Long week -- so, homemade beer with homemade pizza

Yum!

the homemade dough and homemade sauce (and no I didn't use all that sauce):



the pizza:



ready to eat:



Some homemade pizza and beer, and my long week is done and the weekend is off to a good start!

Looks delicious! That's every Friday night in my house - daughter knows it once I pick her up from school, and sometimes you just can't say no to that cute face!

I did this a few weeks ago and it rocked! Home made everything. The dough was kicking my ass though when I was trying to form it into a usuable shape, but a rolling pin fixed that.

Ah yes, pizza peels make transferring pizza much easier than the normal 'stupidly make it on the counter top, then drop it as its going into the oven' routine.

I will be buying one tomorrow actually.

bierhaus15 said:

Ah yes, pizza peels make transferring pizza much easier than the normal 'stupidly make it on the counter top, then drop it as its going into the oven' routine.

I will be buying one tomorrow actually.

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the peel only works if you have some flour or corn meal on it. The second 'za I forget, and would up with the "pick it up and drop it on the stone" routine.

I haven't gotten around to buying a peel, so I just use a piece of old cardboard (the pizza's getting cooked, right?). It works well because it absorbs a lot of the moisture from the dough so most of the time it doesn't stick at all with very little flour.

that's a good idea Laurel --

Skins_Brew said:

I did this a few weeks ago and it rocked! Home made everything. The dough was kicking my ass though when I was trying to form it into a usuable shape, but a rolling pin fixed that.

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Make sure you're kneading enough to form the gluten - this makes it have the elastic properties. Make sure you give it a good rise, as well.

But the best advice I got in my pizza making when trying to form the crust from a ball is to work gradually, allowing the dough/gluten to relax for 5-10 minutes between pulls. Flatten the ball out after the rise, and you'll probably see it trying to spring back into the ball. Wait 5-10 minutes and try again. You'll see it stretches much easier. Get it out as far as you can, then do another rest. After that, it should stretch quite well if it has a good amount of gluten.

PseudoChef said:

...the best advice I got in my pizza making when trying to form the crust from a ball is to work gradually, allowing the dough/gluten to relax for 5-10 minutes between pulls. Flatten the ball out after the rise, and you'll probably see it trying to spring back into the ball. Wait 5-10 minutes and try again. You'll see it stretches much easier. Get it out as far as you can, then do another rest. After that, it should stretch quite well if it has a good amount of gluten.

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Thanks for the tip - I'll definitely give that a go.

I have to say that since I started to form my pizzas by pulling them into shape, rather than by using a rolling pin, they really are substantially better. That was another tip I picked up on here. This place rules.

Cold fermenting your dough for 24 or more hours will help the gluten do it's thing and when it comes back to room temp, it will be easier to hold it's shape. Plus, the dough will usually taste much better then quickly made dough.

Yeast. it's a good thing..

That looks delicious.

If you want to see tips from a guy who's as insanely particular about pizza making as we are about brewing, check out:
Jeff Varasano's NY Pizza Recipe

pnj said:

Cold fermenting your dough for 24 or more hours will help the gluten do it's thing and when it comes back to room temp, it will be easier to hold it's shape. Plus, the dough will usually taste much better then quickly made dough.

Yeast. it's a good thing..

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+1

Dough the spends overnight in the fridge has always been better for me and you don't have to eat late at night if you can't start until after work.

That being said, I have had great luck with the dough in the prepared foods section at my local Whole Foods.

We heat our house with a woodstove

Let me tell you

AWESOME PIZZA!

I got a piece of soapstone and cut it so it fit in the stove (propped on firebricks)
Nice bed of coals

OH GAWD DAMN :rockin: