The Home Made Pizza Thread

[TrickyDick]

FYI-
This month's "Cook's Illustrated" has some relevant info for y'all.
First off, in case you don't know about the magazine, it accepts no advertising, relying on subscriptions, web subscriptions, and book/compilation sales only, so they are supposedly free of commercial bias.
For free (limited time only) you can access some pizza related video. I think also they do a comparison of steel vs stone pizza baking. Here is the link. They also have a whole wheat pizza video.
cooksillustrated.com/june13
TD

 

[distributistdad]

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?

I bake them for 8-10 min., seems to depend a little bit on how you like them. I like the cheese on top to be a little "carmelized" if that makes sense.

I always preheat the stone. Pop her in the oven before turning the oven on and leave it in there until well after it's cooled off. I use a pizza paddle to move the assembled pizzas from counter to oven and back again. I usually use two stones for parties so I can be assembling one while the other is baking.

I usually make about 16" rounds with the dough cut in thirds. Here again, it depends a little bit on preference b/c one could make them a little thinner (and bigger).

Hope that helps!

 

[passedpawn]

FYI-
This month's "Cook's Illustrated" has some relevant info for y'all.
First off, in case you don't know about the magazine, it accepts no advertising, relying on subscriptions, web subscriptions, and book/compilation sales only, so they are supposedly free of commercial bias.
For free (limited time only) you can access some pizza related video. I think also they do a comparison of steel vs stone pizza baking. Here is the link. They also have a whole wheat pizza video.
cooksillustrated.com/june13
TD

CI is awesome. I like the online version. Find a recipe you like and add it to favorites, then call it up on your smart phone (CI app). Makes shopping a breezer.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I have some dough that has been in the fridge 1 month.

It just seems to keep getting better. What is the fridge life?

 

[HokieBrewer]

Quick pizza/flatbread thing I put together last night after reading this thread. Wife's instagram filter messed up the white balance a little bit.

Chorizo, sauteed kale and ricotta

 

[headbanger]

I have some dough that has been in the fridge 1 month.

It just seems to keep getting better. What is the fridge life?

Should be fine

 

[Evets]

I have some dough that has been in the fridge 1 month.

It just seems to keep getting better. What is the fridge life?

So, it's been there a month. When did you last use it? You may be at the point, or soon will be I should think, that you will get less oven spring and less browning. It kind of depends on how much yeast you used. The flavor should still be good now, but may soon acquire a sour tang as the dough becomes more acidic.
I think the longest I've ever kept dough was between 2 and 3 weeks, no problem.

 

[Olive Drab]

I have some dough that has been in the fridge 1 month.

It just seems to keep getting better. What is the fridge life?

It will probably have an awesome sourdough taste to it

 

[cheezydemon3]

Thanks fellas! I figure I will keep testing it weekly and note changes. If it gets moldy so be it! I have gotten more than my noney's worth.

 

[brewman243]

uugghhh, I taste sour-yeasty flavor if I leave dough in the fridge for more then a few days. After a month I would have a slimy sour mess. I freeze it right away and thaw it overnight in the fridge to use in the next day or 2

 

[TrickyDick]

Ditto here. I make the dough let it rise four hours. Punch it down, form the individual dough balls, and then put it in a dough tray and let it rise for four more hours - ideally in a cool place. Since I don't have any cool places below 72 degrees most times of the year, I just let it do its thing. Sometimes I flip on the AC in a room to cool it off but I really can't say I can detect a difference in the dough.
Anyway, that's what I do when I am planning to use the dough the same day, or planning to freeze the dough for later use. If I wanted to use the dough in the next two to three days, I might let it do the second rise in a refrigerator, and pull it out and hour or so before I intended to use it the following day.

BTW, did anyone catch the San Diego pizza joint on diners, drivethroughs and dives last night. The guy made 18" paper thin dough. Looked like he used a huge Hobart mixer and his arm, with food service supply ingredients. Not sure which brand of dough he uses. They just said high gluten.

TD

 

[cheezydemon3]

Used it this morning!

I made fry bread straight from the fridge.

This HOT chick........well not to distract from my point.....

SOMEBODY() made this butter, banana slices, cinnamon, sugar mess to dump on the fry bread and we promptly ate the F*CK out of it or I would have pics. Nothing left. Licked the damned plate.

NOT slimy or smelly or particularly sour. YUMMY unquestionably. Obviously my somebody is a HUGE foodie, and she gushed about how fantastic the fry-bread was.

Exact date.....4/1.....so it is exactly 1 month. I have left it out to rise maybe 3 times for 6 hours a time over the month.

 

[cheezydemon3]

For those about to try fry bread, thin is better. You can bake a thick one after, but it is dripping oil and is less than ideal to just throw in the oven. A thick one will not get done in the oil.

 

[Ostomo517]

Just now bought a sweet pizza stone finally!!! Cant wait to jump in on the action when we get home from vacation!

 

[Evets]

Just now bought a sweet pizza stone finally!!! Cant wait to jump in on the action when we get home from vacation!

Cool! We'll be waiting!

 

[MindenMan]

This is a great post! Being a foodie and ex-chef, I too appreciate hand made/ home made pizza. I would like to share a couple of experiences related to dough and stones. A few years ago, times were tight, and I wanted a pizza stone. I went to the Home D**** and picked up a piece of 24x24 unfinished Travertine, had it cut to my oven's size leaving 1-1/2 inches between the stone and the oven insides. I always put the stone into a cold oven, and once the oven said it was up to temperature, I waited another 15 minutes. I used the same $2.50 stone for years. It did eventually break when a bunch of oil got spilled on it, but $2.50 lost is no big deal. I have found when my dough, especially sourdough sits in the fridge too long it doesn't want to rise very much. This problem is caused by the Carbonic acid from fermentation and can easily be fixed; put your room temperature dough back in the mixing bowl, and add 1/2 tsp of baking soda in 2 tablespoons of water, and start mixer. There will be significant activity caused by the baking soda/ acid reaction. Let the mixer run for at least 5 minutes, and add a little flour if needed, and proceed like usual.
EDIT: I almost forgot to mention sopapillas; the fried dough dessert than is served at Mexican restaurants. You use almost any standard yeast dough recipe, but the trick to get them to puff up like pillows is to roll them out and let them rest on the counter for 10 minutes o relax the gluten, and when you put them in oil, they puff like crazy. If they don't your dough may be a little too dry.
I hope this helps.

 

[Hopper77]

2 cups bread flour
1-2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
3/4 - 1 cup warm water
1-2 tsp sugar or honey (optional but usually missed by SWBMO if I omit it)
1 tsp rapid rise yeast

Made this dough this morning and just put the pizza in the oven.

 

[LakesideBrewing]

Here is the final resting place for my new wood fired oven. I'm only posting it to show that this oven is perfect for those of us with small yards. One of the best purchases I've made in a long time, we use it all the time. Another benefit of its small size is that it heats up real quick.

The Farmhouse Table I made from salvaged shipping pallets.

-Mike

 

[Evets]

Wow! What a beautiful small back yard!

 

[cheezydemon3]

Wow! What a beautiful small back yard!

Right?

"OH I have a tiny back yard......ON A LAKE!!!!!!"

 

[TrickyDick]

I think my sourdough cultures are unhappy... left them in fridge too long. I hope to revive them... bummer. Well, maybe I can try using regular instant yeast. Dunno, I might like it better without the hassle of the sourdough..

TD

 

[Evets]

You could try washing it, just like beer yeast. I've never done it myself though.
Nothing wrong with dry yeast. It's just not sourdough. Have you tried fresh/cake yeast? I think that works and tastes great. It can be a little hard to find in small quantities.

 

[TrickyDick]

I am going to try to wash it. I am going to dump the hooch and skim the pellicle and then take a single tablespoon from the center of the culture and try to start a new culture. With the remaining, I am going to wash per the instructions in the classic sourdough book. I need to get on a feeding schedule so as not to forget to feed the cultures.

Worst case I order a new culture of dried yeast, but I rather doubt that will be necessary.

TD

 

[kman6234]

Here is the final resting place for my new wood fired oven. I'm only posting it to show that this oven is perfect for those of us with small yards. One of the best purchases I've made in a long time, we use it all the time. Another benefit of its small size is that it heats up real quick.

The Farmhouse Table I made from salvaged shipping pallets.
Rd
-Mike

Awesome backyard and oven!

 

[Olive Drab]

Is anyone using a wet yeast sourdough slurry to make their dough? If so, can you walk me through the proces sof starting/maintaining one? I've been using regular bakers yeast from the 1lb pack for the past few years.

 

[kman6234]

Here's another ny style pie I made last night. Still need work on stretching the dough thinner and being able to launch it into the oven. My pies tend to be either thicker than they should be or stuck to my pizza peel...

 

[TrickyDick]

Is anyone using a wet yeast sourdough slurry to make their dough? If so, can you walk me through the proces sof starting/maintaining one? I've been using regular bakers yeast from the 1lb pack for the past few years.

HAH! I am no expert for sure. The book classic sourdoughs by Ed wood is the book that tells you all this. Then there is the experience factor.

In a nutshell
Obtain culture
Feed culture periodically to maintain health.

When its time to bake, build a starter with the culture and pitch it into your flour mixture, substituting some flour and water for the slurry or poolish as some call it.

Handle your dough per usual and then bake.

Meanwhile, feed your culture and store in fridge. If your countertop is cool enough or you have a cool cellar that's fine too.

Occasionally , the lactobacillus in the culture become to populous relative to the yeast. Then you need to wash the culture by diluting the bacteria (and yeast) and create environment that favors yeast reproduction. (This is where my cultures are,)

You need to give them attention and food or they will do this. Regular use and temp control can help. I am still on the learning curve.

Good luck

 

[TrickyDick]

Here's another ny style pie I made last night. Still need work on stretching the dough thinner and being able to launch it into the oven. My pies tend to be either thicker than they should be or stuck to my pizza peel...

I bet it still tastes good though. Keep up the work.

I saw on diner drivethroughs and dives this guy in San Diego hand tossing 18" pies and twirling on back of his hand with instant yeast and high gluten flour. Didn't give recipe on show. But customers raved about dough.. Practice practice practice

TD

 

[cheezydemon3]

On Bobby Flay's Throwdown (bear with me) He went up against this Hardcore Italian Pizza chef and I learned some AWESOME tips.

(Yes 2003 wants it's effing show back, suck me)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/throwdown-with-bobby-flay/pizza/index.html
SO.....this world famous pizza chef does 2 things that have made my pizzas better.

Monterrey Jack.......the mexican mozzerella. NO JOKE. I know more than a few are rolling over in their graves, but for most pizzas, Jack makes them better. I especially like it on spinach and bacon or ham pizzas, but it is fine on any pizza. Only one I like low moisture mozz or the buffalo are neopolitan/bruschetta JUST basil tomatoes cheese type simple pizzas.

RAW BACON/pancetta, etc. Bacon or ham that needs to crisp up should be put on top of the pizza RAW and cold.

My favorite is to just lay strips of bacon right across the pizza, over the cheese. Maybe 3 strips for a large pizza, not overlapping at all.

No file pics of the bacon, sorry.

 

[Cromwell]

So, you just need to make your own pancetta, grow your own tomatos/basil, make the sauce, make the dough, cook the pizza in a brick oven, and have with a homebrew. Easy peasy.

Pellet grills only go to 500 (the good ones). I take it brick ovens go much higher? Does that mean the pizza just takes longer to cook, or that the crust won't be crispy?