The Home Made Pizza Thread

[z-bob]

Hi folks, been making pizza for quite a while and got my crust dialed in thanks to reading this thread. What is the consensus best pizza sauce out of the can or jar? I'd like to get that nailed.

there's unlikely to be a consensus The Hunt's or Heinz (I think it's Hunt's) pizza sauce in No. 10 cans at Sam's Club for about $3 is surprisingly not bad. It's way too much sauce, but you can divide and freeze it.

 

[brewingmeister]

Are you seriously saying the shape of the pie necessitates the need for different sauces?

@yowzers I haven't read any replies yet to your query (lazy). Either is okay but you can get better results, without much effort, by making homemade.
Recipe depends on whether you're doing round or square. Round sauce is a bit sweeter and square sauce is more of a deep, hearty tomato flavor. Both are easily achieved.

 

[DaveLeaf]

Dave, your slippers are adorable! I'm just joking around--I don't do emojis.

hahaha. these are my girlfriends feets

 

[DaveLeaf]

Canned plum tomatoes works best for me. I just crush them with my hands, add some olive oil, salt and pepper and it’s ready. This time we had cooked sauce and it was good too

 

[davidabcd]

need for different sauces

No, not at all. It's just a general observation here in Detroit with the best, square pizza makers that are offshoots of Buddy's Pizzeria. Those sauces are nearly identical and noticeably different than achains' sauce.
I prefer Buddy's sauce on any pizza.

 

[applescrap]

I have used many sauces,not a lot of them are sticking out. Classico is livable and simple truth are too, for sure. We have been using sams club tomato sauce. It is livable as well and I would prefer homemade or something else. I spread it and then salt and dust with pizza seasoning.

For homemade sauce there are some great recipes. Just search the thread. Imo a good starts is some sugar, salt, tomato sauce, evoo tomato paste, little onion, and some spices.

 

[z-bob]

Putting sauce on top is my specialty. I make Detroit style deep dish 99% of the time which traditionally has sauce on top but there's no reason why you can't dab an appropriate amount of sauce on a round.
I use canned, diced tomatoes (I don't see why crushed wouldn't be fine) and blend them. After that, in a pot with crushed garlic and you can add minced basil or whole basil leaves and take them out when done. I cook this down until it's pizza sauce consistency. Obviously, you need to add salt and pepper. I can't remember how crushed toms look out of the can but you may want to cook them down.
As far as caramelizing, unless there's a decent amount of sugar in the sauce, cooked down until super thick or a 700F oven, it's not likely as far as I know.

What I actually have is diced tomatoes (with garlic, basil, and onion); I was planning to crush them myself. I know canned crushed tomatoes are a thing, I've bought them before but it's been a long time. Kinda like tomato puree but chunkier. I'm not sure if those are peeled.

 

[davidabcd]

have is diced tomatoes (with garlic, basil, and onion); I was planning to crush them myself.

That sounds great. I used canned diced too and I blend them, juice and all. I might try some onion by blending it with the tomatoes.
An interesting ingredient that was used when I worked in a privately owned pizzeria is finely grated Parmesan. The list of ingredients was parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, sugar, Parmesan, MSG and I think garlic powder. I don't recall the ratios any more.

 

[DaveLeaf]

a lot of sauce, oregano and garlic

 

[WI_Wino]

We had a good run. Stone was 15(?) years old. Now do we replace with another stone or steel, hmm, decisions....

 

[davidabcd]

Stone was 15(

I had to "unlike" because it appeared to me that I was happy your stone bit the dust. Just old, then? Nothing that could have been avoided? I don't recall what mine is made out of but it was pricey and I want to do everything possible to make it last.
The only things I do are:
Keep it clean-ish
no abrupt temp change
handle it like it's made of glass

 

[schematix]

We had a good run. Stone was 15(?) years old. Now do we replace with another stone or steel, hmm, decisions.... View attachment 650976

Get both. Problem solved.

 

[applescrap]

Too lazy and hungry to fire up the wood fire. Rolled thin pizzas between two sheets of parchment with California ranch evoo. Super thin. Experimented with some chewey and some crunchy. More and less cheese. There was an amount of cheese that slid off just right when folded. Yum. Need to try bigger thin crust for longer fold action.

 

[WI_Wino]

I had to "unlike" because it appeared to me that I was happy your stone bit the dust. Just old, then? Nothing that could have been avoided? I don't recall what mine is made out of but it was pricey and I want to do everything possible to make it last.
The only things I do are:
Keep it clean-ish
no abrupt temp change
handle it like it's made of glass

I don't recall dropping it ever. My wife usually insists on washing it in the sink (always the next day or later). Never ever heated it unless it was bone dry. It had been in the oven for a couple weeks when it popped last night. So not like it was still damp. There may have been a cumulative effect with the handwashing.

 

[Robert65]

I have a stone that I don't think has left the oven in 25 years, except once as it was transferred into a new oven if that counts. All I do is brush it off after use. It stays in no matter what the oven is doing because its thermal mass will help regulate heat anytime, and I wouldn't imagine washing is necessary or good for it, beyond the risk of losing it to klutziness. Any material that ends up on it will be ash after the next preheating to 550°F and will be removed by brushing off. Oh, to the question of stone or steel. I never thought of steel as a substitute for a stone deck for baking breads or pizzas. Wouldn't that result in steaming the bottom crust like a pan? I think stone is definitely the preferred surface.

 

[Staestc]

We had a good run. Stone was 15(?) years old. Now do we replace with another stone or steel, hmm, decisions.... View attachment 650976

Go with a steel. You appear to already have another stone! If you have not cooked on a steel you will most likely love it. And you could put your stone on the shelf above it to top heat or just switch to broil after a couple of minutes on the steel for top heat.

P.S. I never had a stone last more than a year or two. One just broke for no apparent reason, one was out of the oven and on the back porch and the cable man broke it. I like the longevity of the pizza steels

 

[davidabcd]

I don't recall dropping it ever. My wife usually insists on washing it in the sink (always the next day or later). Never ever heated it unless it was bone dry. It had been in the oven for a couple weeks when it popped last night. So not like it was still damp. There may have been a cumulative effect with the handwashing.

Yeah, I would guess it was cumulative effects as well. Even simple expanding and contracting over a long period might stress the product.
I haven't tried steel. I'm going to look into the pros and cons. I want two anyway for cooking pizza in the oven.

 

[applescrap]

I chose a steel, ultimately my research led me to that decision. Also I wanted some versatility with it, and not worrying about it breaking as it moves from grill, to oven, etc. Ymmv. Pictures of its performance are right above! ^^

 

[Staestc]

Last nights attempt using the Chris Graff's NYC recipe again and a better scale. Made the dough Saturday, RT for 3 hours or so, balled and into the fridge over night and till the afternoon. 2-3 hours on the counter before shaping. Used some awesome meats on this one and the puree that I found that is so good. Just spread the puree then crushed up a little dried basil and oregano on it and it's perfect!

 

[Staestc]

I have no idea why the puree is showing up three times. When I try to edit it to get the other two out they other two are not there. Sorry.

 

[bleme]

I have no idea why the puree is showing up three times. When I try to edit it to get the other two out they other two are not there. Sorry.

I just figured you must REALLY like that puree!

 

[WI_Wino]

Go with a steel. You appear to already have another stone! If you have not cooked on a steel you will most likely love it. And you could put your stone on the shelf above it to top heat or just switch to broil after a couple of minutes on the steel for top heat.

P.S. I never had a stone last more than a year or two. One just broke for no apparent reason, one was out of the oven and on the back porch and the cable man broke it. I like the longevity of the pizza steels

We regularly cook two pizzas at once. The serious eats new york style dough recipe works out to two medium pizzas for the adults and then two kid size pizzas the kids get to slap some toppings on. I can't imagine cooking one pizza at a time. Dinner would take FOREVER.

 

[schematix]

what temp do you guys use for the steels?

my experience with stones is that 650F+ is great but even 500F on a steel can burn the jeeebus out of a pizza while the top is still white.

 

[WI_Wino]

550F, max my oven does. Min 1 hour preheat.

 

[Staestc]

what temp do you guys use for the steels?

my experience with stones is that 650F+ is great but even 500F on a steel can burn the jeeebus out of a pizza while the top is still white.

Same as Wino here. I preheat at bake 550F which is the max for 45 minutes to an hour. Pie goes on for 2-3 minutes then I switch to broil high till the top looks right (usually just a couple of more minutes). This is for a New York style dough recipe. I have not figured it our for other styles yet.

 

[applescrap]

Haha, never occured to me to buy another stone for speed. I wanted one because results of 2 stones i have seen are good. I make a similar amount and yes it can take a while I mean figure 8 minutes 10 minutes a pizza. I was so happy to use wood fire for speed.

Those pizzas the other night did cook quick. Making them thin and starting them on the bottom they had that beautiful color on the bottom in a couple minutes. Then I move them to the top to finish no steel or stone And that's a good thing because they had plenty of color from the bottom. They couldn't have taken over 5 minutes. But yeah if I didn't find that technique I'd be on my way to another stone. The time it takes to cook 4 or 5 pizzas in the oven is the only thing that I have not liked about making pizzas.

We regularly cook two pizzas at once. The serious eats new york style dough recipe works out to two medium pizzas for the adults and then two kid size pizzas the kids get to slap some toppings on. I can't imagine cooking one pizza at a time. Dinner would take FOREVER.

 

[davidabcd]

Pizza stones just seem easier to manage so I would only get that type.

Square pizza-wise, I would get a second stone but it would be for the rack above the pizza to radiate heat downward. As it is, I can compensate by putting the rack in the top-third of the oven so the cheese and toppings get cooked properly.
If I have the oven at 550, I can cook enough pizza to feed 12 in twenty minutes. I like the idea of cooking two at once but it's not feasible for my oven.
Outside on the BBQ, I can double my production. No stone or steel in that case.

 

[applescrap]

Outside on a bbq you could cook for 12 in ten minutes, please share your secrets? Well and the oven secrets too. Using the top of the oven does a great job at finishing the top, wish I found that sooner.

Pizza stones just seem easier to manage so I would only get that type.

Square pizza-wise, I would get a second stone but it would be for the rack above the pizza to radiate heat downward. As it is, I can compensate by putting the rack in the top-third of the oven so the cheese and toppings get cooked properly.
If I have the oven at 550, I can cook enough pizza to feed 12 in twenty minutes. I like the idea of cooking two at once but it's not feasible for my oven.
Outside on the BBQ, I can double my production. No stone or steel in that case.

 

[davidabcd]

share

Nothing special, just good timing: Outside, I have a six-burner. I light two on high and cook over the other four. Inside, half that space. It requires having the next round of pizzas to already be panned with toppings.

 

[Staestc]

Did the second dough ball from the Saturday make last night, so about 72 hours ferment in the fridge then 2 hours on the counter. Dough was just amazing to open.

Cracker crust experiments next I think.

 

[applescrap]

Wow that's super awesome. I am so glad I asked. I tried on the grill with the steel. But the crust got done before the top. I had the same experience over the fire but not quite as bad. Using the grill indirect makes perfect sense. You could get some smoke rolling to. Sweet.

Nothing special, just good timing: Outside, I have a six-burner. I light two on high and cook over the other four. Inside, half that space. It requires having the next round of pizzas to already be panned with toppings.

 

[DaveLeaf]

48h fermented dough, pecorino, parmesan, crushed canned tomatoes, garlic, forest mushrooms, mozzarela

 

[applescrap]

Pizza! I tried to make a bigger thin pizza. Didnt quite make as big as one as i would like. The parchment is somewhat limiting in this regard. Maybe a big screen is what I need. It was good, albeit a little overdone. Made a second. Not the best circle. Kids were hungry, and the dough was cold. 42 minutes start to finish for both pies and no mess really. Rolled between parchment.

 

[Staestc]

Made NYC recipe again last night, but this time same day room temp rise. Made on Spanish chorizo, salami, and Italian sausage, and two smaller Italian sausages, one with store bought and one with sausage I ground and spiced yesterday. I vac bagged 5 1/2 lb portions of Italian sausage and froze.

Last one had the homemade sausage and was awesome!

 

[applescrap]

Omg the sausage looks tasty! We have the same steel. I like how the peel tossed pizza has more surface area browning. The parchment wrinkles as the dough shrinks back, at least cold dough. This means less of the crust touches. The plus side is when we get home with two hungry kids any normal day of week, I can whip out pizzas in no time with no mess. In timeshare kitchens, other peoples houses etc. But I need to throw a few because that crust looks great. How much sugar or dm powder is in it. The crust browning is nice too.

 

[bkboiler]

I've got a pretty big cast iron that I use to do my pizzas at 500 or 550 depending on crust thickness. Never had a burning problem whether on parchment or not and I usually just use the parchment to slide into the oven then pull it after 2-3 minutes.
Plus for the cast iron, I use it to cook bacon directly on the burner and also sometimes pancakes or french toast too...all that grease and butter keeps it well seasoned!
Gotta love a multitasker!

 

[SEndorf]

I apologize for going a bit off track, but I have some cast iron campfire pie irons that are a bit rusty, and crapped up with cooked on gunk.
As a cast iron noob, I would really appreciate some advice on how to condition these so they're useful.

 

[z-bob]

I apologize for going a bit off track, but I have some cast iron campfire pie irons that are a bit rusty, and crapped up with cooked on gunk.
As a cast iron noob, I would really appreciate some advice on how to condition these so they're useful.

Burn 'em to get all the gunk off. Red hot. When they cool, brush all the ash and as much rust as you can off, and coat them lightly with shortening and then wipe that off. Now season like a new pan.

 

[SEndorf]

Burn 'em to get all the gunk off. Red hot. When they cool, brush all the ash and as much rust as you can off, and coat them lightly with shortening and then wipe that off. Now season like a new pan.

Thank you!
By "shortening" you mean like Crisco?
Not sure how to get that "red hot". Maybe put them inside the grill on high?

 

[Inkleg]

Thank you!
By "shortening" you mean like Crisco?
Not sure how to get that "red hot". Maybe put them inside the grill on high?

Does your oven have a cleaning cycle?
That’s how I stripped mine after I jacked it up. Finished cleaning with some fine steel wool and then seasoned.
I’d post more info, but Founders CBS is out....and half gone.