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The Home Made Pizza Thread

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Barbecue Chicken Pizza tonight.

Before and after cooking:

ImageUploadedByHome Brew1393474416.291985.jpg

ImageUploadedByHome Brew1393474429.317625.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Made up some dough with weihenstephaner yeast. It was slow to get going and produced a pretty flat pizza. It also was very sweet, too sweet for pizza IMO. I have some 1099 and 1098 I will try when they are done doing their duty making beer. I'm hoping to find a beer yeast that has the perfect texture I get from US-05 but with a good flavor as 05 is very flavor neutral and seems to subdue salts flavoring impact on the dough.
 
Making some pies tonight. No knead overnight rise and a quick rise using Alton Brown's ingredients with a short hand knead.

Just about to form the crusts. The no knead is working better than I thought it was. I was skeptical about such a wet mix.
 
No knead turned out great. Got a much better "window pane" than I ever do with a long hand knead. Elk Italian sausage, onion, & mushroom...

img_20140305_221512_755-62391.jpg
 
No knead turned out great. Got a much better "window pane" than I ever do with a long hand knead. Elk Italian sausage, onion, & mushroom...

Come on, we need to see a good cross section to see what kind of texture you got with the method.
 
Ok guys, I want to get in on this awesomeness, but I have no idea where to start.

Looking to use my oven with a cast iron pizza pan (flat).

Could you point me to a recipe that will make SWMBO happy?
 
Ok guys, I want to get in on this awesomeness, but I have no idea where to start.

Looking to use my oven with a cast iron pizza pan (flat).

Could you point me to a recipe that will make SWMBO happy?

OK.

I've been there done that. I'm not an "expert" but I can give you some tips.

#1) check out the www.pizzamaking.com website. They have a forum, but also a section called PIZZA TOOLS. Go there. use the Lehman's Dough Calculator. That's a GREAT base recipe for dough. You'll need a digital scale. You probably have one for homebrewing. You will need one that can do small quantities in grams accurately. You do not necessarily need an electric mixer to make the dough.

Make the dough, separate into dough balls, put into lightly oiled round tupperware/storage containers and refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge 1 hour before you plan to cook. To remove the dough, remove the lid and turn the container upside down to release the dough by gravity.

#2) You will need a Pizza Piel - the spatula used to transfer and remove the pizza from your hot oven/"stone-steel". Use a dusting of flour or cornmeal or Semolina flour to "lube" the pizza piel so the pizza will slide into oven. Worst thing that can happen is dough too moist that sticks to peel and will not release. If you buy a wooden piel that will be fine. I now use a perforated metal piel. A perforated piel will let you build your pie on a granite countertop and then load onto the piel after is fully dressed. Using a solid piel, you usually need to build & dress on the piel. If doing this, it is important to work quickly to get your pizza topped and off the piel and into oven as soon as possible to avoid sticking. You can give it a shake just before you transfer to be sure its still loose and slides easily. If a part is sticky, you can toss some flour under the edge or lift it and blow beneath to try and lift up.

#3) Try and get a big sack of All-Trumps flour. I bought a 50# sack for about $20. store it in two homer buckets. Otherwise try King Arthur's Bread Flour.

#4) For sauce I use Cento brand whole peeled tomatoes. Add 1T sugar, 1tsp salt to a large (?28 oz) can and hit with stick blender until texture is just right, doesn't take much. I also sometimes use up to 1T of Penzey's Spices Pizza Seasoning in the sauce.

#5) For cheese, sky is the limit, but the low fat types tend to do poorly. Feta and other hard cheeses with very low moisture do better in smaller portions sprinkled on top or mixed with a base cheese. I haven't settled on a favorite yet. I prefer brick cheese and shred myself.

#6) I like to "open the skin" by hand. I have no idea what the term means but you see it used a lot talking about shaping the dough balls into
That should get you started.

Good Luck
 
OK.

I've been there done that. I'm not an "expert" but I can give you some tips.

#1) check out the www.pizzamaking.com website. They have a forum, but also a section called PIZZA TOOLS. Go there. use the Lehman's Dough Calculator. That's a GREAT base recipe for dough. You'll need a digital scale. You probably have one for homebrewing. You will need one that can do small quantities in grams accurately. You do not necessarily need an electric mixer to make the dough.

Make the dough, separate into dough balls, put into lightly oiled round tupperware/storage containers and refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge 1 hour before you plan to cook. To remove the dough, remove the lid and turn the container upside down to release the dough by gravity.

#2) You will need a Pizza Piel - the spatula used to transfer and remove the pizza from your hot oven/"stone-steel". Use a dusting of flour or cornmeal or Semolina flour to "lube" the pizza piel so the pizza will slide into oven. Worst thing that can happen is dough too moist that sticks to peel and will not release. If you buy a wooden piel that will be fine. I now use a perforated metal piel. A perforated piel will let you build your pie on a granite countertop and then load onto the piel after is fully dressed. Using a solid piel, you usually need to build & dress on the piel. If doing this, it is important to work quickly to get your pizza topped and off the piel and into oven as soon as possible to avoid sticking. You can give it a shake just before you transfer to be sure its still loose and slides easily. If a part is sticky, you can toss some flour under the edge or lift it and blow beneath to try and lift up.

#3) Try and get a big sack of All-Trumps flour. I bought a 50# sack for about $20. store it in two homer buckets. Otherwise try King Arthur's Bread Flour.

#4) For sauce I use Cento brand whole peeled tomatoes. Add 1T sugar, 1tsp salt to a large (?28 oz) can and hit with stick blender until texture is just right, doesn't take much. I also sometimes use up to 1T of Penzey's Spices Pizza Seasoning in the sauce.

#5) For cheese, sky is the limit, but the low fat types tend to do poorly. Feta and other hard cheeses with very low moisture do better in smaller portions sprinkled on top or mixed with a base cheese. I haven't settled on a favorite yet. I prefer brick cheese and shred myself.

#6) I like to "open the skin" by hand. I have no idea what the term means but you see it used a lot talking about shaping the dough balls into
That should get you started.

Good Luck

Wow! Thanks!
 
I am an expert and can give you the following advice for the easiest way to start this process:
1. Use an immature sourdough starter for best results. You can order it or make your own. That's a different topic for now. [Feed a mature starter 100g ww flour, 100g white flour, 200g H20] let sit overnight.
2. The next AM, mix 700g H20 with 200g of the proofed starter. mix in 1000g flour [King Arthur - Sir Lancelot High Gluten] until it is all combined.
3. Let sit for 30 min.
4. Mix 20g salt and 50g warm H20, then add to the flour mixture.
5. Let sit for 30 min, fold, repeat for 3-4 hours until dough has doubled in size. Optional, but highly recommended.
6. Leave dough to sit in fridge overnight. Again, optional but highly recommended for optimal flavor.
7. Next day, pull out dough before making pie, shape into rounds of 600g each. Rest 30 min. Put stone in oven, preheat highest oven will go.
8. Shape dough with hands until round. Do not add more flour, corn meal can work if and when the dough sticks.
9. This comes down to personal preference. For a nice looking pizza, put it on a greased screen, top, and bake for 4-5 min, then using large pizza spatula, remove and let sit directly on stone for another 4-5 min. My oven hits 600 or so and thats about how long it takes for optimal char and structure. You can choose to shloop it onto the stone yourself, but for beginners this leads more to messed up pies.
 
I am an expert and can give you the following advice for the easiest way to start this process:
1. Use an immature sourdough starter for best results. You can order it or make your own. That's a different topic for now. [Feed a mature starter 100g ww flour, 100g white flour, 200g H20] let sit overnight.
2. The next AM, mix 700g H20 with 200g of the proofed starter. mix in 1000g flour [King Arthur - Sir Lancelot High Gluten] until it is all combined.
3. Let sit for 30 min.
4. Mix 20g salt and 50g warm H20, then add to the flour mixture.
5. Let sit for 30 min, fold, repeat for 3-4 hours until dough has doubled in size. Optional, but highly recommended.
6. Leave dough to sit in fridge overnight. Again, optional but highly recommended for optimal flavor.
7. Next day, pull out dough before making pie, shape into rounds of 600g each. Rest 30 min. Put stone in oven, preheat highest oven will go.
8. Shape dough with hands until round. Do not add more flour, corn meal can work if and when the dough sticks.
9. This comes down to personal preference. For a nice looking pizza, put it on a greased screen, top, and bake for 4-5 min, then using large pizza spatula, remove and let sit directly on stone for another 4-5 min. My oven hits 600 or so and thats about how long it takes for optimal char and structure. You can choose to shloop it onto the stone yourself, but for beginners this leads more to messed up pies.

With all due respect to your expertise, you probably scared off the OP with your 1st step.
Why would you suggest a newb should use a starter and then not tell him how to make one ?I consider using a starter advanced pizzamaking and not necessary for a newb making his first pizza.
Anyway, it's only pizza dough, not rocket science. this will get you started and serve you well.
Go to walmart or target and get the stone/peel combo pack. If you then decide to keep making pizza, hunt down a "good" stone at a restaurant supply shop or online.
pre-heat the stone in the oven at the highest temp for about a half hour. The tricky part is launching the pie but it's a skill you need to learn. A little practice goes a long way.
Ok, the dough.
any decent bread flour will do to get started king Arthur is good.
For 1 14" pizza put 240 g of flour in a bowl. add to that 1g of instant dry yeast(IDY) and mix it in a little with a fork. In another bowl put 144g of cool water and add 4g of salt and 1tsp of oil. whisk these together til the salt is dissolved. Slowly add the water to the flour while stirring with a fork. Make sure to scrape all the flour off the bowl and incorporate into a ball. Let rest 10-15 minutes, then hand knead just until smooth. Spray a little Pam in a tupperware bowl, cover and fridge about 24 hrs. You can fridge up to at least a week if you want but keep in mind the longer you keep it the less yeast you need. adjust accordingly. Let the dough warm up about an hour before baking.
Good Luck! Post pics of your results!
 
You can order a starter, or make your own. It requires a few minutes every day for a couple weeks, but then you have a starter you can keep for a lifetime. It produces MUCH better pies than any made with instant yeast.
Respectfully, I completely disagree with "it's only pizza dough." That philosophy will not lead you to a phenomenal pizza. Being mostly dough, it is the most critical part of the whole mission. I promise it is worth the effort.

If you, thatjonguy, (or anyone else) is interested, I would be more than happy to share some of my starter via mail. It's just like getting brewer's yeast :)



How to make your own starter and leaven. From Chad Robertson:

Starter and Leaven

625 grams white bread flour
625 grams whole wheat bread flour

Slightly warm water
Mix the flours to make 1250 grams of 50/50 flour blend. Use this blend to feed your culture and develop your starter. To make your starter, in a medium bowl, place 300 grams of slightly warm (80 to 85° F, 26 to 29° C) water. Add 315 grams of flour blend (reserve the remaining flour blend), and mix with your hand or a wooden spoon to combine until the mixture is free of any dry bits. Cover the mixture with a clean, dry kitchen towel or cheesecloth and let stand at warm room temperature until bubbles start to form around the sides and on the surface, about 2 days.

It’s important to maintain a warm temperature. Let stand another day to allow fermentation to progress a bit. More bubbles should form. This is your starter. It will smell acidic and slightly funky. At this stage it’s time to train your starter into a leaven by feeding it fresh flour and water at regular intervals.

Feed the starter: Transfer 75 grams of the starter to a clean bowl and discard the remainder of the starter. To the 75 grams of starter, add 150 grams of the 50/50 flour blend and 150 grams warm (80 to 85°F, 26 to 29°C) water. Mix to combine; it should have the consistency of pancake batter. Repeat this feeding process once every 24 hours at the same time of day, always transferring 75 grams of the starter to a clean bowl and discarding the remainder, then adding the flour and water and re-covering the bowl with a clean, dry kitchen towel after each feeding and letting the mixture stand at warm room temperature. The batter should start to rise and fall consistently throughout the day after a few days of feedings.

As the starter develops, the smell will change from ripe and sour to sweet and pleasantly fermented, like yogurt. Once this sweet lactic character is established and the fermentation (the regular rise and fall of the batter) is predictable, a few days to one week, it’s time to make the leaven from this mature starter.

Leaven is the portion of prefermented flour and water that will go into your final dough and raise the whole mass during the bulk (first) and final rises. Two days before you want to make bread, feed the matured starter twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening (the process described above) to increase fermentation activity. When you are ready to make the dough, discard all but 1 tablespoon of the matured starter. To the remaining 1 tablespoon, add 200 grams of the 50/50 flour blend and 200 grams warm (80 to 85°F, 26 to 29°C) water. This is your leaven. Cover and let rest at moderate room temperature for 4 to 6 hours.

To test the leaven’s readiness, drop a spoonful into a bowl of room temperature water. If it sinks, it is not ready and needs more time to ripen. When it floats on the surface or close to it, it’s ready to use to make the dough. To maintain the leaven for regular use, continue feeding daily as described above. To save leaven for long periods without use, add enough flour to make a dry paste and keep covered in the refrigerator. When you want to use it again, keep at warm room temperature for at least 2 days and do three to four feedings to refresh and reduce the acid load that builds up while it is stored in the refrigerator.
 
Thanks for posting procedure for making and using a starter.
Is that from the "TartineBread" book?
Let me just say that it was not my intention to cheapen the art of making fantastic artisan pizza, but to offer a simple easy to use formula that will allow anyone just starting out to make a great dough. The rocket science remark was simply meant to instill confidence by saying it's not that hard to make great dough.
I liken it to getting someone with no experience started in brewing. I tell him to get some basic equipment and an extract kit rather than an all-grain triple decoction dopplebock formula.:)
 
Thanks for posting procedure for making and using a starter.
Is that from the "TartineBread" book?
Let me just say that it was not my intention to cheapen the art of making fantastic artisan pizza, but to offer a simple easy to use formula that will allow anyone just starting out to make a great dough. The rocket science remark was simply meant to instill confidence by saying it's not that hard to make great dough.
I liken it to getting someone with no experience started in brewing. I tell him to get some basic equipment and an extract kit rather than an all-grain triple decoction dopplebock formula.:)


^^ I trust this guy. Just look at his avatar.
 
Yes, its from Tartine. Great book.

I'm not trying to make things too difficult... or argue, or anything like that. The pizza dough Tartine makes will beat anything I've ever had in a restaurant, and I'm just trying to share the joy. :)

I do tend to throw new brewers right into all-grain though... oh well. Life's too short to eat bad food and drink bad beer. Funny thing... my friend got interested in brewing, and I got him set up with a 3 tier system all grain for his first batch. haha!
 
Mmmm, pizza. Hot sopressata, some homemade sauce from roma tomatoes and pesto, and a few cheeses.

Edit: What is up with pics not posting from my mobile? I will upload a pic from my PC later.
 
Yes, its from Tartine. Great book.

I'm not trying to make things too difficult... or argue, or anything like that. The pizza dough Tartine makes will beat anything I've ever had in a restaurant, and I'm just trying to share the joy. :)

I do tend to throw new brewers right into all-grain though... oh well. Life's too short to eat bad food and drink bad beer. Funny thing... my friend got interested in brewing, and I got him set up with a 3 tier system all grain for his first batch. haha!

Hey whatever works right? It's all good!:mug:
 

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