How do I make pizza? - Page 3

Trader Joe's dough works pretty well if you don't want to make your own. Also, try using crushed tomatoes instead of a sauce. Finally, crank up your oven as high as it will go and use a pizza stone.

BBQ chicken pizza's aren't anything new and aren't trad but can taste great and make for a nice change from the norm.

Is Marcello's worth checking out for that? I already copy my deep dish straight from Zachary's.

+1. All store-bought "dough" has tons of preservatives in it. Just buy some fresh from an italian bakery or (non-chain) pizza shop. Most pizza shops will sell you the dough, even if they don't advertise that.

The secret is indeed the dough. The secret to the dough, is to let it rise overnight in the fridge. It is only this way that you will develop the gluten network needed to make truly thin yet crusty/chewy dough. For myself, I use a basic pizza dough recipe, pop it into the Kitchen Aid and let the dough hook do its magic for several minutes. Then take a large bowl and put some olive oil in the bottom. Ball up the dough and flip it around so it is totally coated in olive oil. Take plastic wrap and place it over the dough ball but with large margins, so that as the dough rises, it pulls the plastic up with it and keeps it covered. Put the whole thing in the fridge overnight.

It is the slow, overnight rise that is the key.

I second a pizza stone pre-heated to 500 degrees. It should take no more than about 7-8 minutes to cook.

For those in Oz, I second the suggestion re: Bazaar thin pizza bases. If I'm tired or strapped for time, they make a very good base - thin and crispy but with a little bit of chewiness to them.

My son loves helping to make pizzas (as well as helping to make cakes and bread, and washing rice - although that leaves quite a mess on the kitchen floor!). Cooking together really is a great thing to do with kids, and I find that he is always extra keen to eat the food that he helped to make/cook.

although making pizza is kind of fun once in a while, unless you are doing it for fun, it isn't worth the effort IMHO. The problem is, pizza restaurants have ovens that cook at like 750+ degrees so you can never get it to turn out the way they do.

heat oven with pizza stone to 500 degree and let it stay there for a bit, e.g., 20 miunutes

dough (enough for 2 15" pizzas)

1 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp oil
salt

pulse in food processor (cuisanart; with normal metal, not dough, attachment)

2/3 cup hot water
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar

let stand until proofs, 5-10 mins

turn on cuisanart and pour in yeast water slowly until dough ball forms (if it forms and there's still some water left over stop pouring in)

pulse another 20 times or so

put dough ball in oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave alone for 45 minutes in a warm place


cut dough in two. try to roll out dough at this point on flour surface. personally, I try an initial attempt walk away for 5 minutes and then return; dough works better this way.

roll out dough thin, place on floured pizza peel.

add good quality crushed tomatoes (right from can) spread around;

add slices of fresh mozzarella. but leave room; don't smother. If at all possible get water buffalo (real mozzarella); it's far more tender and will be easy to bite through.

place in oven; this cooks very quickly. the cheese (especially buffalo) will get molten.. it will be easy to tell when done as the top of the dough crust will look done. and when tapped with finger sounds drum like

remove pizza and dress it; first grate parmegano regianno (sp?) as desired n(do this first while still hottest); then a drizzle of very good XVO (real mozzerella won't be dripping with greese like the junk from most pizza places; and a drizzle of olive oil is welcom); then tear up some basil leaves (don't use any dry herbs); then large grain sea salt and fresh cracked or large gring pepper.

serve immediately.

You can use relatively the same approach for grilled pizza but you oil the pizza dough slightly; cook on grill until grill marks; then flip, then add tomatoes etc. to side that just had grill marks. (do this in a hot grill but off to side from direct flame.

Or, you can just set your oven to the cleaning cycle like this guy.

as for baking for pleasure/with a girl.. does anyone have any ideas what kind of dinner i can bake up in a 9x9 pan (using the table-top convection oven in our dorm)? I have pasta, so casserole is one choice. but i also have a lot of flour so I was hoping of making something (simple) from scratch..?

lasagne
bread/rolls/etc.
meatloaf
shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie, and the million variations on that basic concept
all sorts of baked/layered vegetable stuff (root vegetables, eggplant, tomato, whatever)
quiche/frittata
chicken dredged in flour and seasonings

Made pizza tonight. Classic but with oregano instead of basil, which is out of season.

On the topic of pizza, I was told recently by a professional chef that this product is awesome for making pizza and that it blows away the regular pizza stone. Those who make pizza at home might want to give it a look. http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/hea..._hearthkit.asp