The Home Made Pizza Thread

[kev211]

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/

Just made some dough based off a recipe from this site. Let's just say... My pizzas are tasty but I've been doing it completely wrong! Ha! Thanks for the info!

What does everyone use for yeast? They kept referring to use your culture. I get what that means in brewing, but do you guys keep an active culture going? Or can I just use store bought active dry yeast?

 

[schematix]

What does everyone use for yeast?

Red Star Instant Yeast. I buy a jar every few years, keep it in the fridge, and only use a fraction of it.

I've never had good luck with dough made from a starter. It always ends up too slack and sticky. Plus it's timing is inconsistent as hell. The dry stuff is the same every time for a given temperature.

 

[kev211]

Red Star Instant Yeast. I buy a jar every few years, keep it in the fridge, and only use a fraction of it.

I've never had good luck with dough made from a starter. It always ends up too slack and sticky. Plus it's timing is inconsistent as hell. The dry stuff is the same every time for a given temperature.

Off to Amazon!!

 

[gromitdj]

Off to Amazon!!

I bought a 1 pound brick of Red Star Active Dry at Costco for $4. I keep most of it in the freezer, and pull out about 1/4 cup at a time to keep in the fridge. Its been a couple years and is still going strong.

 

[srice]

It's been a while, but I am finally a couple of weeks away from breaking in my wood fired oven. A couple of years ago, I fabbed my own clone of a Weber Kettle Pizza oven. It worked OK - but suffers from a design flaw (as do grills and Big Green Eggs) - not enough top heat. It also used a huge amount of fuel - not enough thermal mass. I decided I wanted a real oven so I began researching and finally pulled the trigger on a build a few months ago. Rather than building the oven from brick, I decided to use castable refractory cement. I am very happy with the result. The oven was insulated last weekend (4" of ceramic fiber blanket) and I have begun curing fires this week before I stucco the oven.

 

[trav77]

It's been a while, but I am finally a couple of weeks away from breaking in my wood fired oven. A couple of years ago, I fabbed my own clone of a Weber Kettle Pizza oven. It worked OK - but suffers from a design flaw (as do grills and Big Green Eggs) - not enough top heat. It also used a huge amount of fuel - not enough thermal mass. I decided I wanted a real oven so I began researching and finally pulled the trigger on a build a few months ago. Rather than building the oven from brick, I decided to use castable refractory cement. I am very happy with the result. The oven was insulated last weekend (4" of ceramic fiber blanket) and I have begun curing fires this week before I stucco the oven.

That's fantastic. I've been eyeing up DYI info outdoor ovens like that. Did you follow guidelines from any specific source?

 

[Bigdaddyale]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sny2MCND3nA[/ame]

 

[Jwin]

It's been a while, but I am finally a couple of weeks away from breaking in my wood fired oven. A couple of years ago, I fabbed my own clone of a Weber Kettle Pizza oven. It worked OK - but suffers from a design flaw (as do grills and Big Green Eggs) - not enough top heat. It also used a huge amount of fuel - not enough thermal mass. I decided I wanted a real oven so I began researching and finally pulled the trigger on a build a few months ago. Rather than building the oven from brick, I decided to use castable refractory cement. I am very happy with the result. The oven was insulated last weekend (4" of ceramic fiber blanket) and I have begun curing fires this week before I stucco the oven.

Nice work!
A little concerned about the stove pipe there. That stuff will rest out after a few seasons. Looks like it may already be on it's way. Not sure if it's too late, but single wall stainless pipe isn't terribly expensive.

 

[srice]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sny2MCND3nA

Wouldn't waste my time on a build like that. The dome is cast out of the wrong stuff and there is no insulation. It might be able to contain a fire in a dome like structure, but there is more to an oven than that. The floors and the walls need to be thick and dense enough to absorb a great deal of energy (heat). There also needs to be an insulative layer between the outer surface of the inner walls and the rest of the world.

 

[srice]

That's fantastic. I've been eyeing up DYI info outdoor ovens like that. Did you follow guidelines from any specific source?

Learned a lot from the Forno Bravo forum.

Build is here: https://community.fornobravo.com/fo...ypes/399040-cast-oven-build-in-shelbyville-ky

 

[srice]

Nice work!
A little concerned about the stove pipe there. That stuff will rest out after a few seasons. Looks like it may already be on it's way. Not sure if it's too late, but single wall stainless pipe isn't terribly expensive.

What do you mean by "rest out"

 

[abrew2u]

I think he meant rust out

 

[srice]

If that is what he means then that is going to be some serious rust since the chimney is a terracotta flue liner. I've never seen terracotta rust.

 

[kev211]

If that is what he means then that is going to be some serious rust since the chimney is a terracotta flue liner. I've never seen terracotta rust.

You must have been looking at the rust oleum brand terracotta

 

[Hanglow]

Red Star Instant Yeast. I buy a jar every few years, keep it in the fridge, and only use a fraction of it.

I've never had good luck with dough made from a starter. It always ends up too slack and sticky. Plus it's timing is inconsistent as hell. The dry stuff is the same every time for a given temperature.

for yeast amounts /dough resting times/temperature rests I have found this really handy

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=26831.0

and this one is for an active sourdough starter - I've only done this once with my sourdough but it was bang on.

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,22649.0.html

 

[Evets]

Red Star Instant Yeast. I buy a jar every few years, keep it in the fridge, and only use a fraction of it.

I've never had good luck with dough made from a starter. It always ends up too slack and sticky. Plus it's timing is inconsistent as hell. The dry stuff is the same every time for a given temperature.

FWIW, Bread machine yeast is the same thing. You can get a small jar from the grocery that'll last you a good long time without buying a whole brick.

 

[Evets]

If that is what he means then that is going to be some serious rust since the chimney is a terracotta flue liner. I've never seen terracotta rust.

It won't rust but it may well crack lengthwise down the middle. At least that's what mine did. I had two 2' lengths one on top of the other and they both cracked down the middle. I'm using double wall insulated stainless now.

 

[schematix]

FWIW, Bread machine yeast is the same thing. You can get a small jar from the grocery that'll last you a good long time without buying a whole brick.

This is what i have. It's a jar not a brick. Costs $3-4.

 

[gromitdj]

I think the brick @Evets is referring to is directed at my post, and what you have is essentially what he is talking about.

I get 4x the amount for the same price.

Admittedly, it takes a few minutes to rehydrate the yeast in warm water before adding it to the recipe. But, since I typically do a 24-48 hour ferment, no biggie. To each their own, right.

 

[Jwin]

If that is what he means then that is going to be some serious rust since the chimney is a terracotta flue liner. I've never seen terracotta rust.

My bad. Looks like a section of rusty stove pipe in the pic.
And yes, typo rust out.

 

[Evets]

I think the brick @Evets is referring to is directed at my post, and what you have is essentially what he is talking about.

I get 4x the amount for the same price.

Admittedly, it takes a few minutes to rehydrate the yeast in warm water before adding it to the recipe. But, since I typically do a 24-48 hour ferment, no biggie. To each their own, right.

Actually, I was referring to @kev211 saying "off to Amazon" to buy yeast. My point is that you can buy it at the store without paying extra for shipping and having to wait etc. from Amazon and that bread machine and quick-rise is the same as instant dry yeast, or IDY as you may see it in a recipe. Also, you don't need to rehydrate IDY like you should with ADY. I just mix it into the flour before it goes into the mixer.

 

[kev211]

Actually, I was referring to @kev211 saying "off to Amazon" to buy yeast. My point is that you can buy it at the store without paying extra for shipping and having to wait etc. from Amazon and that bread machine and quick-rise is the same as instant dry yeast, or IDY as you may see it in a recipe. Also, you don't need to rehydrate IDY like you should with ADY. I just mix it into the flour before it goes into the mixer.

Wait? Shipping? Pffftt. 1-hour amazon prime shipping! Haha.
That being said... I did manage to find it at the local grocery store so picked up a jar

 

[Evets]

Wait? Shipping? Pffftt. 1-hour amazon prime shipping! Haha.
That being said... I did manage to find it at the local grocery store so picked up a jar

I have Prime, but 1 hour prime? Is that a thing?

 

[TallDan]

I have Prime, but 1 hour prime? Is that a thing?

In select cities. "Prime Now".

You can even get a sixer of beer delivered. Cold.

 

[Evets]

In select cities. "Prime Now".

You can even get a sixer of beer delivered. Cold.

Wow, huh?!

 

[kev211]

Amazing what following a recipe will do.... Hands down, best pie I've ever made. Huge air pockets. So good

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[treacheroustexan]

I'm going to attempt a breakfast pizza in the morning. **depending on how bad the hangover is **

Eggs, Turkey sausage, green pepper and cheese. Will post pics.

 

[Jwin]

I'm going to attempt a breakfast pizza in the morning. **depending on how bad the hangover is **

Eggs, Turkey sausage, green pepper and cheese. Will post pics.

Done it. Let the eggs at least partially solidify, then throw some cheddar on. Reason being, cheddar burns/browns quickly.(low moisture)
Or, if u r a runny eggs kinda people, crack them on top near the end of the bake.

 

[Jwin]

So, for the love of beer/pizza/science/pickles/fermentation, I pulled ~3ml of juice from my first batch of sour pickles and added it to 35g of bread flour and 35g warm water. The pickles are just past day four and all signs look good afaik. I plan to build the "starter" up, if it ferments, over​ the next week or two and see what happens. Who knows. Maybe it will become a house pizza/sourdough strain. I buy flour in bulk(GFS), so making some scrap bread or a small pie out of it is minimal in cost...

Why not try anyway?

I'll be sure to report back as it progresses.

Also, to add, in my research in fermenting cucumbers, I read that the bloom end contains an enzyme that causes the pickles to become mushy. Now, that's bad for pickles, but could be beneficial elsewhere in the world we work/play in. Anyone have a clue as to what enzymatic activity is happening on cucumber blooms?
I imagine it encourages faster decomp of the vegetation, as a means to reproduce. That's pure speculation...

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[Hanglow]

I've got some cucumbers salting overnight, although I'm not fermenting them just going to pickle using vinegar Be interested to hear how that starter turns out for you

I've noticed that the flowers on courgettes and cucumbers go mouldy very very quickly, I always remove them as soon as possible, if not i get end rot on the fruits


I've got four dough balls in the fridge for this evening, I found a new flour I've not used before in Aldi, from FWPMathews - however when I was mixing it I noticed it was very very yellow, so found out it was fine ground semolina flour - so ended up mixing it 50/50 with some extra strong bread flour. not sure how it'll turn out