So, New York City, or just simply "the city" as I call it, was home for me for many years. My parents struggled to raise two kids in the mean streets of various boroughs before being transferred to Saint Louis. Those close to me know my relationship with the two places. Living in the Midwest for almost 11 years, I yearned for the big city life, the diverse cultures, and most of all the colorful cuisine. Though, recently I have fallen in love with STL’s hidden international food scene and culture, and really believe “those who seek, will find.” I frequent the city at least once a year, and while I tend to dive into the newest trends in food fare, there are always a few things I simply HAVE to have. A hot dog with bright ruby red onion relish, a knish dipped in tons of mustard, and of course a slice. Saying NY pizza is a staple is an understatement. Cheese so hot and melty it burns the roof of your mouth (every time), sweet homemade tomato sauce, and that crust that is thicker and crunchy around the edges and chewy and slightly charred in the middle. No matter where you are, or more importantly what time, a folded slice is the perfect end, beginning, and middle to a night out on the town.
They call me the carb queen. I live for the crust. I die for the crust. So please, please, please help me God. New york crust is like none other. In 2007, the Food Network's Serious Eats, host Mathieu Palombino, the chef/owner of Motorino, put six different pies, in front of a carefully selected panel of pizza lovers. The opinions varied somewhat but the only real (but not surprising) conclusion was that the "overall enjoyment of pizza crust is strongly related to how crisp it is." No one likes a soggy pie (well not me anyways), that’s why I have always had a hard time eating a certain large chain “St. Louis style” pizzeria pizza that specialize in large, super thin crust pie with tons of sauce and even more than a considerable amount of local cheese.
Ok before all of you St. Louisians jump down my throat, let me clarify. I don’t even really love Chicago style pizza. I grew up in NYC and what is it they say, “a tiger can’t change its stripes”? Well call me Tony.
Ok, back to the point. So on the show, the six different pies only differed in one aspect: the type of water used in the pizza dough. Seriously. I’m not kidding.They used different brands of water, including Dasani, Evian, and most noted, New York City tap water. Which one fared the best? Hands down, the local NYC tap pie.
My cousin actually told me about this the other day. I had never heard of such a thing. The water that comes out of our bathroom faucet makes or breaks a pizza? But not just any water; rumor has been circulating for years about the magical properties of NYC tap water and the quality of pizza dough. One commenter was quick to add that a popular pizza joint in Tampa, Florida claims to import the water for their dough directly from NY. This may be a growing trend; last summer we reported that a Florida bakery had recreated the NY water purifying process in their own restaurant in an effort to make the perfect Brooklyn bagel. This is gaining popularity, states like California and Texas are “importing” the water from the Big Apple and using it to make “real” NY pizza.
New York City drinking water is world-renowned for its quality. The Department of Environmental Protection performs more than 900 tests daily, 27,000 monthly, and 330,000 on an annual basis from up to 1,000 sampling locations throughout New York City. This work is in addition to 230,000 tests performed in the watershed. Each day, more than 1 billion gallons of fresh, clean water is delivered from large upstate reservoirs – some more than 125 miles from the City – to the taps of nine million customers throughout New York state. The success of the program is one of the main reasons why New York City remains one of only five large cities in the United States that is not required to filter its drinking water.
The purity of the water and it’s mineral content helps out the pizza dough in numerous ways. It provides a clean reaction with the yeast, and allows the crust to be chewier on the inside while allowing for charring and caramelizing of the crust while its baking. If you don’t believe me, check out the DrinkingWater Supply and Quality Report provided by the New York City government in 2010.
Jeffrey Steingarten’s wrote an insightful piece about the history of Roman breads and how they differed in the chapter titled “Flat Out” in his book It Must Have Been Something I Ate:
“In the shower, the shampoo refuses to lather. This means that Roman water is high in minerals, which can be good for the color and texture of bread, but slows fermentation and tightens the dough. I reach for my scuba diver’s underwater writing slate, as seen on Baywatch, indispensable for recording those flashes of insight that so often strike one in the bath. We must test the water of Rome.”
Well the best way is to see for yourself. Tap’d NY has come up with an ingenious idea of actually BOTTLING the water that comes out of NYC pipes. So instead of paying for water that comes out of France or Southeast Asia, you can buy American; but NYC tap water. Democracy at its best, I say. And, once you click here and buy yourself a few cases of the stuff, try out the age old tale. Does low mineral, high purity water really make a better dough? You can make a pizza yourself, with this recipe, or try out a loaf of bread. Then induce yourself in a carb coma. J
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