The Home Made Pizza Thread

[WI_Wino]

Related question - what's the best pizza cutter? our current kitchenaid cutter is starting to flake off plastic chrome stuff. I started looking at all stainless steel ones but see mixed reviews on the china imports. I'm a cheap sob so I don't want to spend a lot either. What does everyone use?

 

[flars]

Related question - what's the best pizza cutter? our current kitchenaid cutter is starting to flake off plastic chrome stuff. I started looking at all stainless steel ones but see mixed reviews on the china imports. I'm a cheap sob so I don't want to spend a lot either. What does everyone use?

I've found multi purpose tools are the best. An 8" or 10" Forschner chefs knife cuts any style of pizza.

 

[JB_Brewing2]

Related question - what's the best pizza cutter? our current kitchenaid cutter is starting to flake off plastic chrome stuff. I started looking at all stainless steel ones but see mixed reviews on the china imports. I'm a cheap sob so I don't want to spend a lot either. What does everyone use?

We're very pleased with this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004OCJ...t=&hvlocphy=9016853&hvtargid=pla-227212390081

 

[Jwin]

I use a foodservice pizza cutter(Dexter Russell)
Will last longer than I will

 

[Temptd2]

I use a good pair of kitchen shears.

 

[gromitdj]

I hate the wheeled pizza cutters and currently use my 10" chef's knife.. But I have had my eyes on this Pizza Cutter for a while.

 

[applescrap]

My wife just bought me a "pampered chef 15" pizza stone" but the instructions say to not preheat the stone which seems to be the opposite of what you want. I tried it twice so far without preheating and it's nice you can get the top fully browned but still, the crust is too soft. Why on Earth would q company make a pizza​ stone that your not supposed to preheat?

Yep, I have one too. The ones for pizza I think are thicker. I think you could use it but it might break if you throw a cold pizza on it.

 

[LakesideBrewing]

I use a mezzaluna for cutting pizza. It's kind of like a rocker knife. I love it!

 

[WI_Wino]

For all the bat'leth, I mean rocker knife users, do they cut on the first try? Or do you need to rock it more than once per cut?

 

[gromitdj]

My wife just bought me a "pampered chef 15" pizza stone" but the instructions say to not preheat the stone which seems to be the opposite of what you want. I tried it twice so far without preheating and it's nice you can get the top fully browned but still, the crust is too soft. Why on Earth would q company make a pizza​ stone that your not supposed to preheat?

No preheat sounds like a recipe for soggy crust...

I borrowed a friends pampered chef stone once and preheated it to a nice crack right down the middle. I attributed it to the fact i was using an electric stove at the time. I wonder now if it was actually the pre-heat.

I use a $13 stone that I preheat for at least 30 minutes @ 600+. I personally wouldn't use a stone that I couldn't preheat.

 

[LakesideBrewing]

For all the bat'leth, I mean rocker knife users, do they cut on the first try? Or do you need to rock it more than once per cut?

Nice Klingon reference!!

The good ones work really well, the cheap ones, not so much. And it takes a few times to get the hang of it.

 

[marjen]

I just ordered a roccbox back in mid June. Hoping to get it in a couple of weeks. Cant wait to join this thread once that happens.

 

[applescrap]

I have worked in, been around, maybe 5 pizza places, and we always used sharp wheels. I could cut a pizza into half inch slices in about 10 seconds, but then again I have huge hands and could probably do that with a butter knife if given enough time. That being said, I will never forget how the college kid made me feel like a dumbazz 20ish years ago because I couldnt work a wheel. Its definitely an aquired skill. Hard, quick, and determined one must be to use it well with a pinch of style and looseness. Wait, Im still talking about pizza, where was I, hey bartender.

 

[Hanglow]

I just ordered a roccbox back in mid June. Hoping to get it in a couple of weeks. Cant wait to join this thread once that happens.

I looked at that and the uuni, before buying the maximus, it looks great and very portable . I ended up going with the maximus as I wanted a bit bigger cooking floor for roasts etc and had the space for it, but was very tempted by the roccbox

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Pizza night. Meatball, two cheeses, and a little basil.

 

[hotwatermusic]

Paid $22 for a German pizza wheel. Only thing with a safer place in the house is the dog... Been messing with sourdough a lot lately. This one has a ton of moving parts, process wise, but the result might be the tastiest crust yet. Stiff to handle but so much depth.
Not for nothing I stopped weighing stuff. Still advocate it for developing pizza guys, but it feels nice making pies without pulling the scale out...

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[kev211]

Gave the calzone another try. Turned out way better than the first try. Made a balsamic vinaigrette with grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and mozz. Turned out fantastic. Also JB-brewing sold me on the pizza knife. Bought it on Amazon and am very pleased with it's performance

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[gromitdj]

That is the knife I linked to... without having actually tried it. Glad to hear you are pleased, might have to order it now.

Some of the reviews said that it had metal slivers on the edge when they got it. Did you notice any? I'm sure it's nothing a wet stone wouldn't fix.

 

[kev211]

That is the knife I linked to... without having actually tried it. Glad to hear you are pleased, might have to order it now.

Some of the reviews said that it had metal slivers on the edge when they got it. Did you notice any? I'm sure it's nothing a wet stone wouldn't fix.

Oh jk. You linked it! Haha. I didn't notice any. I looked the blade over pretty well (not looking for metal slivers) and ran my fingers up and down it and it was perfectly smooth. A stone would definitely fix it, but mine didn't need it

 

[applescrap]

Paid $22 for a German pizza wheel. Only thing with a safer place in the house is the dog... Been messing with sourdough a lot lately. This one has a ton of moving parts, process wise, but the result might be the tastiest crust yet. Stiff to handle but so much depth.
Not for nothing I stopped weighing stuff. Still advocate it for developing pizza guys, but it feels nice making pies without pulling the scale out...

Super solid as always. I guess I need a 2nd stone. No scale looks good.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Does anyone have one of these? Saw it in the store earlier but I didn't buy it. Seems pretty small but the price is good. Any similar products in the same price range?

https://www.worldmarket.com/product/terracotta+pizza+oven.do

 

[Jwin]

Does anyone have one of these? Saw it in the store earlier but I didn't buy it. Seems pretty small but the price is good. Any similar products in the same price range?

https://www.worldmarket.com/product/terracotta+pizza+oven.do

I've seen them in store. They are nice, but very small for wood fire. Some​ sacrifices would probably have to be made. Either very small pizzas, small fire(low heat) or burnt edges.
Now, it might work better being heated from below(seriously considered putting one on my blichmann burner B) ) with a bit of coals in there, just to kiss the pie a little.
Then again, many of reviews look like they are not heating it up long enough at all.

 

[Jwin]

Researching, it looks like most terracotta can withstand 1200°F. Not sure if it could take a blichmann or not. Maybe if some sort of deflection plate was used to disperse the heat some. If anyone does try this, I would start the fire first and let it warm slowly with that before adding the additional heat. I'd be concerned the thermal shock would crack it.
You would also need to store it indoors to keep moisture out of it.

 

[Jwin]

At it again. Traditional crust this time.
I'll build the suspense and post the end result in a few

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[Jwin]

Done!

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[xandersaml]

Does anyone have one of these? Saw it in the store earlier but I didn't buy it. Seems pretty small but the price is good. Any similar products in the same price range?

https://www.worldmarket.com/product/terracotta+pizza+oven.do

I've been considering one of these www.uuni.net

 

[applescrap]

@jwin nice ingredients, and beautiful pies. How are you liking and using those screens?

 

[kev211]

How come everyone's dough always is so smooth before they go to roll it out and mine usually looks like the surface of the moon and has divits and bubbles? It tastes good but does not look anything like a "traditional" dough. I'll post some pics next time I make dough

 

[Hanglow]

How come everyone's dough always is so smooth before they go to roll it out and mine usually looks like the surface of the moon and has divits and bubbles? It tastes good but does not look anything like a "traditional" dough. I'll post some pics next time I make dough

You are probably using too much yeast for too short a time - most recipes from tv chefs, general cookbooks etc tend to say use 1 packet of 7g yeast and you will have pizza dough in a couple of hours. The last dough I made had 0.5g of instant yeast per kg of flour and took 24 hours at room temperature - it was actually a bit over fermented too as the room was warmer than I thought

Also you need to ball the dough, I don't know if you are doing that, there's lots of youtube vids on it

this site has a lot of dough recipes on it depending on the style of pizza you want and how you are cooking it
http://doughgenerator.allsimbaseball9.com/index.php

one for NY style
http://www.pmq.com/Recipe-Bank/index.php/name/New-York-Style-Pizza/record/57724/

 

[Jwin]

@jwin nice ingredients, and beautiful pies. How are you liking and using those screens?

Thanks. Was actually turkey ham and turkey pep, and was damn good.
The screen u see under the finished pie I just use to cut/serve
I use a combo of screen/stone/bare to bake, in that order
These are the screens I use.

Google "Lloyd quik-disk"
https://www.lloydpans.com/standard-pans/pizza-tools/pizza-disks/original-quik-disk-40. (cheaper elsewhere)
American metalcraft also makes some, but I don't think that they make them preseasoned.
Best screens out there in my opinion.
Love em. Pizzas don't stick, ever. I pull them off the screens, half baked, and move to the stone.
I'll move the pie to finish on the bottom rack, bare, as needed for color/char.
For thin crust, I pull the pie out for 10 minutes, then slap it back on the stone.