The Home Made Pizza Thread

[cheezydemon3]

lol, it happens. She still loved it.

 

[jeffersonjames]

This thread inspired me to try a deep dish in a skillet. Usually I stick with a pizza stone, NY style. I may retire the pizza stone and use the skillet for now on.

 

[mtnagel]

My deep dish in my cast iron skillet came out so good I was thinking of trying a non deep dish/medium thickness crust in it.

 

[kman6234]

Just made a batch of ny style dough for Thursday night pizzas. Going to let it cold ferment for 36 or so hours.

 

[Evets]

Have a Nice Day!

 

[Evets]

Here's the portable semi-wood burning oven I built to take camping at the bluegrass festival.

 

[Evets]

More

 

[headbanger]

 

[Evets]

Hard to beat a straight ahead pepperoni pie!

 

[Evets]

Fresh Mozz, yellow fingerling potatoes soaked in salt water, garlic alfredo sauce on sourdough. About 90 seconds in the wfo.

 

[headbanger]

Crust is getting better, still needs work though...

 

[Evets]

What's your formula and workflow?

 

[cheezydemon3]

Hard to beat a straight ahead pepperoni pie!

Except with say............your backyard woodfired pizza oven, your mobile airstream wf oven, your portable kettle gril1 wf oven, your portable bluegrass festival, your lovely assistant/ pizza model, your "more gourmet than anyone here" marinated fingerling potato pizza.....

He does this in any pizza thread

You are inspiring brother!

 

[AnchorBock]

Alright so here goes:

First I usually bake in the oven as hot as it goes (mine says 500, but actually heats up to about 550) or on my grill pizza stone (usually a little hotter 650-700):

Crust:

1 package dry active yeast (I think it's Hudson Mill that I use)
1 cup warm (90-100) water

mix the above and let stand for 5 min.

1 1/4 C ice cold water or beer
1 t. sugar
1 1/2 T Kosher salt
2 T olive oil
5 1/4 C all-purpose or bread flour (bread flour is best)
2 T Italian seasoning

Mix flour and Italian seasoning thoroughly in large bowl or in mixer bowl (if using a dough hook on a Kitchenaid). Mix together cold liquid, salt, sugar and oil.

If mixing by hand, make a well in the flour mixture and add all other ingredients stirring until all is incorporated (may need to add flour). Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic (10-12 min.). NOTE: I always knead the dough by hand. I've made this recipe dozens of times and experience has taught me that I can best tell how much flour needs to be added, when the dough is ready, etc. by kneading it myself)

One could also make the dough by adding the wet ingredients to a mixer and using the dough hook. Use low speed first until the flour is incorporated and the dough gathers into a ball, about 4 min. Let rest for 2 min, then mix on low until dough is smooth and not sticky, about 6 min longer. Then, turn out the dough and knead for a min. or two until a smooth ball is formed.

Cut the dough into thirds, wrap into balls and stick in 1 gallon plastic bags in the fridge for 10 hours or up to 2 days.

This dough is "New York" style. It will be crispy on the outside but soft and porous on the inside. I do sometimes split the dough into fourths and make the crusts a little thinner without compromising the texture.

Sauce:

24 oz tomato paste (the highest quality you can find/afford, trust me on this one)
3/4 C water
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 T sugar
2 1/2 T Kosher salt
1 1/3 T dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1/4 t. garlic powder (or a small clove of fresh pressed garlic)
4 large chopped fresh basil leaves

Mix first three ingredients in a large bowl well. Add everything but the fresh basil, mix well. Fold in the basil leaves.

Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Topping combos:

I'm an IPA / IIPA fan, so I always go for a pizza with a kick:

1. Spicy Pepperoni, sliced andouille sausage, red onion, red bell pepper and pickled hot banana peppers (I drain these and pat them dry with a paper towl).

2. Spicy Pepperoni, ground beef, red onion, black olive and sliced fire-roasted red bell pepper

Enjoy (with a pint)!

Thanks for the writeup - couple questions though. How long do you bake in the oven and do you preheat your stone? How wide are the pizzas when you split into 3rds?

 

[headbanger]

What's your formula and workflow?

For the dough?

 

[Evets]

For the dough?

Yes, if that's what you're saying still needs work.

 

[Jaysus]

I want to be friends with Evets!

 

[JUST_BREW_IT]

More

Where's the bluegrass festival? I want to come! I play the guitar and fiddle around on the banjo and mandolin as well

 

[Evets]

I want to be friends with Evets!

Ya'know, H'burg's only an hour away! Just bring some beer!

 

[Evets]

Where's the bluegrass festival? I want to come! I play the guitar and fiddle around on the banjo and mandolin as well

Gettysburg, Pa. every May and August. I haven't missed one in 12 years! I go to Greyfox in N.Y. most every year too. What a blast!

http://www.gettysburgbluegrass.com/festival/

http://www.greyfoxbluegrass.com/ws/pages/home.php

 

[JUST_BREW_IT]

That may work, hard to say really. See if you can find the manual for it online, you want one that has a delay cycle and a bake only cycle, several "artisan" cycles are also good.

I found that my wife had a KA mixer that had the dough hooks. We tried to make a few pizzas on our traeger pellet grill over the weekend. We grilled on the hottest setting using a pizza crisper. The cheese began to burn a bit and the crust seemed firm however the dough at the center of the pie was still soft/wet. We put our other pizza in the over and cooked a bit slower on a lower temp and it came out great. I think we may have had our dough a bit too thick

Any advice/constructive criticism for the newbie is whole-heartedly welcome

 

[jperry]

For sauce, I just slice tomatoes and drizzle them with olive oil. Then I grab some fresh basil leafs, and crack salt and pepper, over the tomatoes. Nothing special, but this taste great, and its really simple. My Mother taught me this, and Her Mother taught her, and so on. Cheers!

 

[JUST_BREW_IT]

Gettysburg, Pa. every May and August. I haven't missed one in 12 years! I go to Greyfox in N.Y. most every year too. What a blast!

http://www.gettysburgbluegrass.com/festival/

http://www.greyfoxbluegrass.com/ws/pages/home.php

that sounds like a blast!!!

That would be a haul for me. Wish there were more festivals like that around here!

 

[Evets]

For sauce, I just slice tomatoes and drizzle them with olive oil. Then I grab some fresh basil leafs, and crack salt and pepper, over the tomatoes. Nothing special, but this taste great, and its really simple. My Mother taught me this, and Her Mother taught her, and so on. Cheers!

Your pizza looks great! I agree, most times simple is better and less is more. For my neapolitan pies, I usually use Cento brand whole, peeled Italian tomatoes(from a can) and a little salt. That's it. My N.Y. style sauce, on the other hand, is much more complicated, but it doesn't really have to be.

 

[TrickyDick]

Also, has anyone made pizza in a smoker like a traeger?

Lots of people do, but not me. Supposedly it works great

 

[Sammy86]

Making a nice buffalo chicken Stromboli tonight with my Pizza dough, pictures posted later tonight!

 

[TrickyDick]

I love pizza!


Here are some pics from my recent efforts
I also like doing steaks on a "Tuscan grill" over the coals raked into front of pizza oven. Haven't tried them on my pellet smoker yet, but it doesn't get as hot as the pizza oven. Im using the sourdough cultures, yeah I read the varasano pizza page too! The French culture has the best texture of the four I bought (san Fran, plus two Italian cultures). I use King Arthur bread flour sometimes blend with Italian 00 or high gluten (KA sir Lancelot) but those specialty flours a hard to find. There is a whole wear flour called golden promise or something like that, which makes a terrific texture dough. A friend had given me some so I tried it. I typically do the initial kneading in a stand mixer, and reserve some flour and let it rest wet for 20 minutes. The Jeff varasano method I think results in dough that is waaayyy too wet, so I've modified. The calzone in there is actually a Stromboli, but was fantastic. I would have married it if I was still single..

TD
Umm where did all my photos go? Is there a limit to how many you can put in one post?

 

[TrickyDick]

Lets try this

 

[TrickyDick]

That's better!

Not sure why they didn't take in the previous posting. The last pizza, the toppings started to singe and burn before dough was cooked to desired crispness. Think that the oven was too hot that day. In the dome between 1100-1200 and the floor was 800+ things can burn in the blink of an eye. My favorite pizza is the BBQ pizza with tomato sauce, and some spicy BBQ sauce below the cheese, topped with pepperoni, pulled pork, sausage, bacon, and a drizzle of BBQ sauce and sprinkle of BBQ rub on top. I've also done it with some peach pieces. Could also add ham.

TD

 

[headbanger]

Yes, if that's what you're saying still needs work.

Well, let's see if I can remember off the top of my head, these measurements should be pretty close...

1 cup KA bread flour + 3/4 cup water + 1/2 cup polish, combine in bread machine mix/knead for 20-30 minutes then stop and let rise for 12 hour.

add in another cup flour + 3/4 cup water then mix/knead for 15-20 minutes then stop cycle and allow to rise for 8 hours.

add in the remaining 2 cups of flour, 1tsp salt and 1 cup water mix/knead for 15-20 minutes then allow to rise for 3 hrs more.