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Pizza Is Life

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DigDog said:
.. i, for once, do not have what i believe to be a factual answer. And those who know me know how rare that is.
From my personal experience, it's one or the other not due to Sk1lz issue, but rather that there is so much to learn with either, that people tend to specialize in what they like best. Also, cooking / not baking tends to focus more on tasting on the fly to make adjustments, while baking / not cooking instead tends more to predict the outcome "blind", so one will gravitate to either style depending on their personality.
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I had a really hard time learning how to bake initially because I have math dyslexia (dyscalculia) & Inattentive ADHD, so my measurements get goofy & I forget steps. Sometimes it's like listening to someone speak in another language that I'm not familiar with! Also, I emotionally chafe at having to follow checklists, lol. My solutions were:

1. I rewrite the recipes as numbered & bullet-point printable lists with in-line measurements

2. I bought multiple sets of measuring cups & spoons, which I keep in separate Ziploc bags in a larger 2.5-gallon Ziploc bag

3. I highlight each ingredient & step on the printed recipe on a clipboard to ensure that I don't miss any steps

Cooking more depends on what you have, the freshness of the ingredients, etc. The Internet makes it out to be a big deal between cooking & baking, but all I see it as is "following repeatable, proven instructions to get a result" lol. Which is why I like Sous-Vide & the Instant Pot:

1. I can push a button

2. I can get repeatable results that typically save me time

3. I get less of a focus headache LOL

Which is also why I like saving up for & investing in good tools! A large pizza where I live cost $26! I saved up for a 16" Baking Steel, a SuperPeel, and individual proofing containers over time & now have easy, on-demand, high-quality pizza options available 24/7 for pennies on the dollar! My system is basically:

* Frozen dough
* Fresh dough cold-fermented in the fridge
* Frozen par-baked pies (ready to decorate)
* Par-baked, pre-decorated frozen pizzas (ready to bake)
* Individual slices of pizza wrapped in Press & Seal (ready to airfry back to a crispy life!)

Actual time spent?

* 2 minutes a day to feed my sourdough starter
* 5 minutes a day for no-knead pizza dough
* Scattered minutes for simple tasks (like turning on the oven to preheat the baking steel for 45 minutes to "charge it up")

The hard part is the IDEA of doing the work, lol! Some people put on a big production where everyone comes over & has a fun night making pizza, but that's often too much for my poor, overstimulated brain to handle haha
 
Muse said:
I think baking is way easier, actually. Cooking is far more complex. Everybody eats. There are lots of really intelligent people, talented people who can't cook on iota. Bobby Fisher used to just eat out all the time. A really talented musician who lived in my house used to just walk up to a diner ~1/4 mile away when he was hungry.
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I've come to accept the idea that some checklists are just a mystery to people! Like, I could never understand how people had a hard time with computers, because it all made sense to me...put the parts in the correct-sized slot, click the buttons, etc.

But then, math is a complete haze for me & mechanical solutions are incredibly elusive to my brain! I have aphantasia (no mental visualization) & just have a really hard time when it comes to putting physical things together!

We all have our niches!!
 
Kaido said:
I had a really hard time learning how to bake initially because I have math dyslexia (dyscalculia) & Inattentive ADHD, so my measurements get goofy & I forget steps. Sometimes it's like listening to someone speak in another language that I'm not familiar with! Also, I emotionally chafe at having to follow checklists, lol. My solutions were:

1. I rewrite the recipes as numbered & bullet-point printable lists with in-line measurements

2. I bought multiple sets of measuring cups & spoons, which I keep in separate Ziploc bags in a larger 2.5-gallon Ziploc bag

3. I highlight each ingredient & step on the printed recipe on a clipboard to ensure that I don't miss any steps

Cooking more depends on what you have, the freshness of the ingredients, etc. The Internet makes it out to be a big deal between cooking & baking, but all I see it as is "following repeatable, proven instructions to get a result" lol. Which is why I like Sous-Vide & the Instant Pot:

1. I can push a button

2. I can get repeatable results that typically save me time

3. I get less of a focus headache LOL

Which is also why I like saving up for & investing in good tools! A large pizza where I live cost $26! I saved up for a 16" Baking Steel, a SuperPeel, and individual proofing containers over time & now have easy, on-demand, high-quality pizza options available 24/7 for pennies on the dollar! My system is basically:

* Frozen dough
* Fresh dough cold-fermented in the fridge
* Frozen par-baked pies (ready to decorate)
* Par-baked, pre-decorated frozen pizzas (ready to bake)
* Individual slices of pizza wrapped in Press & Seal (ready to airfry back to a crispy life!)

Actual time spent?

* 2 minutes a day to feed my sourdough starter
* 5 minutes a day for no-knead pizza dough
* Scattered minutes for simple tasks (like turning on the oven to preheat the baking steel for 45 minutes to "charge it up")

The hard part is the IDEA of doing the work, lol! Some people put on a big production where everyone comes over & has a fun night making pizza, but that's often too much for my poor, overstimulated brain to handle haha
Click to expand...
We are different and yet alike. So much similarity. I'm an unmedicated ADHD-C. I know all about the steps (or too many steps). If it gets too many steps then my anxiety ramps up and I become ineffective (not with profanity. I'm very effective with that!). I prefer routine to be able to remember steps. Otherwise, I'd just be reading a recipe.

Take my pizza, for instance. I started with the dough. Nothing else. I did that repeatedly until I got better through repetition and tweaking. Then, I moved on to making sauce. Then, I got a steel and got proficient with its use. Each time, it's a new set of steps to master (remember). "Oh, I forgot the oil." "Oh, I forgot to get parchment." "Oh, I forgot to make sauce." "Oh, I forgot to start the timer." Everything has to get planned out in my head beforehand. It's fun seeing it all come together. It's also a lot of anxiety. If something (or someone) throws me off, then look to my routine to get back on track. "Where was I at?"

Eh, such is my life. With everything.
 
bigboxes said:
We are different and yet alike. So much similarity. I'm an unmedicated ADHD-C. I know all about the steps (or too many steps). If it gets too many steps then my anxiety ramps up and I become ineffective (not with profanity. I'm very effective with that!). I prefer routine to be able to remember steps. Otherwise, I'd just be reading a recipe.

Take my pizza, for instance. I started with the dough. Nothing else. I did that repeatedly until I got better through repetition and tweaking. Then, I moved on to making sauce. Then, I got a steel and got proficient with its use. Each time, it's a new set of steps to master (remember). "Oh, I forgot the oil." "Oh, I forgot to get parchment." "Oh, I forgot to make sauce." "Oh, I forgot to start the timer." Everything has to get planned out in my head beforehand. It's fun seeing it all come together. It's also a lot of anxiety. If something (or someone) throws me off, then look to my routine to get back on track. "Where was I at?"

Eh, such is my life. With everything.
Click to expand...

I also have a magnetic whiteboard on my fridge, which is REALLY handy for visually tracking the workflow!

My meatspace-export connector is a sieve lol
 
My Italian sauce is made in the summer/fall, canned in just-sterilized jars, made with my backyard grown vine ripened tomatoes, and seems to keep indefinitely. I'm talking MANY years. I find no difference if I open a jar of sauce I made last year or one from 10 years ago. I do add some citric acid nowadays when I can my tomato sauces for safety but have had no personal experience indicating it's ever been necessary. I do it anyway, I see/taste no downside.

My pizza making regimen is pretty bullet proof. If I need to, I monitor my music. The wrong music can throw me off if the task at hand requires care in not missing important steps. Music is a big part of my life. Silence or instrumental music, particularly not too complicated, can help in difficult circumstances. Say, The Well Tempered Clavier, not some mindless muzak.

Under baked pizza >>> Over baked pizza (I decided this some months ago)
 
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Kaido said:
Essentially:

1. Mix 60 seconds before bed with your fingers (shaggy dough)
2. Let sit covered 10 to 18 hours (long 1st rise)
3. Fold into a bowl to proof for a couple hours (short 2nd rise)

Then preheat the oven:

4. Bake covered for 30 minutes
5. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes

Voila!

View attachment 142287

www.bonappetit.com

Shockingly Easy No-Knead Focaccia

This recipe requires exactly zero skill and provides ample opportunity to be amazed by yourself and the wonders of yeast.
www.bonappetit.com www.bonappetit.com

View attachment 142289

www.biggerbolderbaking.com

Homemade Soft Pretzels (No Knead, No Machine Recipe) - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking

Learn how to make my Homemade Soft Pretzels recipe with my favorite no-knead, no-machine method!
www.biggerbolderbaking.com www.biggerbolderbaking.com

View attachment 142290

The Best "No Knead" Flour Tortillas - sometimes you need to cook

Once you make your own tortillas, it’s going to be hard for you to buy the ones from the store again. Homemade are so much better! What’s great about this recipe is that once you get the hang of it, it’s quite easy. I’ve included a lot of instructions and tips to help with …
sometimesyouneedtocook.com

View attachment 142291

www.recipetineats.com

No Knead Cinnamon Rolls

Soft, fluffy No Knead Cinnamon Rolls made without overnight rising, no stand mixer and no kneading. These are magical - and easy! Quick recipe video included.
www.recipetineats.com www.recipetineats.com

View attachment 142292
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Those tortillas look like fuggin crackers.
 
That's it, I'm making dough tonight.

I've never considered cubing low-moisture mozz. I usually just shred it in the food processor. May need to give that a try.
 
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