppose
When I'm back home after Christmas break I'll get some photos of the pies and the oven up for further analysis. In the meantime, I can';t resist sharing this excellent site about WFO's and especially the tools they do - I'm saving up for one of their mezzalunas:
(no commercial interest to declare
Registered User
Posts: 45
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #4 on:
December 30, 2011, 10:19:49 PM »
Photos as promised. The more I look at these, the more undercooked these pies seem (were nice enough to eat though!). Outer crust not quite charred enough and toppings a bit underdone. The nicely charred base of the first pie was from the slightly better done one (the first I cooked - with about a minute recovery time for the steel plate).
Without the top element (=broiler), I'm guessing I can't get a 4-5 minute pie.
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Last Edit: December 31, 2011, 03:07:01 AM by breadman_nz
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #5 on:
January 01, 2012, 01:49:42 AM »
Breadman, please don't add gluten flour. Gluten flour is damaged gluten, and doesn't benefit bread other than some additional chewiness, which I'm not sure you want. Either stick with the beta or track down a higher protein flour.
Gemignani is a champion thrower, but, I'd never take Neapolitan pizza advice from him, at least not around the time of that video (he has since acquired a lot of knowledge). Regardless of where you get your advice from, now that I've seen photos, I can promise you that there's no chance you will ever get a Neapolitan bake time out of your oven. Sorry
The steel plate only seems to compound the top heat issue and may be hurting more than helping.
If you can't get a Neapolitan bake time, then it's critical that you go with a more NYish amount of salt, as that much salt will impact fermentation, which, for your oven, you want to encourage. Because of your oven limitation, you really should embrace NY style pizza across the board by adding some oil to your formula.
You had mentioned hitting a 5 minute bake time previously. Could you tell me about your previous stone?
Btw, those are very nice looking pizzas. Not Neapolitan, but, for NY, pretty respectable. What kind of cheese is that?
Registered User
Posts: 45
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #6 on:
January 01, 2012, 04:53:09 PM »
Heh - too late!
I've made Glutenboy's NY formula for tonight's bake (
) and chucked in a few grams of 79% pure gluten flour according to this calculator (
) to go from 12 to 14%. It's gonna be a chewy sucker I bet (given the Beta is already chewy). I have to say, I'm still a bit skeptical that the Beta is only 12%, but I suppose you have to go by the label.
I didn't add oil (as per the glutenboy formula) but there is oil spray around each dough ball. Interestingly, glutenboy's formula also uses 2.5% salt. This dough isn't too sticky at 61% - I'm guessing adding some gluten flour has sucked up some water.
I've accepted my non-Neopolitan fate and will work on my NY-style pies until the WFO is running. All journeys have a beginning - mine and Gemignani's!
I'm gonna put the pizza steel near the top of the oven tonight (it was previously low-middle) to see if I can get the pizza top in a relatively hotter place to the steel.
The pies pictured above were at the 4-5 minute mark - before this (using a ubiquitous thin, round ceramic "pizza" stone) I hadn't quite been able to hit this low. My oven does get to 560-570F, so it's not terrible, if you don't take into account what I THINK is a single, posterior element (I'm trying to confirm its conformation presently). We will only be in this house for another year, and the type of oven will definitely be a consideration in the new house!
At least we do get good to very good cheese here in NZ. The stuff on these pies is fairly standard supermarket mozzarella (
). I do use mozzarella di buffala when I want to go tradizionale.
EDIT: Yep - single posterior element (
) .... oh well, it was a cheap 2nd hand oven and better than our old gas oven which rusted out. Will get one of these next time (
EDIT 2: Ah-haaaa - high grade wheat flour. 13.5%. (
Last Edit: January 01, 2012, 08:45:43 PM by breadman_nz
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #7 on:
January 01, 2012, 08:44:08 PM »
Yup, it's going to be chewy. Do you have a dog? It could end up being a good chew toy
I think it's time to retire the steel as well- as a hearth. You might be able to bolster the top heat a bit by using it as a ceiling. You still have the sillimanite stone floating around, right? If you have 4 shelves, I'm thinking that if you put the sillimanite on the lower middle shelf and the steel on the upper middle, that probably won't give you much of a gap, so try lower middle for the sillimanite and top shelf for the steel. Ideally, you want the vertical gap as small as possible, but still large enough to comfortably launch a pizza.
Could you snap a photo of your oven sensor? I think, in order to get the most out of the sillimanite, you might want to due a gentle trick to buy you 25 or so more degrees.
Btw, I'm sorry for recommending steel plate to you without knowing more about your oven. I saw the higher peak oven temps and jumped to the conclusion that it was electric and had a conventional element arrangement. It is electric, but that rear element is definitely not conventional.
Registered User
Posts: 45
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #8 on:
January 01, 2012, 10:45:37 PM »
No worries ... the joy is the journey, as well as the destination! Who was to know it was such a weird, slightly cheaply designed oven (certainly not me!).
I can reuse the steel plate as an oven mod now, and very likely in the not-too-distant future when I move house and have a more conventional oven (before the WFO). I donated the sillaminite plate to my brother as a house-warming gift, so it's being put to good use in his oven for bread (and sometimes pizza) baking. I plan to get the Best Manufacturers Pizza Stone (
) to further this sojourn.
Anyway, I got me some pies to make for tea - the dough won't get itself out of the fridge!
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #9 on:
January 02, 2012, 12:22:50 AM »
If it's not too late, please don't buy that stone
It's a bit too thin and most likely, by the time you factor in shipping, three times what you'd pay for a good kiln shelf. Call around to some ceramic suppliers, you've got to have at least one in your area. Can your oven handle a 17" square stone? Ideally, for a 16" pizza (and, eventually, you're going to want to do a 16" pizza), you'll want at least a 17" stone. 17 x 17 x 3/4 or 17 x 17 x 1 is good too. If your oven can fit an 18" square stone, even better.
Edit: If you haven't already, here's some places to call:
Here's one more:
It seems like sillimanite is the norm for kiln shelves. Any chance you could borrow your brother's sillimanite for some testing? It might be perfect for your needs, but I'd hate to spend the money on another sillimanite shelf only to find out that it doesn't quite have the specs you need.
Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 12:59:15 AM by scott123
Registered User
Posts: 45
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #10 on:
January 02, 2012, 02:19:45 AM »
Gun shy on the recommendations now, eh Scott?
I had wondered about that Best Stone - looks like it's only 1/2 or 5/8th thick as far as I can tell. There's another one on Amazon (old stone oven:
) which is a bit cheaper ($113NZD) is made of cordierite and - including shipping to NZ - still works out cheaper than the Best stone ($137 NZD).
Thanks for the kiln shelf links. I'll try to nab my brother's sometime to test it on the lower middle shelf, with the steel plate up top - although I'm perfectly happy to purchase another, since I'd also use it for baking bread. My current oven will just take a 16" x 16" stone/steel - no larger. Luckily that appears to be a standard kiln shelf size (x 5/8 or 3/4 inch thick). The sillimanite kiln shelf I bought my brother was $120 - so unless the other guys are cheaper, it works out similar price to the other options. I consider it to be part of the trade-off for living on an isolated island in the South Pacific.
Anyway, on to tonight's bake with the steel plate on the top shelf. Photos 1&2 is the location of the plate and the temperature probe. The oven gets good and hot, and after an hour's preheat it was up to 570F (300C). The location of the rear element is problematic for two reasons:
1) the top doesn't cook as rapidly as it needs to - resulting in around 5 minute bakes for both of these pies. With 5 minute bakes, the top is only just done, and it could be argued, underdone a touch. With the steel plate, the bottom is nicely crisp with a mild char - some would argue overdone, but it's really just about right for my tastes.
2) The rear of the oven, near the element, is obviously warmer than the front. The 3rd photo of the whole pie clearly shows an unevenly cooked rim. Nothing a rotate couldn't solve, buts it's an extra step and means the oven is opened (losing heat).
The subsequent photos are of the pie itself. Good spring, perfect chew, crisp outside, a bit of droop but still a crisp base. Not bad IMHO.
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Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #11 on:
January 02, 2012, 04:25:07 AM »
Gun shy... funny
As far as retail baking stones, the old stone is pretty popular and pretty well made, but it's still a retail stone, and thus, inferior to a kiln shelf. It doesn't say it on the page, but I think that stone is 1/2" thick, with feet that give it another 1/4". I'm still not 100% sure how sillimanite will perform. I know it's a very close relative to cordierite, but I can't say for certain. Ideally, I'd really like to see you get a 1" cordierite shelf. The cordierite should work very nicely to get you great bake times at 600- which is right about where you're going to get your oven to.
I did a little more digging and found one more NZ ceramic supplier. It's at the bottom of this list:
Good news on the temperature probe. You should be able to unclip that quite easily and slip something insulating around it. Perhaps when you order the kiln shelve, you can order a small patch of fiber blanket as well and use that as a pouch.
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Posts: 45
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #12 on:
January 02, 2012, 08:01:11 PM »
Lunchtime's bake today.
I wrapped a piece of aluminium foil around the temperature probe and got the oven up to 600F (at least that's as high as my oven thermometer reads). This needed around 65 minutes pre-heat time.
The steel tray was on the top shelf (as above) to provide some radiant heat from above. I used my cheap, old round ceramic stone on the middle shelf to bake on.
Much nicer tops - the cornicone is evenly browned without any turns required. The bottoms are a tad less charred than I'd like.
The best news:
the pies below were at exactly the 4 minutes bake time nirvana
. If I can just get a hint more char from below, I'll be happy with this set up.
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Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:05:26 PM by breadman_nz
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #13 on:
January 02, 2012, 08:13:26 PM »
Getting there, definitely getting there.
This is still one of the gluten flour batches, right?
Tell me about (and/or take a photo of) this cheap circular stone. What's the thickness?
What's the vertical gap between the steel and the stone? How comfortable was the launch? Do you think you might be able to work with an even smaller vertical gap?
1" or 3/4" sillimanite/cordierite and I think you should be good to go.
Was the foil on the probe the whole time or did you add it later during the pre-heat?
Now that that oven setup is coming into focus, I think it's time we had the cheese talk
Is that mozzarella? Do you have different brands of mozzarella to choose from?
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Posts: 45
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #14 on:
January 02, 2012, 08:36:41 PM »
Thrilled to have almost graduated to the cheese talk already
. It's a grated 100% mozzarella - just some generic cow's milk supermarket stuff (
). The pie above used pre-grated (which my wife thinks is being lazy). When going tradizionale, I get some fresh hand made mozzarella di buffala. A few cheap brands to choose from (
); and good artisanal cheeses available at the local delicatessen.
Yep - still one of the 14% gluten batches. Will probably try a Lehman next - 2% salt and, say, 1% oil. I would like to get these pies stretched out a little more. I'm currently using 300g dough balls and getting to around 13"-13.5". The dough today was quite resistant to staying stretched out. I'm prevaricating on whether to add the gluten powder next time, and have my eye on some 13.5% protein flour (
Vertical gap is 11cm from the top of the ceramic stone to the bottom of the steel plate. I could probably just launch the pies into a 10cm gap, but not much narrower than that. So I could just use a thicker base stone OK.
The thin ceramic stone is 3/8" thick - and is this exact make & model:
The foil was on the whole time ... with the location of the probe and hot steel plate, I wouldn't like to try to fiddle with it once things were hot!
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #15 on:
January 02, 2012, 10:25:08 PM »
Breadman, the cheese talk certificate of completion is in the mail. It's quite nice. Suitable for hanging
Seriously, though, I'm not certain about the grated cheese, but the 'expensive' galaxy mozzarella, is, imo, most definitely not mozzarella. I would stick to the grated cheese and/or try some other options. Fresh mozzarella (high moisture) (fior de latte, bufala) isn't really suitable for your bake time. Maybe once you get the thicker stone, and trim the bake time a bit further, you might be able to play around with those. In the meantime, though, try to find a brand that comes in both grated and brick versions and buy the brick and grate it yourself. That tends to be the best for this style.
I can't speak for NZ, but here in NY, money doesn't always buy you better mozzarella. The cheapest stuff is frequently the best. At least on the retail end. There's commercial mozzarella that runs circles around the retail stuff. Keep your eye out for mozzarella that's white and firm.
How chewy was this last pie? It looked a bit chewy to me. Don't prevaricate on the gluten flour. Omit it. It tastes horrible and brings no benefit to your crust.
I'm backtracking on the higher gluten flour. If you tell me the beta tends to be chewy, then I believe you. Instead of ramping up the protein, I highly recommend increasing the hydration. Lehmann is 65%, but that's too high for your flour.
Beta + 61% hydration + 2% oil. No gluten flour. With your current setup, it will be a bit paler on the bottom, but it will be a marked improvement over this last pie. Once you get the kiln shelf, this flour/hydration will rock your world
It will be a bit sticky/droopy/hard to work with, but if you want to enter the realm of sublime pizza, you're going to have to get used to it. Use plenty of flour, don't toss it (obviously) and stretch it carefully. The best pizza (and bread) doughs are always a bit difficult to handle.
The impetus to stretch them a bit more is a good one. If you can stretch it to 14, that would really help, both aesthetically and with oven spring. Thinner dough will translate into faster bakes, which is anther added plus- or more color in the same amount of time.
We've all used stones like that at one time another. For what it is, you're getting a lot out of it, but, as I know you're aware, a kiln shelf is a gargantuan leap forward.
Last Edit: January 03, 2012, 01:30:47 AM by scott123
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Posts: 45
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #16 on:
January 03, 2012, 06:29:58 AM »
Dare I suggest a two steel plate setup? One for baking, the other ~10cm above to provide the top broiler effect? A second steel plate would be slightly cheaper than the sillimanite shelf, but at the cost of being less useful for other baking uses. Decisions, decisions....
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #17 on:
January 03, 2012, 01:32:08 PM »
Breadman, a steel hearth wouldn't work. Right now, at 600, your steel ceiling is giving you about a 4 minute bake on the top. If you lower that temp, the top won't bake as fast. You need that 600- and maybe a little higher. At 600, a steel hearth will burn your pizza long before the 4 minutes required for good top browning.
At least, 600 with 1/2" steel plate. 1/4" steel plate... that's another story. I know 1/4" steel plate, at 550, doesn't have the thermal mass for less than a 6 minute bake, so, perhaps 600 might work, although I can't make any guarantees. 575 might be the magic number that gives you the 4 minute bake on the bottom, and, at this point, you don't want to lower the heat on the top plate a single degree. I also wouldn't go any thinner than 1/4" as there's a chance thinner gauge steel might warp. Here, I can get 1/4" x 16 x 16 for less than $25, but, considering the price you paid for 1/2", it will most likely be considerably more. There's a chance 1/4" could work, but I'd hate, at this point, for you to shell out for yet another stone and have it not work perfectly for you.
If I had to bet on 3/4" sillimanite vs. 1/4" steel, I'd definitely go with 3/4" sillimanite. If anything, the sillimanite might need slightly higher temps than 600 to achieve the 4 minute bake, which, with your probe, should be pretty easy to achieve. It's better to use a material that requires a slightly higher temp, rather than one that might require a lower temp, since your ceiling doesn't have any flexibility when it comes to temp reduction.
I don't normally recommend these, because I don't find them very durable, but, considering the price you're paying for kiln shelves, you might want to look into quarry tiles- ideally 1/2" if you can find them.
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Posts: 45
Re: My Steel Plate Experience (and other matters)
Reply #18 on:
January 29, 2012, 09:24:38 PM »
Ahhhhhhhh! The sweet taste and smell of satisfation!
I finally got my steel plate in the top of the oven, matched up with a 3/4"x16x16" sillimanite kiln shelf.
The oven took about two hours to heat up to temperature with this hefty stone combination - but eventually got to at least 600F (my oven thermometer doesn't go any higher). The element was still on at this temperature.
As a result, the pie below was exactly 4 minutes. It was actually looking pretty done at around 3:30-3:45, depending on taste. Bottom crust is just how I like it, and nice puffed cornicone with crispy exterior and chewy interior.
As per Scott123, I used a NY-style dough: 61% hydration, 2% olive oil, 2% salt, 0.5% IDY. Two days of refrigeration, followed by a reball 1 hour prior to baking. Not the most aesthetic of pies - that'll come with practice, I hope - but I finally have the taste and texture I'm happy with. The 2% oil is nice, just softens the finished product a little, without sacrificing the chew, and the 2% salt is less 'harsh' and drying on the palate. The 0.5% IDY is pretty aggressive in the fridge, and needed a couple of punch downs. I might try 0.4% next time, but this had a great oven spring:
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(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Oct. 1, 2013) More than 25 of the top undergraduate students at California Lutheran University will present their research findings to the public at the 10th Annual Student Research Symposium from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in Ahmanson Science Center.
With guidance from faculty mentors, the students conducted research in the fields of biochemistry, bioengineering and applied physics, biology, chemistry, communication, computer science, exercise science, global studies, mathematics, psychology and religion.
Six students will give oral presentations from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in Richter Hall. Visitors can talk one-on-one with students presenting their results in demonstrations and posters from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Atrium. Refreshments will be served.
Many of the students spent the summer working full time on their projects in collaboration with faculty mentors. Original results shared at the symposium are presented at professional conferences throughout the country and may be published in peer-reviewed journals.
Ahmanson Science Center is located on Memorial Parkway between Regent and Pioneer avenues on the Thousand Oaks campus.
Admission to the symposium, which is sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship, is free. For a complete schedule, visit www.callutheran.edu/OURCS. For more information, call 805-493-3796 or email email@example.com.


text:
Get Stuff We Love
While salon professionals make it look easy, creating your ideal 'do at home can present quite a challenge. From the hottest tools to the newest breakthroughs, TODAY style editor and Bobbie.com's Bobbie Thomas has rounded up some of her favorite hair products aimed at helping you tame your tresses.
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The Houston Dynamo Academy was launched in early 2007 with little more than a coach and a vague hope to find and develop local players and give them a shot at professional soccer with their hometown team. How far it has come in only three years.
On Tuesday, Dynamo Director of Youth Development James Clarkson watched proudly as the Dynamo first team welcomed its second ever player - and first field player - from the Dynamo Academy, presented by Statoil, in Francisco Navas Cobo.
The significance of the occasion was not lost on Clarkson, head coach Dominic Kinnear, or Chief Operating Officer Chris Canetti.
"It's a great day for the organization to have a young man come through our academy and join the professional ranks," Canetti said. "The system has worked in this case in Francisco. We believe our Academy has given him this platform and opportunity, one that probably wouldn't have existed without the Dynamo Academy."
To be sure, Navas Cobo has only spent the last seven months as a member of the Dynamo Academy, and Canetti was quick to praise Navas Cobo's talent and work ethic. But the opportunity to be noticed by first-team coaches came only through participation in and excellence at the academy level.
He quickly became a starter for the Dynamo's competitive U-18 team, which tops the Texas Division of the USSF Development Academy league as it prepares to resume league play in April. But not everything came easily. Navas Cobo seemed a little unsure of himself through the first four games, but a goal in a comeback win against the FC Dallas Juniors on October 25 - the second in a six-game winning streak - inspired his confidence.
Playing as a wing in a hybrid 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation, Navas Cobo began to have more confidence in his one-on-one ability, his passing, and his finishing, meshing with his talented teammates to produce some wonderful soccer at the high school level. He was named national player of the week after dominating in a 4-1 win over Internationals and a 3-1 win over the Columbus Crew in November.
He also caught the eye of Kinnear, who watched his progress in the fall with interest.
"James is always very forthcoming with information about players he feels are good enough for us to invite in," Kinnear said. "We went out and saw Francisco play a couple of times and felt that it would be good for us to look at him in the preseason."
Midfielders Sebastien Ibeagha, a Division I commit, and Bryan Celis, now with the U.S. U-17 residency program, trained with the Dynamo first team last summer, but Navas Cobo stood out even from his teammates and shined against college players like North Carolina's Alex Dixon in the December Dynamo Academy Showcase.
That earned him an invite to preseason training with the big boys, and less than three months later, Navas Cobo is under contract with the first team after proving himself against players more than 15 years his elder. He joins goalkeeper Tyler Deric as Dynamo Academy products on the roster, and they're not just there to make up the numbers.
"We're not doing this to be good guys," Kinnear said. "We would never do it if we did not think it was merited. He absolutely deserves this chance to be with us, and not only that, but hopefully he continues to progress and gets on the field on a weekly basis in front of you all over at Robertson. ... Welcome, Francisco, the hard work has just begun, but we do think you have the drive and the attitude to succeed and continue to be a good player that will become a great player."
Kinnear, Clarkson, and the Dynamo Academy expect to produce many more such opportunities for Houston-area players to make their mark on the professional game. After all, it's only been three years.


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Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame Voting opens April 13
Five individuals, representing more than 200 years of service in cattle production medicine, have been selected by their peers as nominees for the Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame.
The Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame was established in 2011 to celebrate the rich traditions of production veterinary medicine by honoring the exceptional men and women who have made lasting contributions to the veterinary profession.
"This year's nominees are true pioneers in cattle production medicine," said Mark Spire, D.V.M., technical services manager for Merck Animal Health. "Each nominee deserves this prestigious award because of how his work has changed the landscape of the industry."
Five organizations sponsor the hall of fame including the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC), Bovine Veterinarian, Merck Animal Health and Osborn & Barr.
The voting process
Inductees will be selected by their peers, and all AABP and AVC members are eligible to vote for one beef and one dairy veterinarian. Voting begins April 13 during the AVC business meeting in Washington, D.C.
Voting will continue until Aug. 4, 2012, through the following methods:
In person at the AVC spring and summer conferences:
April 12 14 in Washington, D.C., and August 2 4 in Kansas City, Mo.
Online at www.aabp.org/halloffame and www.avc-beef.org.
One beef and one dairy veterinarian will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at a banquet Sat., Sept. 22, during the annual AABP convention in Montreal. The award winners will join inaugural inductees Drs. Harold Amstutz and Dan Upson in the Hall of Fame.
Beef nominees
Dr. John Herrick was an Iowa native and received his bachelor's, master's and veterinary medical degrees from Iowa State University. He practiced large-animal medicine before returning to Iowa State University, where he spent 35 years as a professor of veterinary clinical science and extension veterinarian. He pioneered the concept of preconditioning programs for weaned calves, which led to the Iowa "Green Tag" program. Dr. Herrick played a leading role in starting the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the Society for Theriogenology, the use of artificial insemination and semen production standards. He also is known for his work on brucellosis and mastitis. He was a past president of American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Iowa Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Extension Veterinarians. Until his death in 2007, Dr. Herrick spent his retirement years as an animal-health consultant in Paradise Valley, Ariz.
Dr. Don Williams is a Texas native and received his veterinary medical degree from Texas A&M University. After 18 years in private practice in Texas and Oklahoma, he became the first company veterinarian for Hitch Enterprises in Guymon, Okla. He later moved into feedlot management for Henry C. Hitch Feedlot. Dr. Williams developed the first national preconditioning program and was instrumental in developing large-scale cattle health programs, feedlot personnel training and scientific-based approaches to animal-health management. He is a founding member of AVC and served on the organizing board of AABP. Dr. Williams also served as president of the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association, AABP and the National Cattlemen's Foundation.
Dairy nominees
Dr. Lee Allenstein was born in Lamont, Iowa, and received his veterinary medical degree from Iowa State University. He practiced for more than 40 years in Whitewater, Wis., where he was known as "Doc." An expert in progressive veterinary medicine, he wrote more than 350 columns for Hoard's Dairyman. He was a driving force in establishing the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, where he later became a clinical professor and faculty associate. He earned the Student Chapter AVMA Clinical Teacher Award in 1991 for his contribution to student laboratory teaching, clinical practice skills and business management. Dr. Allenstein served as World Dairy Expo's chief veterinarian for more than 25 years and continued to assist until his death in 2011. He was an honorary member of the World Dairy Expo Klussendorf Society, National Dairy Shrine Guest of Honor, and AABP Practitioner of the Year.
Dr. Jim Jarrett, a Georgia native, earned his bachelor's degree from Berry College in Rome, Ga., and his veterinary medical degree from the University of Georgia. After practicing for five years, he worked for the state of Georgia, developing one of the first milk-quality programs in the nation. He later returned to private practice and established a dairy-production consulting business. Dr. Jarrett was a widely-known expert in milk quality, dairy nutrition and reproductive management. He co-founded the AABP Quality Milk Pre-conference Seminar and was active in the World Buiatrics Association, AVMA and AABP. He also served as AABP president and executive vice president. Dr. Jarrett received many awards, including AABP Practitioner of the Year, the Amstutz-Williams Award and Georgia Veterinary Medical Association Veterinarian of the Year.
Dr. Elmer Woelffer grew up on a family farm in rural Wisconsin. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his veterinary medical degree from Cornell University. After graduation, he worked as a farm manager and veterinarian for H.P. Hood & Sons and Pabst Farms. He then entered private practice, retaining Pabst Farms as a client. He remained a private practitioner in Oconomowoc, Wis., until his death in 1995. Many consider Dr. Woelffer the father of bovine reproductive programs. He integrated sound scientific principles into reproductive programs and authored a herd-health column in Hoard's Dairyman. He was a member of the AVMA Executive Board and Professional Liability Trust. He received numerous awards, including the AABP Award for Excellence in Dairy Preventative Medicine and the Amstutz-Williams Award. He also was an honorary lifetime member of the AABP.
About Merck Animal Health
Today's Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com.


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Coffee's Mysterious Benefits Mount
From lowered cancer risks to a sharper memory, more studies are showing that coffee is good for you – but why?
Regular coffee drinkers have a 39 percent decreased risk of head and neck cancer, according to a new study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Those who drank an estimated four or more cups a day had significantly fewer cancers of the mouth and throat than non coffee drinkers, the study found.
"Coffee contains more than a thousand chemicals, some of which have antioxidant and antimutagenic activities," Mia Hashibe, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Utah and the study's lead researcher, told Life's Little Mysteries. "Further research is necessary to identify which ingredients in coffee are responsible for the results we observed in our study."
Scientists are still trying to determine exactly what it is about coffee that gives it its disease-fighting properties, but recent research is getting closer to unlocking the mysterious power behind the energizing brew.
Your brain on coffee
Coffee may be good for the brain, too. A study earlier this year by neuroscientists at the University of Lisbon showed that drinking coffee can help to prevent the neural degeneration associated with brain disorders and aging. The scientists found that drinking up to four cups of coffee a day over a long period of time actually prevented the deterioration of memory.
Other research has shown that coffee is good for the cardiovascular system. Women who drank one to three cups of java a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent, according to the Iowa Women's Health Study that tracked 27,000 women for 15 years, although it was noted that this benefit diminished as the quantity of coffee rose above three cups.
And while coffee has been given a bad rap for supposedly upping the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease, scientific studies have revealed the contrary. Drinking coffee lowers the risk of stroke by 19 percent among women, according to a 2009 Harvard Medical School study that tracked the coffee habits and stroke occurrences among 83,000 American women for nearly a quarter century.
Article continues: http://www.livescience.com/health/coffees-mysterious-benefits-mount-1006222.html


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Then (1983):
Now (2013 technically):
Seems they are paying homage to the original quite heavily. Which is a good thing.
Which also makes sense considering Sam Raimi (Original Director), Robert Tapert (Orig. Producer), and Bruce effin' Campbell are all Producing the flick.
This is going to be good. Not many things make me squirm ... this trailer made me do it like 4 times.


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Instead, he came back to the Arkansas community where he spent his Sundays in a Baptist church and heard kids call him gay slurs in school, to show that he stands with young gay people in small towns across the country, not just on the coasts.
"One's state's borders should not determine one's rights," said Griffin, the new president of the Human Rights Campaign.
Arkansas helped shape Griffin into the leader he is today: a man uniquely qualified to fight a civil rights battle that will be difficult, even after President Barack Obama came out in support of same-sex marriage this year. As the first Southerner to head the Washington-based group, Griffin has a knack for translating the fight for gay rights into language familiar to people in the Bible Belt. He sometimes borrows phrases from the pulpit — brothers and sisters, God's children — to advocate equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
"This is nothing more than the golden rule," Griffin told community leaders during his visit last month. "Treat others as you wish to be treated."
It's a lesson that echoed throughout his childhood, which was steeped in Arkansas' cultural history of discrimination against African-Americans fighting for the same rights afforded to whites. In 1957, the state's governor and hundreds of protesters famously tried to stop nine black students — the Little Rock Nine — from entering Central High School.
"If you remember those famous photos from the '60s and the civil rights movement, you didn't only see African-Americans marching down the street," Griffin said. "You saw them marching arm in arm with their white brothers and sisters."
So, too, does Griffin want the fight for gay rights to extend beyond the usual suspects.
Griffin has shown he's up to that challenge by "building bridges to communities that we never expected to support us ..." said screenwriter and gay rights activist Dustin Lance Black, who spent part of his childhood in Texas. "And now (he's) going after people from our neck of the woods."
Griffin was born in Hope, as were Clinton and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and grew up about 45 miles northeast in Arkadelphia. As a teen, he worked part-time at a local Walmart and did well in his classes, even as some of his peers called him nasty gay slurs.
"I wasn't even out to myself at the time, so I guess those people knew before I did," Griffin said.
Looking back, Griffin said he didn't know that he knew a gay person when he was growing up in Arkansas. Not that he lacked for role models, finding them in his family, community and in the state Capitol.
Griffin said he was inspired that "someone like President Clinton could come from a small town and rise and do ultimately what he did." So, Griffin went the political route, first as a page in Clinton's state Capitol, later as part of his presidential campaign and ultimately following him to the White House as part of the communications team.
There among Washington's movers and shakers, Griffin found his next challenge when actor-director Rob Reiner convinced him to move to California and run a charitable foundation.
Griffin, now 38, came out in his late 20s. And when he flew home to surprise his mom for her retirement ceremony as a school principal, he told her what she already knew: He's gay.
His mother looked at him and asked, "Did you think I would love you any less?"
Several years later, Griffin became the brains behind the historic legal challenge to California's same-sex marriage ban, known as Proposition 8, which voters approved in 2008. Without ever going to law school, he assembled an unlikely legal team — high-profile lawyers who represented both George Bush and Al Gore in the disputed 2000 presidential election — and found two same-sex couples willing to share their stories.
That case took another step toward the U.S. Supreme Court last month and David Blankenhorn, the chief witness who testified in favor of the ban, recently came out in favor of gay and lesbian unions.
Meanwhile, among advertisements for bingo games and lemonade pie in an Arkadelphia restaurant, Griffin began his next chapter as a gay rights leader, listening intently as community leaders shared small signs of progress. He received a warm welcome home: Dozens showed up for breakfast, and about 200 people turned out for his chat in Little Rock with Arkansas' lone openly gay lawmaker, state Rep. Kathy Webb.
But Griffin's message isn't widely accepted here, where in 2004 under Huckabee, about three-quarters of voters backed an amendment to the state's constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.
"That can only be changed with another constitutional amendment," Gov. Mike Beebe told a group of high school students recently. "I don't see it happening in the foreseeable future."
Although Beebe and other top Arkansas Democrats oppose same-sex marriage, Griffin said he doesn't write anyone off.
"I think so, too, will Mike Huckabee support full equality for LGBT people soon," he said.
After all, the state's Supreme Court last year rejected a law that effectively banned gay and lesbian couples from adopting or fostering children.
Someday, Griffin said, he'd like to marry and have a family of his own. He is seeing a man from Massachusetts, but is quick to point out that he's not fighting for gay rights just for himself.
"My motivation really is the young people," Griffin said.
He met with some of them in Little Rock, including a 19-year-old college student, who is the daughter of a Pentecostal preacher. She started questioning her sexuality several years ago, and when her parents found out, she was sent to a camp to "pray the gay away."
When she came back, she lied and told them she was straight.
The student, who spoke on condition of anonymity because her parents don't know she is gay, said she has come out to some of her friends, but doesn't want to lose her parents.
She said Griffin inspired her to do more for gay rights, and her voice shook as she asked Griffin how she could get her foot in the door.
"Kick that door down," Griffin said.