thataintchicken
Well-Known Member
Beat me to it.
My only difference is I use a Pepper Grinder filled with kosher salt and minced garlic. Grind up about 1tsp of that and you are golden.
Pizza Dough Struggle
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Beat me to it.
My only difference is I use a Pepper Grinder filled with kosher salt and minced garlic. Grind up about 1tsp of that and you are golden.
thataintchicken
Well-Known Member
For a quick sauce, try this.
1 6oz. Can of Generic Tomato Sauce.
1 Tablespoon Trader Joes Pasta spice mix.
1 tsp splenda or sugar.
it is simple, fast and freezes well if you make it in larger amounts.
If you have some cilantro and chicken laying around, use Sriacha instead of pizza sauce - top with the chicken and cilantro. have a cold glass of lager and enjoy!
1 6oz. Can of Generic Tomato Sauce.
1 Tablespoon Trader Joes Pasta spice mix.
1 tsp splenda or sugar.
it is simple, fast and freezes well if you make it in larger amounts.
If you have some cilantro and chicken laying around, use Sriacha instead of pizza sauce - top with the chicken and cilantro. have a cold glass of lager and enjoy!
Gonna throw my 2c in just because I have been making a ton of pizza lately.
The recipe I use is VERY low yeast, and NO OIL. The key is proper proofing.
3.5c bread flour ( i use king arthur)
1/4t dry yeast
2t salt
1.5c warm water
Don't prep the yeast at all. Mix this all loosely (it should be integrated but not kneaded) in a bowl until you can turn it out onto a non-floured surface. Form a ball and turn the bowl over to cover. Leave that for 15-30m to let the yeast wake up.
After that, knead the dough for 10m. You will know when it is smooth and feeling good. Again, don't use any more flour.
Break this up into 4 or 6 equal sized balls (I like my pizza small). I use my scale. Then I roll them into balls (a few times) to help develop the gluten.
These can now go in tupperware in the fridge and pulled out the day of. When you want to use them, leave them out for 4-6 hours (I crack the lid on the tup) to proof them. Underproofed is better than overproofed.
You can now use some flour at this stage or things get sticky. I hand form the dough by holding the crust between my fingers and thumbs and rotating the pizza while it hangss. Once it is a bit bigger, I put it on the backs of my knuckles and stretch.
I bake my pizza on my stone at 550, and I like to do it naked for a couple minutes before saucing. This is a lot easier to handle (especially if you don't have a peel) and ensures that your crust will be crispy/firm without burned cheese.
With thin crust, one of the key tips I have found is to use a very dry sauce. I strain san marzano whole tomato and then crush with fork, add a dash of olive oil, salt, pepper, and this makes an incredible uncooked sauce for very little effort.
Also, for thin crust, keep the topping load very light, and if you are using fresh mozz, let it dry a bit before putting it on.
The recipe I use is VERY low yeast, and NO OIL. The key is proper proofing.
3.5c bread flour ( i use king arthur)
1/4t dry yeast
2t salt
1.5c warm water
Don't prep the yeast at all. Mix this all loosely (it should be integrated but not kneaded) in a bowl until you can turn it out onto a non-floured surface. Form a ball and turn the bowl over to cover. Leave that for 15-30m to let the yeast wake up.
After that, knead the dough for 10m. You will know when it is smooth and feeling good. Again, don't use any more flour.
Break this up into 4 or 6 equal sized balls (I like my pizza small). I use my scale. Then I roll them into balls (a few times) to help develop the gluten.
These can now go in tupperware in the fridge and pulled out the day of. When you want to use them, leave them out for 4-6 hours (I crack the lid on the tup) to proof them. Underproofed is better than overproofed.
You can now use some flour at this stage or things get sticky. I hand form the dough by holding the crust between my fingers and thumbs and rotating the pizza while it hangss. Once it is a bit bigger, I put it on the backs of my knuckles and stretch.
I bake my pizza on my stone at 550, and I like to do it naked for a couple minutes before saucing. This is a lot easier to handle (especially if you don't have a peel) and ensures that your crust will be crispy/firm without burned cheese.
With thin crust, one of the key tips I have found is to use a very dry sauce. I strain san marzano whole tomato and then crush with fork, add a dash of olive oil, salt, pepper, and this makes an incredible uncooked sauce for very little effort.
Also, for thin crust, keep the topping load very light, and if you are using fresh mozz, let it dry a bit before putting it on.
Hugh_Jass
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Beat me to it.
My only difference is I use a Pepper Grinder filled with kosher salt and minced garlic. Grind up about 1tsp of that and you are golden.
Can I use DME instead of sugar?
I usually "proof" the yeast with the warm water and sugar or DME. Is this correct?
I like to mix hoisin sauce, tomato paste, sesame oil, and sriracha to make a sauce. This goes great on a pizza with mozz, chicken, peppers, and peanuts. I add the cilantro after it comes out of the oven.
thataintchicken
Well-Known Member
I have never used DME in pizza dough.
I may have to try it sometime.
Might even try it with a new sourdough starter just to see what happens.
Thanks for the idea.
boo boo
Well-Known Member
For those of you who use a peel and find that the dough sticks to the peel when you load the pie up with toppings, you can use a turkey baster to " blow " air under the pie just before you slide it on your stone. This way you don't need to add more flour or corn meal under the pie to slip it off the peel.
samc
Well-Known Member
Willard who invented the 2stone Pizza Grill high heat pizza oven (grill insert for use with propane or gas grills) is a genius. This device will turn a so so pizza maker into a pizza god. I have nothing to do with the company - I bought one and love it. I use a sourdough starter, similar to making beer so that if you brew you will find maintaining a starter to be really easy. You can get great starters from Sourdoughs International: sourdough bread starter, sourdough bread recipes, bread machine recipes . Then you can use most any flour or combo of them and produce great pizza. I currently use Pendleton performer hi gluten mixed with Caputo pizza flour.
High heat is the answer along with slow fermentation of the dough. Flour, sourdough yeast, salt & water is all you need. I let my dough ferment for 24 hours room temp and then bake some and leave the rest in the fridge for up to a week.
High heat is the answer along with slow fermentation of the dough. Flour, sourdough yeast, salt & water is all you need. I let my dough ferment for 24 hours room temp and then bake some and leave the rest in the fridge for up to a week.
user 22118
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I have a few things to add to all of what has been said.
1. Rice flour instead of cornmeal, semolina, flour and any of the other stuff is my savior for creating a slippery surface from the peel to the stone. Put it into a shaker and just dust the surface of the peel before placing the rolled out dough onto it. It is so fine grained that it coats very well and then doesn't stick to the bottom of the pizza in the same way that cornmeal is gritty, and flour is so dry.
2. I make a sauce that is foolproof and simple.
3. Proofing is the key. During the summer I will take my dough to work and place it in the sun till it doubles and then knock it down, then again. Then I place it into a cold place (fridge or whatnot) till mid afternoon and then out to do a final rise about two hours prior to cooking it. This makes it very chewy and also have great air pockets that turn crispy on the outside.
4. I use all purpose flour always. High gluten I find can turn out very stiff if you don't kneed it enough or proof it long enough.
5. Always salt your dough and I always like to add in the granulated garlic, some italian seasoning, some red pepper flakes or something else to make it POP!
6. Don't over fill with toppings. Just a simple amount of cheese and like two toppings (or three sparsely spaced). My friend makes pizza and puts everything under the sun on it, there is no distinct flavor and it just becomes too rich.
7. During the summer time, use fresh tomatoes for that awesome flavor that you can't get from canned. When I say fresh, I mean from the farmers market or someone that is selling them on the side of the road. That crap at the grocery store should be avoided if at all possible.
Last but not least is that everyone that is making their own dough should definately make a sourdough starter at least once. It is easy and fun and really adds that extra something. For the beginner make it with a little bit of yeast. For the more advanced you can capture the local yeast and make some. I am working up a new starter at my new house and it is bubbling away after three days. I should have some delicious flavors coming out in another three days or so. Then you have to feed the beast!
^^My sourdough starter that I just began three days ago.
Cheers and hopefully this isn't too long of a post to follow.
1. Rice flour instead of cornmeal, semolina, flour and any of the other stuff is my savior for creating a slippery surface from the peel to the stone. Put it into a shaker and just dust the surface of the peel before placing the rolled out dough onto it. It is so fine grained that it coats very well and then doesn't stick to the bottom of the pizza in the same way that cornmeal is gritty, and flour is so dry.
2. I make a sauce that is foolproof and simple.
1 can of Italian styled stewed tomatoes (I use S&W)
1 clove garlic
1 tblsp Italian Seasoning
Salt and pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 clove garlic
1 tblsp Italian Seasoning
Salt and pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
3. Proofing is the key. During the summer I will take my dough to work and place it in the sun till it doubles and then knock it down, then again. Then I place it into a cold place (fridge or whatnot) till mid afternoon and then out to do a final rise about two hours prior to cooking it. This makes it very chewy and also have great air pockets that turn crispy on the outside.
4. I use all purpose flour always. High gluten I find can turn out very stiff if you don't kneed it enough or proof it long enough.
5. Always salt your dough and I always like to add in the granulated garlic, some italian seasoning, some red pepper flakes or something else to make it POP!
6. Don't over fill with toppings. Just a simple amount of cheese and like two toppings (or three sparsely spaced). My friend makes pizza and puts everything under the sun on it, there is no distinct flavor and it just becomes too rich.
7. During the summer time, use fresh tomatoes for that awesome flavor that you can't get from canned. When I say fresh, I mean from the farmers market or someone that is selling them on the side of the road. That crap at the grocery store should be avoided if at all possible.
Last but not least is that everyone that is making their own dough should definately make a sourdough starter at least once. It is easy and fun and really adds that extra something. For the beginner make it with a little bit of yeast. For the more advanced you can capture the local yeast and make some. I am working up a new starter at my new house and it is bubbling away after three days. I should have some delicious flavors coming out in another three days or so. Then you have to feed the beast!
^^My sourdough starter that I just began three days ago.
Cheers and hopefully this isn't too long of a post to follow.
+1 on the sourdough starter!
Another tip that I've found works as well for pizza as it does for french bread, is to preheat a skillet with the oven. Pull the skillet out when you put the pizza in the oven, pour 3/4c water in the skillet and quickly put it on the rack UNDER the pizza. This blast of moisture will give the crust a beautiful crisp.
Another tip that I've found works as well for pizza as it does for french bread, is to preheat a skillet with the oven. Pull the skillet out when you put the pizza in the oven, pour 3/4c water in the skillet and quickly put it on the rack UNDER the pizza. This blast of moisture will give the crust a beautiful crisp.
