The Home Made Pizza Thread

[z-bob]

I made a pizza last night, first one in a long time. I started late, so I made the dough in the bread machine and stretched it into the pan as soon as it was ready. (I usually make the dough the day before; don't even knead it and put it in the fridge overnight to ripen.) Salami, fresh Roma tomato slices, whole-milk mozzarella, and some sauce my wife bought at a local New York style pizzeria. Sprinkled all over with parmesan cheese and oregano. It tasted good (but not great) and looked good, but the crust was really tough. The dogs thoroughly enjoyed the "pizza bones" from the outside crusts. I need to plan ahead and go back to my old method.

 

[user 263363]

Gonna fire the ooni up again tomorrow to practice for the super bowl.

 

[user 263363]

Second time with the Ooni came out pretty great. The top left was an experiment with cooking temp and didn’t quite work out, but the rest were a win. Minus a little extra char in a couple spots.

 

[pshankstar]

My oldest asked me to make pizza today for her birthday party with friends. I didn’t have time to make my homemade dough but still seasoned the crust which is always requested.
The far right is a gluten free crust with dairy free cheese and sauce (sauce is dairy & gluten free too). She has a friend over who can’t have either. It was definitely interesting working with the dough. The cheese is decent and edible IMHO but it’s not the real deal.

 

[Staestc]

Some awesome pies above. I have some requests for the recipe I've been using lately for the thin crispy cracker crust oven pizzas over on the food thread, so I thought I would post the recipe here. I started this recipe with Brian Lagerstrom's Youtube video and have been adapting it for a while and I like the current results.

Well, crap. It did not work when I pasted it. The recipe is in Word but the dough portion is in Excel. I can double click on it and enter the number of pies I want to make and it will scale the ingredients for each pan size and return the results to Word.

So I saved it to PDF and attached that instead. I just figured out we can do that here

 

[BongoYodeler]

Some awesome pies above. I have some requests for the recipe I've been using lately for the thin crispy cracker crust oven pizzas over on the food thread, so I thought I would post the recipe here. I started this recipe with Brian Lagerstrom's Youtube video and have been adapting it for a while and I like the current results.

Well, crap. It did not work when I pasted it. The recipe is in Word but the dough portion is in Excel. I can double click on it and enter the number of pies I want to make and it will scale the ingredients for each pan size and return the results to Word.

So I saved it to PDF and attached that instead. I just figured out we can do that here

Thanks, d/l'd for future reference.

 

[jrgtr42]

it’s actually not too bad. You just gotta verify the pizza is still loose on the peel before launching. A little corn meal on the peel keeps it nice and slick.

Several sources (and my own experience) says that semolina flour works better than corn meal. Among other things, it has a high smoke point, so depending on your oven temps you won't get that issue. Also, it releases better if there's still a bit of moisture on the bottom of the skin.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I get hungry every time I read these posts!

 

[z-bob]

I'm going to try it again tonight. Same sauce and toppings as last week. Last night I mixed 250 grams of warm water, 250 grams of bread flour, 1/2 tsp sugar, and a heaping 1/2 tsp of yeast. Let it sit on the counter for an hour, stirred it down and put it in the fridge with a tightfitting lid. Today I kneaded in another 100 grams of flour, 3/4 tsp salt, and a little over a tablespoon of margarine. It's sitting on the counter to rise, covered up with a big bowl. It already smells more "doughy" than last week

Edit: The pizza is *so* much better than the one I made last week with pretty much the same proportions but didn't give it a chance to ripen. The dough is still a little too strong; I think next time I will use bread flour in the part that ripens overnight in the fridge (poolish? or something like that) and all-porpoise flour the next day to tighten it up to a workable dough. I might not need to add any fat if I do that.

 

[Staestc]

Wife decided she wanted pizza at 2 PM, so I went the thin crust route again since it only ferments for 3 hours or so. The usual cheese for her and meats and chilies for me. Both have low moisture mozz, provolone, sharp cheddar, and Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, then simple no cook sauce from the recipe above. Mine has boars head pepperoni, hard salami, a little hot Italian sausage, and Calabrian chilies. Just love this recipe, but ready to do a Detroit or something different that I have not tried before.

 

[z-bob]

Wife bought a bunch of jars of fancy marinara sauce. It's a little too thin to use for pizza sauce. What about saucing the crust generously (add a little more oregano and garlic granules), then baking without cheese or toppings? Will the sauce thicken from evaporation in the 10 minutes or so it takes to bake? Then add the cheese and pop it back in for a minute or two to melt.

Or I can just make my own pizza sauce with tomato paste and canned plum tomatoes, but I don't know what we're going to do with all these jars of sauce. (I don't know why she does this)

Edit: perhaps I can use the jarred sauce normally, but stir in a spoonful of tomato paste and some extra spices.

 

[ba-brewer]

Wife bought a bunch of jars of fancy marinara sauce. It's a little too thin to use for pizza sauce. What about saucing the crust generously (add a little more oregano and garlic granules), then baking without cheese or toppings? Will the sauce thicken from evaporation in the 10 minutes or so it takes to bake? Then add the cheese and pop it back in for a minute or two to melt.

Or I can just make my own pizza sauce with tomato paste and canned plum tomatoes, but I don't know what we're going to do with all these jars of sauce. (I don't know why she does this)

how about just simmering the fancy stuff for a while on the stove to thicken it up.

 

[z-bob]

how about just simmering the fancy stuff for a while on the stove to thicken it up.

That's too easy! (I might actually try that tonight, thanks)

 

[Staestc]

how about just simmering the fancy stuff for a while on the stove to thicken it up.

Indeed. For pasta you would normally heat it up in an open pot, and it would thicken some depending on how long you let it. I would do the same for pizza, though you will want to let it cool before putting on the pie.

 

[davidabcd]

all-porpoise flour

I've always thought there should be laws against that but to each their own.

 

[davidabcd]

I'd have to see it but I might consider blending; that could even out the wateriness. It's a fine line on what is too thin to put on pizza dough before it wreaks havoc by soaking through the dough and causing the dough to stick to the screen or whatnot.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Wife decided she wanted pizza at 2 PM, so I went the thin crust route again since it only ferments for 3 hours or so. The usual cheese for her and meats and chilies for me. Both have low moisture mozz, provolone, sharp cheddar, and Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, then simple no cook sauce from the recipe above. Mine has boars head pepperoni, hard salami, a little hot Italian sausage, and Calabrian chilies. Just love this recipe, but ready to do a Detroit or something different that I have not tried before.
View attachment 760631View attachment 760632

Those look awesome! And of course, you are using Tipo 00 Flour, right?

 

[Ruprecht]

Second time with the Ooni came out pretty great. The top left was an experiment with cooking temp and didn’t quite work out, but the rest were a win. Minus a little extra char in a couple spots.

Love the Ooni! Everyone I messed up was still amazing.

 

[Staestc]

Those look awesome! And of course, you are using Tipo 00 Flour, right?

View attachment 760721

View attachment 760722

Nope. Most of them are All Trumps, but they seem to turn out find and are a little easier to roll out with KA AP.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Try Tipo 00 flour. It will take your crust from good, to heavenly perfection. We made the switch years ago, and have not gone back.
I got this info from a fellow employee who studied with a pizza chef in Milan, Italy.

https://thepizzaheaven.com/caputo-00-flour/
https://www.fornobravo.com/other-products/ingredients/caputo-flour/
https://countertoppizzaoven.com/caputo-00-flour-everything-you-should-know

 

[Staestc]

Love the Ooni! Everyone I messed up was still amazing.
View attachment 760739

Yeah, I may have to spring for one. It looks like I will never build a brick oven Maybe when I retire.

 

[Ruprecht]

Yeah, I may have to spring for one. It looks like I will never build a brick oven Maybe when I retire.

We debated building a brick oven as well (we have plenty of outdoor space), but the Ooni is way too easy and portable. If we’re driving to see friends or family for a long weekend/vacation the Ooni is probably coming as well.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

For those who have not tried it, the Weber Kettle makes an awesome wood-fired pizza oven. Temps will get well above 750 degrees. And it is portable, especially the Jumbo Joe.
And for those who want the best crust, remember to use Caputo Tipo 00 flour. You will thank me.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

For those who have not tried it, the Weber Kettle makes an awesome wood-fired pizza oven. Temps will get well above 750 degrees. And it is portable, especially the Jumbo Joe.
And for those who want the best crust, remember to use Caputo Tipo 00 flour. You will thank me.

I've been following along with these pizza ideas and you sparked my interest in this Tipo 00 flour. Something new to try and I trust your opinion on it but the dough I made today is just standard flour. I'll find some and try it out. Thanks for all the great ideas to enhance my pizza adventures!

 

[z-bob]

I tried again last night. Same total amount of flour and water, but I used 250 grams of bread flour and 100 grams of regular flour. I also put half the salt in the initial batter so the yeast could get used to it and not be shocked by adding a lot of salt later. I was actually going to make it night before last, but it was getting late so the dough spent another night in the fridge.

For sauce, I boiled down some fancy marinara sauce that was in the fridge about to go bad; I added oregano because this stuff was heavy on the basil and garlic but that was all it had.

Pizza turned out good. But the crust was almost between a focaccia and ciabatta. It was thin when I put it in the oven, but thick when it came out. I wonder if I'm just using too much dough for the size pan?

 

[Oleson M.D.]

I've been following along with these pizza ideas and you sparked my interest in this Tipo 00 flour. Something new to try and I trust your opinion on it but the dough I made today is just standard flour. I'll find some and try it out. Thanks for all the great ideas to enhance my pizza adventures!

Full disclosure...I learned about Tipo 00 flour on the United Pilot Forum. There was a pizza thread going, on pizza ovens. But one person in particular said to use 00 flour. He posted the recipe, and you do not use any oil. Like I said, he studied with a pizza chef in Milan, Italy.

My crusts used to range from acceptable, to Ok. But they were never great. Until we used 00 flour. Now the crust is thin, with just the right amount of "chew" to it. Great flavor!

When I first heard about 00 flour, I did not believe it. But we gave it a try just to find out. And it will really take your pizza to the next level, so good that you will never order a take-out pizza again!

Here is the authentic recipe, and this is the only one we use:

3 cups Italian 00 flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
2 packages active dry yeast

That is it! I always make this in a bread machine, using the dough & pasta setting. This recipe makes enough dough for two medium / large pizzas. And remember...no bread flour, and no oil!

 

[eshea3]

Full disclosure...I learned about Tipo 00 flour on the United Pilot Forum. There was a pizza thread going, on pizza ovens. But one person in particular said to use 00 flour. He posted the recipe, and you do not use any oil. Like I said, he studied with a pizza chef in Milan, Italy.

My crusts used to range from acceptable, to Ok. But they were never great. Until we used 00 flour. Now the crust is thin, with just the right amount of "chew" to it. Great flavor!

When I first heard about 00 flour, I did not believe it. But we gave it a try just to find out. And it will really take your pizza to the next level, so good that you will never order a take-out pizza again!

Here is the authentic recipe, and this is the only one we use:

3 cups Italian 00 flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
2 packages active dry yeast

That is it! I always make this in a bread machine, using the dough & pasta setting. This recipe makes enough dough for two medium / large pizzas. And remember...no bread flour, and no oil!

Get a scale and weigh your ingredients. Measuring by volume is susceptible to large variations.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Get a scale and weigh your ingredients. Measuring by volume is susceptible to large variations.

Full disclosure. We have a very good scale. Never use it for baking cakes, pies, pizzas, breads, etc.
The digital scale is only used for beer brewing.

 

[eshea3]

Full disclosure. We have a very good scale. Never use it for baking cakes, pies, pizzas, breads, etc.
The digital scale is only used for beer brewing.

If it works for you ...

 

[Oleson M.D.]

If it works for you ...

It worked for my grandmother, my mother, and it works for us. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

 

[eshea3]

Good for you. It won't work for me because your cup of flour is not my cup of flour. Pretty universally understood for the same reasons you use the digital scale for brewing.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

A cup is a cup is a cup. Worked for my family for generations.
I am happy for those who chose to measure out tenths of grams.
Cakes, cookies, pies, pastries, all do well with our measurements.
And I rarely use a recipe. It is done by sight, and by feel. Even my measurements are done by sight...not exact.
Pretty universal in my family going back over 100 years to Denmark.
But the pizzas? Freakin' outstanding!

 

[eshea3]

A cup measured by you is not a cup measured by another person. So as I said if it works for you, fine It just might not work for other people which is why bakers and pizza makers use weights and percentages. It's the same reasons we use weights in beer recipes. It's well known fact, but you are entitled to do your own thing but people might want to think twice about using your recipe.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Sure, they can think twice about my recipe, or anyone's recipe. Bottom line, measure in grams, ounces, or cups. Caputo Tipo 00 flour will blow away any crust you have made before.
I did not believe it until I tried it.

Use whatever recipe you wish, but do not use any oil, or bread flour. Measure in whatever manner floats your boat, as long as you use 00 flour. That is not my advice, as it comes from a pizza chef in Milan, Italy.

 

[eshea3]

Caputo Red, Blue, and Nuvollo make great pizza. So does Anna 00 flour. As with making beer the outcome is dependent on ingredients and process.

 

[jrgtr42]

A cup measured by you is not a cup measured by another person. So as I said if it works for you, fine It just might not work for other people which is why bakers and pizza makers use weights and percentages. It's the same reasons we use weights in beer recipes. It's well known fact, but you are entitled to do your own thing but people might want to think twice about using your recipe.

Most of the baking recipes I have say to measure by weight, since flour especially, but also other fine-grained powders can pack down and vary wildly in weight. My pizza dough recipe I've been going by weight and it was never as consistent as it's been since I started that. (my recipe is from The Baking Steel site|)
As a friend of mine put it, (she's a trained chef, Johnson & Wales grad) cooking is an art, baking is a science. Regular cooking you can get by with a little of this and a little of that, skip this and add that, but baking relies on the proportions being right.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Measure however you wish.
But if you want to emulate the professional pizza chefs in Milan, be sure to use 00 flour. You will be glad you did.

 

[eshea3]

00 flour is great if you are cooking in a pizza oven that can hit 8-900 F. In a home oven at 5-550F, it is difficult to get the crust to brown. Even if you are successful getting browning in a home oven with 00 flour, there will be a world of difference in the texture of the crust from that cooked a proper pizza oven because it will take longer to cook.

Producing a good pizza dough is not unlike brewing a good beer. Process - including fermentation - play as large role in the end product as does the ingredients.

 

[mtnagel]

I bought some 00 flour once and honestly didn't think it improved my pizzas. I have an outdoor propane pizza oven that can get up to 750ish. I've gone back to bread flour and cooking at around 550-600.

 

[z-bob]

00 flour is great if you are cooking in a pizza oven that can hit 8-900 F. In a home oven at 5-550F, it is difficult to get the crust to brown. Even if you are successful getting browning in a home oven with 00 flour, there will be a world of difference in the texture of the crust from that cooked a proper pizza oven because it will take longer to cook.

Producing a good pizza dough is not unlike brewing a good beer. Process - including fermentation - play as large role in the end product as does the ingredients.

00 flour is still good information. From what I've read, 00 is made with soft wheat. Soft wheat is lower in protein. So, instead of using high protein bread flour, I should be looking for White Lily all-purpose flour, or something equivalent.

My next crust will be made with plain old unbleached flour; about 70% hydration, and 2% salt. No oil. And I will let it ferment overnight in the fridge.