Boomsticks

Toppings

[[table:Garlic butter slurry]]

Whisk the warm melted butter, neutral oil and dry spices together, then let it cool to room temperature (~80°F). The touch of neutral oil keeps the butterfat crystals from re-solidifying as it cools, giving you a silky, pourable emulsion that brushes over risen dough without dragging or tearing the surface.

[[table:Cheese blend]]

Always grate mozzarella from cold blocks rather than buying pre-shredded bags. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in potato starch and cellulose, which prevents a seamless melt and causes oil pitting. Freshly block-grated mozzarella melts into a glossy blanket with zero Muenster required. Dropping the total cheese from 290g to 220g also removes dead weight so the dough can spring tall in the oven. Keep cold in the fridge until assembly.

[[table:Parmano dust]]

The “sand” grate and 60-minute counter dry. Don’t use standard shredding holes or a Microplane, which make ribbons that melt and release oil. Cut the cold wedges into rough ½-inch cubes and pulse in a dry blender or mini food processor for 10–15 seconds, or use the tiny, bumpy “starburst” rasp side of a box grater, until reduced to coarse, pebble-like granules. Spread them in a thin layer on a paper towel or plate uncovered on the counter for 60 to 90 minutes while the dough proofs. Air-drying removes surface moisture so the cheese acts as a sponge for loose butterfat out of the oven.

Prep and spiral mixing

1. Incorporation (low speed). Add the [[flour]] flour, [[yeast]] instant yeast and [[sugar]] sugar to the spiral mixer bowl. On low speed, pour in the [[water]] cold water (50–55°F). Mix for 2 minutes until a rough, unified mass forms and no dry flour remains. (No autolyse needed with a spiral mixer.)
2. Salt and gluten development (medium-low). Add the [[salt]] fine sea salt. Increase speed slightly (around 25–30%, medium-low) and mix for 5 to 6 minutes. The dough will clear the sides of the bowl and form a tight “pumpkin” around the hook and breaker bar.
3. The oil finish. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle the [[oil]] olive oil down the inside wall of the bowl. Mix a final 2 to 3 minutes until the oil is fully absorbed and the dough is satin-smooth and passes the windowpane test. (Target final dough temperature: 73–75°F.)
4. Bench rest and balling. Turn the dough onto the counter, cover with an upturned bowl or damp towel, and rest 15 minutes to relax the gluten. Divide into [[count]] balls of ~[[weight]], tension tightly into smooth rounds, place in lightly oiled airtight containers, and refrigerate immediately for 48 hours.

Tempering, spreading and high-loft proofing (after 48 hours)

1. The warm temper (45 minutes). Take the containers out of the fridge 45 minutes before stretching so the dense core warms to ~60°F and the yeast wakes up. (Make the garlic butter slurry and set out the Parmano dust to air-dry now.)
2. The anti-cornicione counter spread (to 11 inches).
   • The gravity drop. Lightly flour the top of the dough in the container and dust the counter. Flip the container and let gravity peel the dough out in an undisturbed circle. Never dig your fingers in to pull it out.
   • Crush the perimeter first. To avoid a thick rim and thin center, start at the very outside edge. Using “piano fingers” (the flat pads of all eight fingers, never fingertips or palms), press a flat ring all the way around, then work inward across the middle. Keep the dough flat on the counter; never pick it up to knuckle-stretch.
   • The 5-minute walk-away. If Sir Lancelot’s strong gluten snaps back around 9 or 10 inches, stop, cover the dough and walk away for 5 minutes. Once relaxed, press it into a flat, uniform 11-inch disc.
3. Zero-stretch transfer and final coax (to 11.5 inches).
   • Heavily dust a seasoned 14-inch perforated aluminum screen with semolina. (For a brand-new screen, coat with a thin film of oil and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes first.)
   • Slide both floured hands under the disc and lay it flat in the center of the screen.
   • Gently coax the edges outward the final half-inch to 11.5 inches. Don’t press down while on the screen, or wet dough will extrude into the mesh and weld to the metal.
4. The high-loft screen proof (75–90 minutes).
   • Cover with a high dome (an inverted large mixing bowl or tall cake cover, so nothing touches the surface) and proof somewhere warm (75–80°F) for 75 to 90 minutes.
   • The dough will creep out to a full 12 inches and rise into an airy, pillowy ¾-inch cushion.

The bake (shielded steel and rack shift)

1. Preheat and thermal shielding. Put the baking steel on the lowest rack and a sheet of heavy-duty foil on the rack directly above it. The foil blocks the top element’s infrared so the cheese fat doesn’t split or pool. Preheat to 425°F (218°C) for 60 minutes.
2. Feather-light assembly.
   • With a soft silicone or pastry brush, gently paint the room-temperature garlic butter slurry over the whole surface without deflating the bubbles.
   • Scatter the cold [[group:Cheese blend]] mozzarella blend evenly to the absolute perimeter. A few shreds touching the screen edge make the crispy, lacy frico crust. Let the cheese rest lightly on top; don’t pack it down.
3. The bake (11–13 minutes).
   • Slide the screen directly onto the steel. Bake 11 to 13 minutes until the perimeter is golden-brown and the cheese is glossy and bubbling.
   • Rack-shift option. The steel holds so much heat that turning the oven off won’t stop bottom browning. If the bottom hits golden-brown around 6–7 minutes before the crumb and cheese are done, slide the screen off the steel onto a middle rack for the final 4–5 minutes.
4. The finish and grid cut.
   • The second it comes out, dust evenly with the [[group:Parmano dust]] of air-dried Parmano granules to soak up loose butterfat.
   • Rest on the screen or a wire rack 3 to 4 minutes so the tall crumb sets without gumming under the blade. Slide onto a board and make a 16-piece grid cut (1 cut horizontally through the center, 7 cuts vertically).