The Homemade Pizza Thread

[DavidDetroit]

@DD - these breadmakers and a slow cooker are the best items we have purchased for the kitchen - they take up counter space but having delay timers means we have food ready at a time we want with very little effort. G

Cool. We've got the slow cooker and it's quite useful.

 

[jof]

If it helps, discussions on another board I used to frequent cane to the conclusion that the Panasonic bread makers were the best.
As ours is used exclusively for mixing dough I don't mind that it's just a Lidl one.

 

[ChrisR73]

I'm interested in this....I have a bread machine lurking in the dark recesses of my kitchen. Wonder if it's usable for pizza dough?
Something to do on the days off...

Absolutely - the fact that they have a warm setting makes the dough rise much faster than doing it by hand.

 

[AXW123]

I have a Panasonic. I use it to make pizza dough and also to knead dough before I cook it in a Dutch oven. Makes brilliant bread cheaply and you know what’s in it. No sugar or crap as in shop bought bread.

 

[Hanglow]

Todays pizza, made 8 dough balls. 67 hours in the fridge bulk, then 5 hours room temp in balls. Dough was extremely extensible and could have done with being risen further, there was too little rise in balls. Still, was a flavoursome dough. I had a few jars of preserved veg in the cupboard that I'd bought well over a year ago so those went on as toppings.

4 pizzas were just marinaras which I've frozen. Tried doing the trick of hanging the pizza over the side of the peel to make it bigger . Didn't work well as the dough was so slack ...

 

[Griff097]

Hi, @Irishwizard I like the certainty! Sometimes when communicating overseas I don't know if I'm receiving a communication accurately because of our slight differences in vocabulary; however, you did ultimately highlight my point: different camps on ingredients. If I am correct about pizza being originally a way to use up extra ingredients, then there is no right or wrong way.
Personally, I'm a low-topping individual and I will say, "Less can be more" and that's what I subscribe to. But if you've tried a pizza with sausage (pepperoni), ham, bacon, green pepper, onion and mushroom, it has its merits.
I don't know why anybody thinks the US is that much different than the UK. After all I've observed here, even on this website, we're not.
I'm not sure about the "crap cheese" bit since you shouldn't use crap cheese (does that mean "bad" or "too much cheese"?). I like extra cheese and extra sauce--witness my photos. For the average consumer though, I would rein it in.View attachment 60488View attachment 60489

No such thing with right or wrong with food, it's whatever yoj like, sod the tradition etc

I have got to get one of these pizza stones and give this a go, this thread and the curry thread make my mouth water, but there never seems to be time Lol

 

[DavidDetroit]

pizza stones and give this a go, this thread and the curry thread

The stones do work. For me, they are worth it for making square pizzas. I've heard the pizza steels work very well.
The curry thread got me making curry. Wonderful stuff.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I must admit, I have a stone and find it OK in my normal oven (can't speak for something hotter), but prefer my silicone mesh, which also has the advantage of being cuttable to size so you can fit two on the top shelf.

 

[DavidDetroit]

silicone mesh,

never heard of those until now. Are they comparable to the below?

When I make rounds, I cook at 550°F (288°C). Can the silicone handle that?

 

[Northern_Brewer]

They're the dirt-cheap Dunelm ones I mentioned in my big post, #262 :
https://www.dunelm.com/product/toastabags-pizzamesh-1000031337
The packaging claims they go up to 500°F/260°C. So they're fine for kitchen ovens, but might not cope with anything fancier, I guess if you've got a fancier oven then you can stretch to metal mesh. But at that price they're great for anyone wanting to dip their toe in the water without much expense or clutter.

 

[Griff097]

The stones do work. For me, they are worth it for making square pizzas. I've heard the pizza steels work very well.
The curry thread got me making curry. Wonderful stuff.

Had you not tried curry before that?
It's like a right of passage in the UK Lol

 

[DavidDetroit]

Had you not tried curry before that?
It's like a right of passage in the UK Lol

I hadn't though that has more to do with me than the average person here.
Wildly delicious. First time I had it, I had to learn how to make it. I felt the same when I first had pad Thai. It's all heaven.

 

[robbym123]

Love this thread.
I buy an occasional 25kg sack of ‘proper’ Caputo blue pizza flour, and share it around friends and family.

I persevered for a while making pizza in an oven tray, but wasn’t happy with the soggy base.
I was tempted to get a pizza stone, but was worried how fragile they can be. I’m a bit of a bull in a China shop, so I knew that wouldn’t end well.

I was tempted by a pizza steel, but couldn’t justify the prices being charged. My epiphany was when I realised they were just selling bog standard mild steel at a massive mark up!.
I bought a sheet of 6mm mild steel to fit the oven (30x40mm I think), on eBay for £13.
I also picked up a decent aluminium paddle for transferring in and out of the oven.
It is brilliant and has transformed my pizza making.

it is hard to buy a pizza now, as the majority are disappointing by comparison!.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Reminds me: untreated tiles can also work as a pizza stone. It would have to be checked out to see which tile, specifically. Cheap and if they break, no big deal.

 

[robbym123]

Reminds me: untreated tiles can also work as a pizza stone. It would have to be checked out to see which tile, specifically. Cheap and if they break, no big deal.

I did consider that, but apparently a steel is better, as it is able to absorb and transmit more heat, more quickly than a stone.

I suspect a stone/tile would do a very good job, there is a reason why traditional pizza ovens use stone after all!.

 

[DavidDetroit]

steel is better,

My brother swears by the steel. I've got no complaints with the stone but wouldn't mind trying the steel.

 

[Irishwizard]

I'm interested in this....I have a bread machine lurking in the dark recesses of my kitchen. Wonder if it's usable for pizza dough?
Something to do on the days off...

what make is your machine? I may be able to offer some help

 

[Clint]

what make is your machine? I may be able to offer some help

I shall take a look later when I surface.

 

[Clint]

This...all the bits are with it,pan and paddle and it still works..well switches on. Must have had it over 10 years. It has a "dough" setting.

 

[Clint]

Well I've chucked my usual dough mix in and switched it on...
It's battered the dough round for about 20 minutes and has now stopped. I think it's resting..making an intermittent clicking sound,heater turning on?