The Home Made Pizza Thread

[hotwatermusic]

Are we allowed to go off on people who spell it catsup? Is this the kind of sarcasm you were referring to?

I's learnt it one time and I pos-o-tively refuse to be learnt agin!
...and that's enough out of you too.

 

[applescrap]

Nice crust on those pizzas hotwatermusic. It's salsa and Velveeta with hamburger. Wait I think that's a dip

 

[Evets]

Plus everyone one knows only mustard goes with Velveeta.

I once made a pizza with a thin layer of yellow mustard as the sauce, mild white cheddar and topped with mortadella. It was actually pretty good but I only made it once. I probably posted it somewhere in this thread. It was a while ago now.

 

[icebob]

Thursday night is pizza night... went lil crazy tonght, pepperoni, sausage , salami,ground beef, bacon, onions, olives, mozzarella, parmesan, smoked colby/jack and more pepperoni....

 

[Inkleg]

@icebob , I liked your above post, but I'm not really liking you right now.
Hope you'll understand.

 

[Temptd2]

Thursday night is pizza night... went lil crazy tonght, pepperoni, sausage , salami,ground beef, bacon, onions, olives, mozzarella, parmesan, smoked colby/jack and more pepperoni....

Now that's my kind of pizza - everything but the kitchen sink! :rockin:

 

[Yeastieboy]

Thursday night is pizza night... went lil crazy tonght, pepperoni, sausage , salami,ground beef, bacon, onions, olives, mozzarella, parmesan, smoked colby/jack and more pepperoni....

Looks fantastic. Loving the Black Stone oven and getting really close to investing in one...

 

[xandersaml]

Catsup and Velveeta may definitely be a universal line which thou shalt not cross. That sounds terrible. At least until someone expresses a fondness for it on here. Then I'll leave them alone.

You guys forgot the SPAM to go along with the catsup and Velveeta

 

[Oldskewl]

Thursday night is pizza night... went lil crazy tonght, pepperoni, sausage , salami,ground beef, bacon, onions, olives, mozzarella, parmesan, smoked colby/jack and more pepperoni....

That is just DIRTY!

 

[Yeastieboy]

Shaved SPAM probably crisps up real nice. Put it on the Mandoline...

 

[hotwatermusic]

I've used spam. Shaved is a good idea. The salt can over power the other flavors if you aren't careful.

 

[h22lude]

First time making pizza dough tonight. It is in the fridge for Sunday. I used the recipe from Serious Eats (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/07/basic-new-york-style-pizza-dough.html) but halved it. It was extremely sticky. How do I fix that? Should it be sticky? I had to keep putting flour on my hands so it wouldn't stick to me. I couldn't get all of the dough out because it was sticking to the sides and blades.

 

[Evets]

First time making pizza dough tonight. It is in the fridge for Sunday. I used the recipe from Serious Eats (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/07/basic-new-york-style-pizza-dough.html) but halved it. It was extremely sticky. How do I fix that? Should it be sticky? I had to keep putting flour on my hands so it wouldn't stick to me. I couldn't get all of the dough out because it was sticking to the sides and blades.

Wet doughs can be hard to handle. One way is to not use a mixer but rather do a series of stretch and folds. Use water on your fingers, not flour. Grab the dough on one side, lift, stretch and fold it over. rotate the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat til all 4 sides are done. Keep your fingers wet as you go. That is one series of stretch and fold. Wait a half hr or so and repeat. Do at least 4 series. Your dough will become more manageable.

If you don't want to do all that, them maybe just make a less hydrated dough, either a little less water or a little more flour. Then you can use your mixer without the sticking.

Also, different flours absorb more water easier than others. Using the same recipe, a high gluten flour will make a dryer dough than all purpose and all purpose dryer than 00. Mixing some whole wheat flour in will dry it out even more.

 

[hotwatermusic]

First time making pizza dough tonight. It is in the fridge for Sunday. I used the recipe from Serious Eats (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/07/basic-new-york-style-pizza-dough.html) but halved it. It was extremely sticky. How do I fix that? Should it be sticky? I had to keep putting flour on my hands so it wouldn't stick to me. I couldn't get all of the dough out because it was sticking to the sides and blades.

Just checked out that recipe, one problem is the suggestion that you "knead once or twice by hand until a smooth ball is formed". They need to over simplify recipes to get people to try them. It may be a great recipe and I am a fan of Kenji in general, but that's not a lot to go on. I agree with Evets about the stretch and fold. That's the best answer, but keep in mind all recipes are generally best guesses at what can be expected with unknown ingredients and skill levels. Dough is never perfect the first time. If it's so sticky that it's coating your fingers I would just try adding more flour next time. Maybe a tablespoon or two if you are measuring by volume. Or an equivalent gram measurement. At any rate knead once or twice is a shotty way to explain a methodology to go along with a recipe. That's shotty with an "I" by the way.

 

[Hanglow]

How well does sourdough rise in the fridge? All the sourdough pizza bases (and breads) I have risen at room temp. I'm assuming it will work but be much slower than using dried yeast, I was hoping to use it in maybe 3 or 4 days, which is why I put it in the fridge

 

[Sourz4life]

It's usually takes 1-2 days for my sourdough to rise when in the fridge. It took 3 days once when I stored it in my keezer

 

[h22lude]

Wet doughs can be hard to handle. One way is to not use a mixer but rather do a series of stretch and folds. Use water on your fingers, not flour. Grab the dough on one side, lift, stretch and fold it over. rotate the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat til all 4 sides are done. Keep your fingers wet as you go. That is one series of stretch and fold. Wait a half hr or so and repeat. Do at least 4 series. Your dough will become more manageable.

If you don't want to do all that, them maybe just make a less hydrated dough, either a little less water or a little more flour. Then you can use your mixer without the sticking.

Also, different flours absorb more water easier than others. Using the same recipe, a high gluten flour will make a dryer dough than all purpose and all purpose dryer than 00. Mixing some whole wheat flour in will dry it out even more.

I will try a little less water or more flour next time. I do like the simplicity of using the food processor but I may try the stretch and fold method next time. I assume this is all done in a big bowl and then moved to the counter to kneed?

Just checked out that recipe, one problem is the suggestion that you "knead once or twice by hand until a smooth ball is formed". They need to over simplify recipes to get people to try them. It may be a great recipe and I am a fan of Kenji in general, but that's not a lot to go on. I agree with Evets about the stretch and fold. That's the best answer, but keep in mind all recipes are generally best guesses at what can be expected with unknown ingredients and skill levels. Dough is never perfect the first time. If it's so sticky that it's coating your fingers I would just try adding more flour next time. Maybe a tablespoon or two if you are measuring by volume. Or an equivalent gram measurement. At any rate knead once or twice is a shotty way to explain a methodology to go along with a recipe. That's shotty with an "I" by the way.

Simplicity is what got me to try that recipe lol The actual process was pretty easy and didn't take much time so I don't mind messing around with more or less water/flour until I get a nice non sticky dough. This was my first go at making my own dough. I assumed it was going to take a few tries to get it good.

 

[Evets]

I will try a little less water or more flour next time. I do like the simplicity of using the food processor but I may try the stretch and fold method next time. I assume this is all done in a big bowl and then moved to the counter to kneed?



Simplicity is what got me to try that recipe lol The actual process was pretty easy and didn't take much time so I don't mind messing around with more or less water/flour until I get a nice non sticky dough. This was my first go at making my own dough. I assumed it was going to take a few tries to get it good.

I can appreciate the desire for simplicity but if you leave it up to a machine you'll never get a feel for the dough. You might be surprised how little extra flour you need to make it manageable. I recommend using a scale and keeping track of whatever extra you add so you can easily duplicate your results once you get it right.

 

[ericbw]

First time making pizza dough tonight. It is in the fridge for Sunday. I used the recipe from Serious Eats (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/07/basic-new-york-style-pizza-dough.html) but halved it. It was extremely sticky. How do I fix that? Should it be sticky? I had to keep putting flour on my hands so it wouldn't stick to me. I couldn't get all of the dough out because it was sticking to the sides and blades.

While it is in the food processor, running, you can add flour a tablespoon at a time. NEVER stop the food processor once you started adding liquid. It will not start again.

Follow the directions as written. You'll be processing it for about 90 seconds total. It will come together into a ball that rolls around above the blade, and the dough will clean the sides of the bowl.

If it looks sticky after 45 seconds, add a tablespoon of flour through the chute in the top WHILE IT IS RUNNING. Let it run till that is incorporated and the dough is smooth again.

The dough is too sticky if it's not cleaning the bowl as it spins. When you take it out, it should come out easily and feel tacky but not sticky. I like a little more oil in my dough, which helps in that regard.

This is a great way to make dough and the 90 seconds of processing replaces about 10 minutes of hand kneading or 2 hours of stretch-and-fold.

After you do it 2 or 3 times, you'll feel confident.

(Respect to the stretch-and-fold guys - it's just a different method from food processor dough.)

 

[ericbw]

Just checked out that recipe, one problem is the suggestion that you "knead once or twice by hand until a smooth ball is formed".......

At any rate knead once or twice is a shotty way to explain a methodology to go along with a recipe. That's shotty with an "I" by the way.

To clarify, the directions should say to knead once or twice and then form it into a smooth ball. The food processor has done the work of kneading, this is just getting it into a ball to rise.

I'm not a huge fan of Kenji because I think he sometimes over-complicates things. Same with Alton Brown. Both are interesting and have good ideas, but might be more science-y than basic cooks need.

 

[Chrisl77]

In my experience I always have to make slight adjustments to my dough depending on humidity in the air. I set aside 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour at the start and if the dough is to sticky slowly add flour until I get the right consistency. Once you make it a few times and get the end results you like you will get a feel for how the dough should be while making it.

 

[h22lude]

I can appreciate the desire for simplicity but if you leave it up to a machine you'll never get a feel for the dough. You might be surprised how little extra flour you need to make it manageable. I recommend using a scale and keeping track of whatever extra you add so you can easily duplicate your results once you get it right.

I did weigh everything using a scale that measures to the thousands of an ounce (my hops scale). Next time I do this (which I think will be soon) I'll keep track of everything I add until it comes out right.

While it is in the food processor, running, you can add flour a tablespoon at a time. NEVER stop the food processor once you started adding liquid. It will not start again.

Follow the directions as written. You'll be processing it for about 90 seconds total. It will come together into a ball that rolls around above the blade, and the dough will clean the sides of the bowl.

If it looks sticky after 45 seconds, add a tablespoon of flour through the chute in the top WHILE IT IS RUNNING. Let it run till that is incorporated and the dough is smooth again.

The dough is too sticky if it's not cleaning the bowl as it spins. When you take it out, it should come out easily and feel tacky but not sticky. I like a little more oil in my dough, which helps in that regard.

This is a great way to make dough and the 90 seconds of processing replaces about 10 minutes of hand kneading or 2 hours of stretch-and-fold.

After you do it 2 or 3 times, you'll feel confident.

(Respect to the stretch-and-fold guys - it's just a different method from food processor dough.)

I have the Ninja food processor which is great because I did stop it and it started right back up again. Nothing will stop it lol Bad thing is, it doesn't have a spout on top so I have to stop it to put anything in it.

When the food processor was on, the dough didn't look like it was sticking to the sides but it wasn't in a ball. It was all around the bowl of the food processor. Once I stopped it, I could see how sticky it was. It was really hard to get the blades out of the dough. I should have known better but since this was my first time I didn't know what it should be like.

To clarify, the directions should say to knead once or twice and then form it into a smooth ball. The food processor has done the work of kneading, this is just getting it into a ball to rise.

I'm not a huge fan of Kenji because I think he sometimes over-complicates things. Same with Alton Brown. Both are interesting and have good ideas, but might be more science-y than basic cooks need.

I did the food processing then put the very sticky dough on my countertop with flour sprinkled on it. I rolled and kneed the dough a couple times with the flour which actually helped made it less sticky. I then put it in two ziplock bags and put in my fridge.

Should I have done it differently?

 

[Evets]

That's cool. If you use plastic bags, you should use a coating of oil to keep from sticking. I use PAM olive oil spray. I you use tupperware, a light coating in the container is all you need.
Have you been to Pizzamaking.com yet? If not, you should. On the home page click Resourses then Dough tools. Start with the Lehmann calulator, stay within the suggested parameters and go from there. That's how I started.

 

[ericbw]

I did the food processing then put the very sticky dough on my countertop with flour sprinkled on it. I rolled and kneed the dough a couple times with the flour which actually helped made it less sticky. I then put it in two ziplock bags and put in my fridge.

Should I have done it differently?

Nope, that's how you do it! It's rising in the fridge now?

 

[h22lude]

That's cool. If you use plastic bags, you should use a coating of oil to keep from sticking. I use PAM olive oil spray. I you use tupperware, a light coating in the container is all you need.
Have you been to Pizzamaking.com yet? If not, you should. On the home page click Resourses then Dough tools. Start with the Lehmann calulator, stay within the suggested parameters and go from there. That's how I started.

No I didn't know about that site but I will check it out. Thanks

Nope, that's how you do it! It's rising in the fridge now?

Yes it is. I'll remove it a few hours before cooking and let it sit at room temp.

 

[hotwatermusic]

Anyone try a pastrami pie? The above mustard aside got me thinking. Maybe just some crushed mustard seed to finish. Onions, pickles. Don't start on the pickles. I've used pickled veggies, it works.

 

[hotwatermusic]

How well does sourdough rise in the fridge? All the sourdough pizza bases (and breads) I have risen at room temp. I'm assuming it will work but be much slower than using dried yeast, I was hoping to use it in maybe 3 or 4 days, which is why I put it in the fridge

Meant to comment on this and forgot. With sourdough you get a quicker diminishing return for my experience. You will get more protease type activity and the lacto bugs will degrade your gluten faster than a regular yeast only ferment. I've done 3 days and thought it was past ideal. It will hardly be inedible and you may hit it perfect, but you may want to experiment. I think that a good strong weathered starter is important with sourdough. Meaning you will get the flavor components you want with less risk of over fermentation. A young sourdough can take longer to leaven, but will still have the problems with being nice to your gluten.

 

[schematix]

Been a while since I had a major pizza failure. Did no-knead but subbed in cheap AP flour to see the difference. Bad idea. Dough had no structure and the center of the pizza tore open when delivering to oven. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1473639855.269013.jpg

Huge mess and took an hour to burn off all the sauce and cheese before the 2nd pizza could go on.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1473639917.836469.jpg

 

[Evets]

Been a while since I had a major pizza failure. Did no-knead but subbed in cheap AP flour to see the difference. Bad idea. Dough had no structure and the center of the pizza tore open when delivering to oven. View attachment 369739

Huge mess and took an hour to burn off all the sauce and cheese before the 2nd pizza could go on.

View attachment 369740

Still looks pretty damned good to me!

 

[h22lude]

Pizza came out really good. I have always had trouble rolling out dough but I think if I keep making my own pizza I will get better. The one issue I had was the middle wasn't as crispy as I like. I just think I had too much sauce.

 

[kev211]

Got the idea for this little beauty from pizza port. I tried making the dough this time with no sugar and it turned out nice. However it didn't have that big fermented dough flavor that I really like. But that's for another time. Toppings are...

Homemade Alfredo sauce (made with part skim milk, part cream to keep it healthy-ish), grilled chicken, mozz, caramelized onions and red bell peppers, and black olives. Turned out great! Will definitely make again

View attachment 1473735343935.jpg

 

[Staestc]

Got the idea for this little beauty from pizza port. I tried making the dough this time with no sugar and it turned out nice. However it didn't have that big fermented dough flavor that I really like. But that's for another time. Toppings are...

Homemade Alfredo sauce (made with part skim milk, part cream to keep it healthy-ish), grilled chicken, mozz, caramelized onions and red bell peppers, and black olives. Turned out great! Will definitely make again

Pretty pizza!!

 

[Hanglow]

Meant to comment on this and forgot. With sourdough you get a quicker diminishing return for my experience. You will get more protease type activity and the lacto bugs will degrade your gluten faster than a regular yeast only ferment. I've done 3 days and thought it was past ideal. It will hardly be inedible and you may hit it perfect, but you may want to experiment. I think that a good strong weathered starter is important with sourdough. Meaning you will get the flavor components you want with less risk of over fermentation. A young sourdough can take longer to leaven, but will still have the problems with being nice to your gluten.

Yeah it didn't work too well. Still, I ended up with pizza I'll probably just stick to dried yeast for my pizza bases from now on

 

[Evets]

You've no doubt heard the name Aleppo in the news alot lately. I'd like to highly reccommend these pepper flakes from that region. I don't know if the supply is in danger or not but I just grabbed another half pound. So much better than your typical crushed red pepper. They have a wonderful roasty fruity flavor that goes well on just about anything, and just a moderate heat level.

 

[HoppyDaze]

You've no doubt heard the name Aleppo in the news alot lately. I'd like to highly reccommend these pepper flakes from that region. I don't know if the supply is in danger or not but I just grabbed another half pound. So much better than your typical crushed red pepper. They have a wonderful roasty fruity flavor that goes well on just about anything, and just a moderate heat level.

Where did you buy that?

...found some on Amazon. Looks like the same source because it has the description. I make my own flakes but these look like they're deseeded and de fleshed which is a lot of work that i don't want to do.

 

[bob1852]

What's the longest any of you have done a cold-rise?

I've had some in the fridge since Monday, and haven't gotten around to using it. I'll probably try tomorrow or Sunday....it'll be my longest rise. I'll guessing it'll end up being the best...

 

[HoppyDaze]

I've heard of folks doing it that long. I think four days is my longest. Should be good to go

 

[hotwatermusic]

Agreed. I've gone 6 and thought it was fine. Any longer and I'd freeze the dough balls. Depends on the flour used more than anything. You may get less rise if the yeast has worked thru most of the sugars. Just rest as little as possible while bringing the dough up to temp and you should be golden.

 

[Yeastieboy]

Four days is my longest. It's all good!

 

[hotwatermusic]

Anyone care to chime in on favorite flour? I know it's style dependent. I'm thinking about buying a small bag of some good hg to split with some friends and do a teach day. I'm leaning towards Power or possibly KASL (or it's new name). Don't know if I've actually used either but suspect I may have. I buy from a place that repackages and they have never been able to tell me what it is... or are unwilling.