Tony G's micro-blisters on the Cornicione

[flash-back]

I saw a very old old reel on the Capo Pizza Instagram showing off Tony G’s hybrid Neapolitan pizza, the 'Cannoto Americano,' and I am seriously curious about the crust. They mentioned something about micro-blisters and I have never seen a cornicione with that kind of surface texture before. It looks completely unique. But how are these micro-blisters actually created during the baking process? Is it a difference in the dough recipe, maybe a specific hydration level, or is it purely a technique in the oven like steam or a specific temperature? I really want to try to replicate that interesting texture at home, so any tips on achieving that kind of crust would be amazing.

 

[black lily]

Based on what I've seen, that kind of extreme blistering often happens when dough rests in the refrigerator. Given that the dough is 70% hydration and had a 48-hour fermentation, it is highly probable that it was cold-proofed. I have also noticed this specific type of blistering on Balkan pastries like Bureks and Banitza-s, which are made with a slightly enriched phyllo-style dough

 

[pitzuhqueen]

Micro blisters usually come from a long cold ferment plus strong top heat during the bake. The extended fermentation develops sugars and trapped gases that pop into tiny blisters when they hit intense radiant heat. High hydration helps too, but the real magic is cold dough meeting a super hot oven, around 750 °F

 

[1m P1zza]

I really want to try to replicate that interesting texture at home, so any tips on achieving that kind of crust would be amazing.

the most important element is a lengthy cold fermentation period. Tony suggests a minimum of 36 hours. also, the pizza needs to be baked at a very high temperature. Tony usually uses ovens at 650°F or higher, it will create the rapid oven spring and steam needed for the blisters to form and char properly