Homemade Pizza
Dec 4, 2014 | 3:08 pm
#108
Join Date: May 2013
Location: JFK
Posts: 459
UK1, how big is the oven? How hot does it go? Tell!
I have worked out a method of making pizza that is ideal for my household. Always room for improvement but here's what we have so far.
Be warned, I am not the perfectionist that some of you are, nor do I strive for such heights. But when my pizza has reached the point that there are no "bones" (crusts) left for the dog and people beg me to make it, well I'm happy.
First off I use KA bread flour and a recipe for French bread rather than pizza dough (the main difference being 1 tsp of Crisco as opposed to olive oil...if you're going to cry blasphemy stop right here but it makes a divine crust).
Dough gets mixed in the kitchen aid and placed on the counter over the dishwasher (running) to rise. For some reason this combo allows the dough to rise beautifully even in winter and gives me a gorgeous, stretchy dough that can be pulled as thin as paper.
And speaking of paper...parchment paper can be your best friend. I make my pizzas up on parchment, use a peel to transfer them to the stones in the oven. Oven coming up...
I have a gas oven. It gets heated to 450. I place the oven racks on every other setting, starting from the top, and place a pizza stone on each rack. The stones get heated along with the oven and when everybody is screaming hot the pizzas on parchment get placed on the stones. Since the stones themselves are hot they're radiating heat down onto the pizza underneath them as well...kind of like the slots in a commercial pizza oven.
Two weeks ago I needed to make 4 pizzas at once as opposed to the usual 3 (3 oven racks) so I grabbed one of those thin, aluminum pizza pans and cooked the 4th pie on the bottom of the oven. I watched everything and had to shuffle some pies from the bottom to the top and vice versa but what a revelation! Thanks to spending time on the bottom of the oven, right over the fires of Hell, the crusts charred up beautifully.
Mine is a process that I've been tweaking over the years. I grew up making pizza and it wasn't until I was hanging out on assorted cooking forums that I realized all purpose flour wasn't really all purpose.
I have worked out a method of making pizza that is ideal for my household. Always room for improvement but here's what we have so far.
Be warned, I am not the perfectionist that some of you are, nor do I strive for such heights. But when my pizza has reached the point that there are no "bones" (crusts) left for the dog and people beg me to make it, well I'm happy.
First off I use KA bread flour and a recipe for French bread rather than pizza dough (the main difference being 1 tsp of Crisco as opposed to olive oil...if you're going to cry blasphemy stop right here but it makes a divine crust).
Dough gets mixed in the kitchen aid and placed on the counter over the dishwasher (running) to rise. For some reason this combo allows the dough to rise beautifully even in winter and gives me a gorgeous, stretchy dough that can be pulled as thin as paper.
And speaking of paper...parchment paper can be your best friend. I make my pizzas up on parchment, use a peel to transfer them to the stones in the oven. Oven coming up...
I have a gas oven. It gets heated to 450. I place the oven racks on every other setting, starting from the top, and place a pizza stone on each rack. The stones get heated along with the oven and when everybody is screaming hot the pizzas on parchment get placed on the stones. Since the stones themselves are hot they're radiating heat down onto the pizza underneath them as well...kind of like the slots in a commercial pizza oven.
Two weeks ago I needed to make 4 pizzas at once as opposed to the usual 3 (3 oven racks) so I grabbed one of those thin, aluminum pizza pans and cooked the 4th pie on the bottom of the oven. I watched everything and had to shuffle some pies from the bottom to the top and vice versa but what a revelation! Thanks to spending time on the bottom of the oven, right over the fires of Hell, the crusts charred up beautifully.
Mine is a process that I've been tweaking over the years. I grew up making pizza and it wasn't until I was hanging out on assorted cooking forums that I realized all purpose flour wasn't really all purpose.
Dec 4, 2014 | 3:49 pm
#109
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,968
It is suitable for Neapolitan pizza which requires very high temperatures. It reaches 500c ie around 950f'ish ie over twice as hot as a domestic oven.
Dimensions:
Ext Dimensions: 555 x 460 x 290mm.
Cooking Area: 405 x 405 x H110mm.
Dimensions:
Ext Dimensions: 555 x 460 x 290mm.
Cooking Area: 405 x 405 x H110mm.
Dec 11, 2014 | 5:18 pm
#112
was thetravelingRedhead
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Western Michigan
Programs: Delta Silver Medallion, United Silver Premier
Posts: 642
I really need to get into the pizza making game again.
I'm getting some for my birthday and I think that may be the last I buy for a bit
I'm getting some for my birthday and I think that may be the last I buy for a bit
Dec 12, 2014 | 2:23 am
#113
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,968
Some unexpected guests led to a production line. They may be ugly (the pizza not the guests) but they are light top Neapolitan pizza, except for the German salami which I prefer ...
Lucky I always keep dough balls maturing in the fridge ......
Dec 12, 2014 | 3:25 am
#114
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,968
Pizza lovers might be interested in a letter to the Editor of the THE SOUTH BUCKS FREE PRESS, SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE GAZETTE, in December 1860 about the correspondents discovery of Pizza in Naples.
Pdf>text not corrected but you'll get the drift.
Pdf>text not corrected but you'll get the drift.
The Pizza.—“ The pizza!” 1 fancy hear your readers exclaim, (says a Neapolitan correspondent) “what do you mean the pizza?”
Well the pizza is favourite Neapolitan delicacy, which is only made and eaten between sunset and two three tbe morning, and it must baked five minutes in the oven; the very moment when it is ordered it is pulled out of the oven and served up piping hot, otherwise it is not worth grano. Tbe pizza baker takes bull of dough, is it, and spreads it out with the palm of his hand, giving it about half the thickness of a muffin, then pours over it mozzerella, which is nothing more than rob cream, beaten almost like cream cheese, herbs and tomato, puts the cake—which made after ibis fashion is termed the pizza—just for five minutes into the oven, and ec-rves it up as hot as possible. The cheese and the cream are. of coure-, all melted, and unite with the hubs and the tomato. Tbe outside crust must, in the case of a perfect pizzt, p isse.-s a certain orthodox crispness. N'o.v, at this season of the year there is no person, high or low, from the first Neapolitan duke to the lowe-t Lzzaroni, with whom it is not a primary article faith eat pizza. Tue pizza cake is your only social leveller, for in the pizza shops rich and pour harmoniously congregate ; they are the only places i where the members the Italian aristocracy, far haughtier than those of any other part Italy—may seen masticating their favourite delicacy side by side with their own coachmen anil valets, and barbers. I The pizza shops are about the filthiest in Naples, and whoever knows Naples will admit that saying a good deal.
Well the pizza is favourite Neapolitan delicacy, which is only made and eaten between sunset and two three tbe morning, and it must baked five minutes in the oven; the very moment when it is ordered it is pulled out of the oven and served up piping hot, otherwise it is not worth grano. Tbe pizza baker takes bull of dough, is it, and spreads it out with the palm of his hand, giving it about half the thickness of a muffin, then pours over it mozzerella, which is nothing more than rob cream, beaten almost like cream cheese, herbs and tomato, puts the cake—which made after ibis fashion is termed the pizza—just for five minutes into the oven, and ec-rves it up as hot as possible. The cheese and the cream are. of coure-, all melted, and unite with the hubs and the tomato. Tbe outside crust must, in the case of a perfect pizzt, p isse.-s a certain orthodox crispness. N'o.v, at this season of the year there is no person, high or low, from the first Neapolitan duke to the lowe-t Lzzaroni, with whom it is not a primary article faith eat pizza. Tue pizza cake is your only social leveller, for in the pizza shops rich and pour harmoniously congregate ; they are the only places i where the members the Italian aristocracy, far haughtier than those of any other part Italy—may seen masticating their favourite delicacy side by side with their own coachmen anil valets, and barbers. I The pizza shops are about the filthiest in Naples, and whoever knows Naples will admit that saying a good deal.
Last edited by uk1; Dec 12, 2014 at 3:35 am
Dec 12, 2014 | 7:30 am
#115
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: UK - the nearest airport is named after a motorway !
Posts: 4,275
That looks utterly delicious...
Except for that!
Except for that!
Dec 12, 2014 | 7:22 pm
#116
was thetravelingRedhead
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Western Michigan
Programs: Delta Silver Medallion, United Silver Premier
Posts: 642
Some pizza porn to encourage you to get started ......
Some unexpected guests led to a production line. They may be ugly (the pizza not the guests) but they are light top Neapolitan pizza, except for the German salami which I prefer ...
Lucky I always keep dough balls maturing in the fridge ......
Some unexpected guests led to a production line. They may be ugly (the pizza not the guests) but they are light top Neapolitan pizza, except for the German salami which I prefer ...
Lucky I always keep dough balls maturing in the fridge ......
what recipe do you use for the dough? looking for something i wont screw up and can do without a mixer (we dont have one). gf is coming and I convinced her to try a arugula-prosciutto
one of my favorites and a plain cheese too but thats expected
Dec 13, 2014 | 3:06 am
#117
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,968
pizza is never ugly
what recipe do you use for the dough? looking for something i wont screw up and can do without a mixer (we dont have one). gf is coming and I convinced her to try a arugula-prosciutto one of my favorites and a plain cheese too but thats expected
what recipe do you use for the dough? looking for something i wont screw up and can do without a mixer (we dont have one). gf is coming and I convinced her to try a arugula-prosciutto
one of my favorites and a plain cheese too but thats expectedMake it easy. My way is a little different but this will be good enough.
It's about the ratio of water to flour you keep in mind. Allow 200gms or so for a medium pizza ball. A big one is say 250gm. If you are making enough for 4 it will be 1000 gms for 4 big pizza. You want the ratio of water to flour as 64%'ish. So .. simple. For your 1kgm of finished dough you want say 600 gms of bread flour, 400 gms/mltr of water 12 to 15 gms of salt and 6 or 7 gms of instant yeast. Put it all in a bowl keeping the yeast away from the salt and mix. Put one of those hotel shower caps over the top and let it rise for a few hours. Don't put oil in the mix. You can make all this the previous day, leave it in a cold room and let the taste mature. A few hours before you are going to eat, then portion the balls and use some easy envelope folds ie pull the portions out and fold into the middle and make a ball. There is lot's of google youtube help if you want to see someone else doing this.
When you have the balls formed leave with an oiled cling film on top or a bin liner. I use lightly oiled lidded bowls and keep a few in the fridge all the time. When ready to make the pizza flatten the ball and pull it into the circle on a floured board. When it is roughly the right size sprinkle on top some semolina and then turn it over so the semolina is now the base flour. This will help make it not stick and give crispness from a domestic oven. The pizza base always seems to stick but as long as you have enough semolina or flour on the base you keep shaking it until it comes loose. It near enough always does ... lift the edges if it becomes belligerent.
Show us pictures of what you do or report back.
Dec 13, 2014 | 5:48 pm
#119
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,968
Just to be clear, that wasn't the way I do it, but I was asked specifically for something simple. I make every Wednesday or so for the weekends pizza ie 200gms of flour with 200ml of water and a few grams of yeast. This matures for a day or so and this becomes the starter for the mix the following day, This adds depth of flavour. It will end up as aroun 1200gm of dough to 64% hydration.
I use a simple spreadsheet to maintain the hydration of around 64%. I then only use the dough balls after they have been in the fridge for a few days. In Naples they prefer to eat the pizza from yesterday's dough and also use what is effectively a sourdough starter. My method is to my taste at least just as good. The approach above is a compromise to make it easier,
Happy to help any further if asked.