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The Pizza Thread


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#81 NewMarketSean

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 06:16 PM

I love this thread and you guys have inspired me to make my own pie. Any tips for a beginner?

How far are you willing to go? Make your own dough? Make your sauce?

I've used the measuring directions from this site with good success, and I've halved the recipe for pizza for two people.

http://www.101cookbo...ves/001199.html

You end up with 4 pies if you follow the measurements. Just give yourself enough time to make it, usually an hour from start to finish with about 20 mins of rest in there, and two days before you plan to eat the pizza. If you can find premade pizza dough at a grocery store that's pretty good, but it's the ready to use dough in a bag, no dry dough or something you make at home.

For sauce I use San Marzano tomatoes, you can get them in the foreign section of any grocery store and season them to your liking. Mash them with a press or blend them up. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, peppers, oregano, etc...

If your oven is gas, use lower temps. If it's electric with a top and bottom element, heat that bastard to 500-550 and your pie will be ready in about 5-7 mins.

Have fun with it...trial and error especially with making your own dough.
I never had friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?

#82 NewMarketSean

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 06:18 PM

I think this week sometime im going to tackle the deep dish cast iron pizza idea someone mentioned earlier. Gonna try to go all from scratch. Corn meal crust instead of flour like Ginos East. Probably use regular pizza sauce doctored up with fresh herbs. Making your own sauce is pricy. Also pricy is good mozzarella. Especially enough to fill a deep dish pie, and I wouldnt buy that shredded crap Kraft sells in a bag if im making a gourmet pizza. But to make your mozzarella, looks like you need citric acid tablets, and something called rennet? Anyone seen either at the grocery store before? Probably load it up with pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon (aka...ham). No veggies here.


My sister in law made it once for us at our house...turned out good. Didn't seem too hard to make on your own, but I've forgotten how to do it. And yeah, fresh mozzarella makes a huge difference. The shredded store kind doesn't work on pizza.
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I never had friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?

#83 Hooded Viper

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 06:21 PM

How far are you willing to go? Make your own dough? Make your sauce?
I've used the measuring directions from this site with good success, and I've halved the recipe for pizza for two people.http://www.101cookbo...ves/001199.html
You end up with 4 pies if you follow the measurements. Just give yourself enough time to make it, usually an hour from start to finish with about 20 mins of rest in there, and two days before you plan to eat the pizza. If you can find premade pizza dough at a grocery store that's pretty good, but it's the ready to use dough in a bag, no dry dough or something you make at home.
For sauce I use San Marzano tomatoes, you can get them in the foreign section of any grocery store and season them to your liking. Mash them with a press or blend them up. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, peppers, oregano, etc...
If your oven is gas, use lower temps. If it's electric with a top and bottom element, heat that bastard to 500-550 and your pie will be ready in about 5-7 mins.
Have fun with it...trial and error especially with making your own dough.


Thanks man, I will start out with the premade dough and experiment and work my way up to making my own dough. Thanks again and will def let everyone know how my trial runs go :-)

#84 NewMarketSean

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 06:24 PM

Take pictures....yeah I'm not above that. :P
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I never had friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?

#85 Markus

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 06:28 PM

Don't forget to brush a little oil on the outer edges of the crust to brown it up and make it nice and crispy.


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Lemme get two claps and a Ric Flair


#86 SportsGuy

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 09:57 AM

What kind of ingredients do you guys use in your pizza to really get good flavor out?



#87 NewMarketSean

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 10:13 AM

What kind of ingredients do you guys use in your pizza to really get good flavor out?

Use fresh stuff. Basil instead of oregano. Whole mozzerella cheese sliced yourself instead of the shredded. San Marzano tomatoes, smashed or blended down instead of store bought sauce, which is always terrible. Make your own dough if possible, or buy a dough ball at the store -- Wegmans has good organic dough, other stores might have dough balls too. Let it warm up for an hour or two before you cut it into 3 softball size smaller balls and roll them out. And don't be afraid to put anything and everything on it to make it different.


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I never had friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?

#88 Mackus

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 10:25 AM

Agree with everything Sean said.

 

Some short cuts:

 

I like Dom Pepino canned sauce which is widely available at grocery stores, not as good as making your own, but it's a fine substitute to save some time.

 

Go to your favorite local pizza place and buy dough straight from them.  Most places will give it to you for a buck or two.  Get the benefit of fresh dough without having to knead and make your own.

 

Use lower-moisture whole-milk (not part-skim) mozzarella, not fresh made stuff that comes in water unless you're just putting a few slices on like a Margherita.  Don't buy the pre-shredded, it really is worth the effort (and it doesn't take long) to grate your own on a box grater and then top it, melts way better.  If you can't find a package of block mozzarella in the cheese aisle, then go to the deli and have them slice you off a big chunk.



#89 DuffMan

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 11:55 AM

I had Grotto's  (haven't had their Pizza in years) when I was in Rehoboth 2 weeks ago.  Good stuff


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#90 SportsGuy

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 02:31 PM

I use Dom Pepino and we get the fresh dough at the store.

 

I usually put an italian season, some garlic powder, butter the crust etc...Still, I feel there is something missing.

 

The cheese may be the issue.

 

Also, I made it last night and got the crust crispier but that's my biggest issue so far...getting the crust a consistent thickness and getting it crispy.  I turned the temp up and that helped.

 

I usually use the shredded stuff...Is that why it has more of a tendancy to get darker (burn ?) in the oven?



#91 Mike in STL

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 02:47 PM

I use Dom Pepino and we get the fresh dough at the store.
 
I usually put an italian season, some garlic powder, butter the crust etc...Still, I feel there is something missing.
 
The cheese may be the issue.
 
Also, I made it last night and got the crust crispier but that's my biggest issue so far...getting the crust a consistent thickness and getting it crispy.  I turned the temp up and that helped.
 
I usually use the shredded stuff...Is that why it has more of a tendancy to get darker (burn ?) in the oven?



Shredded mozz will burn faster. Have to do a high temp. Pizza ovens are up there at 600 degrees or so. So at home I do 450.

Do you have a pizza stone or cast iron pan? Of you are doing it on a cookie sheet that will keep it from crisping up well.

Also, corn meal on the surface of the stone or pan adds a little something.
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#92 Mike in STL

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 02:48 PM

Also, made my own mozz cheese once. The juice wasn't worth the squeeze. Just buy fresh for a few extra bucks and save the headache.
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#93 SportsGuy

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 02:48 PM

Shredded mozz will burn faster. Have to do a high temp. Pizza ovens are up there at 600 degrees or so. So at home I do 450.

Do you have a pizza stone or cast iron pan? Of you are doing it on a cookie sheet that will keep it from crisping up well.

Also, corn meal on the surface of the stone or pan adds a little something.

Yea, i have a pizza stone.



#94 Mackus

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 02:48 PM

They put something in with the pre-shredded cheese to prevent it from sticking and clumping together that makes it not melt as well.  May also lead to the burning, not sure.

 

To make it crispy get as high a temperature as you can in the oven, let the stone preheat for a good long time, and keep the crust as thin as you can, which can be tricky if it's got a lot of elasticity.


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#95 Mike in STL

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 02:50 PM

Yea, i have a pizza stone.



Cool. Like Mack said. Get the temp real hot, pre heat the stone first.
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#96 NewMarketSean

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 02:55 PM

I use 550 degrees, a sheet with holes in it (thats important). I don't mess with stones, it's too hard transporting the pizza all dressed up to the stone in the oven, or onto a hot stone out of the oven (the stone should be hot when pizza goes on if you're using one. If it's cold might as well use a regular pan). You want the pizza to cook as fast as possible, it should only take about 5-9 mins.

 

Rob, use olive oil on the dough when you roll it out. Just a dime size and them rub it all over the dough ball. That helps a lot too and gets the dough nice and crispy.

 

I think cheese could be the biggest factor for you. Definitely use a fresh mozzerella ball and slice or shred it yourself. I slice them as thin as I can and just lay them on the pizza, like they do at Neopolitan pizza joints.


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I never had friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?

#97 SportsGuy

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 03:10 PM

Ok, thanks guys.

 

I have done it 3 or 4 times and every time, there is something not quite right.

 

Just need to keep working with it until I perfect it.



#98 NewMarketSean

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 03:12 PM

Ok, thanks guys.

 

I have done it 3 or 4 times and every time, there is something not quite right.

 

Just need to keep working with it until I perfect it.

Yup you'll get there and hey...your pizza is probably still better than half the shit out there.


I never had friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?

#99 SportsGuy

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 03:22 PM

Yup you'll get there and hey...your pizza is probably still better than half the shit out there.

Yea, no doubt.  I won't buy pizza anymore, for the most part.

 

I get the pizza quicker and its fresher.



#100 NewMarketSean

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 03:23 PM

I usually only go for Neapolitan style, which I can't recreate at home. Otherwise its homemade, or a sloppy NY style pizza when drunk or hungover.


I never had friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?




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