Homemade Pizza

[Carson Dyle]

Try provolone. It might have that extra bit of flavor that you're looking for. Or a mix or mozzarella and provolone.

Never buy shredded cheese unless you're really in a pinch. What's point? If you can't even grate cheese, you're not putting much effort into it. Mozzarella, by the way, is very easy to make.

 

[echo4747]

here is a handy dough calculator for pizzamaking:

http://www.pizzamaking.com/dough-calculator.html

 

[IronWing]

Provolone is good. Instead of shredding the cheese, have it sliced very thin at the deli. Put a layer of provolone or mozz directly on the crust. This will keep moisture from the toppings from soaking the center of the crust.

 

[DigDog]

well, you guys are free to do what you like, but i think 50/50 white and wholeweat is suicide - wholeweat should be 10%, 15% at most.

then let it rise, press it down, let it rise again. (if you make a lot of pizza, you can use a bit of old, overrisen dough to boost the growth of the new batch)

after that, the taste is down to the flour you are using, there's really no way around this.
salt should be in the right amount ofc and the yeast should not really contribute to the taste, just to the raising. you can add a bit of olive oil and if you find your crust is too hard, a touch of whole milk (don't overdo it with either), but anything else and you are trying to find a solution while ignoring the problem.

i suppose you could order a 25 kilo bag of professional pizza flour; the pizza forums has a section on commerically available flours and advice on what water type to use it with. water, i'm afraid, you are stuck with whatever you've got coming out of the tap. (or you could use mineral water, idk)

 

[DrPizza]

Paging DrPizza....

I'd recommend quit putting sugar in your dough, but you're cooking at a low temperature, so I suppose it kind of makes up for that for browning. The best pizzas are cooked at high temperatures - and do not use sugar in the dough - it isn't needed for the yeast. Don't be in such a hurry - good dough takes time, not shortcuts. Use a high gluten flour (bread flour will do), not all-purpose flour. Make sure you rub the outside with some oil, then let it rise for a couple of hours. Knock it down, and form it into a dough ball. Then let it rise again before you hand stretch it into shape. It's amazing how much rolling it into shape with a rolling pin affects the texture and flavor of the crust.

I prefer shredding the mozzarella fresh. I also prefer part-skim. A nice cheese blend is a bit of provolone added to the mozzarella. If you can get it, a bit of smoked provolone - MMmmmmm.

Lots of basil in your sauce - with some oregano, garlic powder, parsley, pepper and a bit of salt. Sugar shouldn't be needed.

Toppings should enhance the pizza, adding additional textures and flavors - if your pizza is barely palatable without the toppings, your pizza needs work - master your pizza without toppings, then later add the toppings.

 

[smackababy]

Then let it rise again before you hand stretch it into shape. It's amazing how much rolling it into shape with a rolling pin affects the texture and flavor of the crust.

This is something most tend to not do, and it shows in the end product.

Toppings should enhance the pizza, adding additional textures and flavors - if your pizza is barely palatable without the toppings, your pizza needs work - master your pizza without toppings, then later add the toppings.

And this is how you can tell someone knows good pizza.

 

[Howard]

I actually use a nearly identical recipe. Quantities are slightly different but proportions are exactly the same. Strange, I just don't notice much flavor in mine. And I agree with you on the temperature, initially I would cook mine at 350F for 24 minutes so the cheese wouldn't burn, now I do it at 450F for 8 minutes and it comes out great. Found out that they key to crispy crust is to make sure the pizza stone is already hot, cook it at high temp, and don't overload it with cheese.

How are you making a nearly identical recipe if you don't even rest the dough? I mean, forget about a cold fermentation, you're not resting it long enough even for a warm fermentation.

If your dough rises too much after 2 hours, you've got too much yeast or your room is too warm.

 

[MongGrel]

I cheat on the dough these days, it's too easy to go to the Publix Deli/Bakery and just buy a ball of theirs.

It comes out as good as anything I used to make in the past, without the hassle. They do make dough non stop there, I guess.

http://www.publix.com/p/RIO-PCI-118694

 

[Dr. Zaus]

I cheat on the dough these days, it's too easy to go to the Publix Deli/Bakery and just buy a ball of theirs.

It comes out as good as anything I used to make in the past, without the hassle. They do make dough non stop there, I guess.

http://www.publix.com/p/RIO-PCI-118694

That's awesome!

 

[Excelsior]

Would you say this is better than what you can find premade? Cheaper?

I can attest to the quality of this sauce recipe. I love it.

 

[tcsenter]

It's funny, I have for the past couple weeks had these fleeting cravings/hankerings for some homemade pizza. And then this thread appears! Subscribed.

 

[Chocu1a]

Pizza dough recipe I use in my restaurant:
10lb high gluten flour
2Tbls Kosher salt
10cups lukewarm water(above 98 degrees)
3 packets/1 sleeve fleishmans pizza yeast
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey

Makes 20 12oz/12in. crusts.

 

[notposting]

Just start trying to make stuff at home.

As for sauce - we make our own pizza sauce. Basically, most of my "red" sauces all start about the same: brown some diced onions with a little oil, toss in a smidge of garlic and dried oregano right before dumping in some tomatoes of some kinds. Been using canned whole tomatoes lately and then the hand blender to mix down, but (petite) diced tomatoes usually work fine. Splash a bit of dry wine, grind some pepper in, and simmer away.

From there, it really depends on what kind of sauce we are going for. Spaghetti? Going sweeter, so some fresh (lies: I use the freeze dried herbs a lot ) parsley, basil, some sugar, and a smidge of salt. Marinara? Heavier on the parsley, nearly no basil/sugar, just enough to keep it centered. Pizza? Similar to marinara (if not identical), but usually reduced even more, maybe a little more garlic/oregano.

We jar up spaghetti/marinara sauces and toss em in the deep freeze. Haven't used store bought in years.

I use premade Boboli right now which is great (same kind used in lunchables)

Make your own, the bar should be pretty low

 

[notposting]

PS the reason for shredding the mozzarella or other cheese yourself, is the preshredded stuff comes with a powder (cornstarch IIRC) which helps to keep it from clumping up. But this doesn't help it melt nice and gooey...

 

[Carson Dyle]

PS the reason for shredding the mozzarella or other cheese yourself, is the preshredded stuff comes with a powder (cornstarch IIRC) which helps to keep it from clumping up. But this doesn't help it melt nice and gooey...

And it's typically more expensive, and it doesn't keep as well. I can't believe I see crap like pre-cut vegetables now in supermarkets. Pretty soon they'll sell pre-chew foods for the truly lazy.

 

[DigDog]

italian pizza sauce is just tomatoes, a pinch of sugar and a bit of salt.

of course it only works when you cook on a 300+ c stone-base oven; for my home oven, i do a basic soffritto, carrot + onion + celery, bit of basil, i guess you could add a bit of oregano as well. also i add chili, you don't have to.
once fried (i.e. caramelized) plenty, i add water back again and blend to smooth.

restaurant-stle, the tomato is supposed to lose water yet remain relatively raw, slightly acidic (again, you can only do this in a proper pizza oven) to contrast with the mozzarella.

really, what you are eating is a crispy version of the classic italian sandwich - basil, mozz and tom; that's how they got to the pizza in the first place. Before the margherita, pizza was just salted bread (pizza bianca) or baked dough with various food bits cooked inside (fish, meat, cheese, anything).

hmm .. i guess you guys ought to be familiar with european bread first, it would give you a different perspective on pizza.

 

[smackababy]

And it's typically more expensive, and it doesn't keep as well. I can't believe I see crap like pre-cut vegetables now in supermarkets. Pretty soon they'll sell pre-chew foods for the truly lazy.

If I could get all my meals in a shake form that wasn't a terrible consistency and tasted good, I'd never chew again! Well, not true, but for 90% of my meals, I would drink them.

 

[Kaido]

If I could get all my meals in a shake form that wasn't a terrible consistency and tasted good, I'd never chew again! Well, not true, but for 90% of my meals, I would drink them.

 

[SeductivePig]

I experimented the past week and this is what I changed:

Cheese - Instead of using preshredded mozzarella, I went to Whole Foods and got a block of smoked mozzarella, smoked chedder, and regular provolone. Shred all these by hand, and cannot believe how much better it tastes. Completely different.

Dough - I let the dough rise for 2 hours in my apartment, then another 24 hours in the fridge. When I took it out to eat, the dough had a thick, crusty layer on top and the rest of the dough beneath it didn't even change that much. So I need some advice here; do I leave the dough outside the entire time? Typically I put it in a big bowl and throw a dry towel over it for a few hours then stuff it in the fridge to rise the same way.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Get a big ass Baking Steel. 1/2 thick steel for making pizza and burgers on. It is awesome

http://www.bakingsteel.com/shop/the-big

For pizza, set your oven to it's highest temp. Put the steel in for an hour. And when the pizza hits that steel, it will be done in about 7 minutes and be awesome!

 

[akugami]

And it's typically more expensive, and it doesn't keep as well. I can't believe I see crap like pre-cut vegetables now in supermarkets. Pretty soon they'll sell pre-chew foods for the truly lazy.

Way ahead of you there buddy.

 

[smackababy]

Get a big ass Baking Steel. 1/2 thick steel for making pizza and burgers on. It is awesome



http://www.bakingsteel.com/shop/the-big



For pizza, set your oven to it's highest temp. Put the steel in for an hour. And when the pizza hits that steel, it will be done in about 7 minutes and be awesome!

Why get steel when I get just get some cheap terra cotta tiles to put in?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Not exactly a necro, but I found this under "ischia"

I found a supply of this in flakes and I should have it before the end of this coming week. I'll be doing a 48 hour room temperature ferment with a developed preferment. Pics will follow unless it bombs