The Homemade Pizza Thread

[RichardM]

Tonight's pizza. Cooked in the top oven again, on a steel and boosted with the grill. Another Ken Forkish dough, Saturday Pizza (which has a misprint, it says 0.3g of yeast, but if you calculate it using the percentages it should be 3g).

 

[soupdragon]

Warning Old thread revival Warning

As many here do, I bake by own bread, usually 3 loaves a week. So why haven't I even though about doing my own pizza until now?
We're having shop bought tonight and I was "moaning" to Mrs soupdragon about the lack of decent pizza around where we live. Whenever we go on holiday to Greece there's always a taverna/pizzeria serving some of the nicest pizza you could wish for. So why is good pizza so rare in this country? I don't class dominoes/papa johns and the like as good pizza by the way.
This thread will be my bedtime reading for tonight and I will be giving home made pizza a go sometime soon. What could possibly go wrong?

Cheers Tom

 

[Clint]

It's coz people are lazy!! Making dough takes a bit of effort and a bit of mess and some trial and error but the results far outweighs this. Plus pizza is regarded as convenience,poppityping and not usually a proper meal.
My latest batch was changed slightly by subbing some of the flour with semolina flour which seemed to work!
Only thing I find isn't right is that my range ovens don't get hot enough even full on. My next purchase will be a "steel" to go on the Weber outside. That'll be hot enough!

 

[SMP Brewery]

poppityping

my favourite Welsh word.

 

[soupdragon]

Right, I'm about 1/3 through the thread and as I'm up early in the morning I'll have to finish it off tomorrow.
Be warned, I will have questions

Cheers Tom

 

[Clint]

I know nothing.

 

[soupdragon]

I know nothing.

Not so sure about that.
I'm now 2/3 through the thread and your posts about the old bread maker and using those cheap metal trays with holes in have given me hope.
More reading tomorrow.....

Cheers Tom

 

[Clint]

I'm winging it,short cuts and make do. There's some proper people on here who know things.

 

[soupdragon]

I'm winging it,short cuts and make do. There's some proper people on here who know things.

That's the thing, I just want to be able to make tasty pizza. I don't want a fancy dancy oven or slabs of stone/steel to bake on (if I can make do without). I don't doubt that the extra gear will produce a better pizza, same with brewing, the more effort you put in the better the results.
In the thread so far there's a lot of passion in what people do but, at least to start with, I just want to mix dough in my bread machine, rest it for a while then shape/make and bake something that resembles pizza. Same as when I started making bread.
I'll finish the thread tonight, re read it, then watch some videos on YouTube before having a go. I must admit I'm quite looking forward to it

Cheers Tom

 

[Clint]

My latest tomato sauce...
A few table Spoons of olive oil,heat,some crushed garlic,tin chopped tomatoes, dollop of puree,black pepper,garlic power,onion powder,oregano. Simmer then blitz. Does 4 x 12" pizza easily.
Best ever topping...yesterday's left over chicken tikka dopiaza with fresh green chilli and fresh coriander.

 

[obscure]

That's the thing, I just want to be able to make tasty pizza. I don't want a fancy dancy oven or slabs of stone/steel to bake on (if I can make do without). I don't doubt that the extra gear will produce a better pizza, same with brewing, the more effort you put in the better the results.
In the thread so far there's a lot of passion in what people do but, at least to start with, I just want to mix dough in my bread machine, rest it for a while then shape/make and bake something that resembles pizza. Same as when I started making bread.
I'll finish the thread tonight, re read it, then watch some videos on YouTube before having a go. I must admit I'm quite looking forward to it

Cheers Tom

While I do really like my fancy pizza oven, it’s mostly best if you really like neapolitan style pizza. But ultimately I think the thing that makes the biggest difference between home made pizza and a supermarket pizza is using good basic fresh homemade dough, that and you can put what ever you want on it. Personally I like to keep it simple, a tomato based sauce, fresh mozzarella, and maybe a little salami, as I have a sour dough starter I tend to use sourdough for my pizzas but a spoonful of bread yeast will produce good results.

One thing I will say is worth trying (and something that I used to think was a bit ridiculous) is long slow cold ferments basically I make up my dough about three days in advance and just stick it straight in the fridge.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

That's the thing, I just want to be able to make tasty pizza. I don't want a fancy dancy oven or slabs of stone/steel to bake on (if I can make do without). I don't doubt that the extra gear will produce a better pizza, same with brewing, the more effort you put in the better the results.
In the thread so far there's a lot of passion in what people do but, at least to start with, I just want to mix dough in my bread machine, rest it for a while then shape/make and bake something that resembles pizza. Same as when I started making bread.

As a fellow "happy with a low-hassle 80% solution" pizza maker, I'd point you to my big post about that, post #262. The only bit of fancy kit I use is a £1.29 (now up 55% to a shocking £2) pizzamesh from Dunelm which makes it so much easier to handle uncooked bases (whilst taking up no room and Teflon coated so easy to clean), otherwise I'm just using a regular oven and stuff from supermarkets.

 

[soupdragon]

While I do really like my fancy pizza oven, it’s mostly best if you really like neapolitan style pizza. But ultimately I think the thing that makes the biggest difference between home made pizza and a supermarket pizza is using good basic fresh homemade dough, that and you can put what ever you want on it. Personally I like to keep it simple, a tomato based sauce, fresh mozzarella, and maybe a little salami, as I have a sour dough starter I tend to use sourdough for my pizzas but a spoonful of bread yeast will produce good results.

One thing I will say is worth trying (and something that I used to think was a bit ridiculous) is long slow cold ferments basically I make up my dough about three days in advance and just stick it straight in the fridge.

My initial plan is just to follow the instructions in the bread makers booklet. If I remember correctly it's a half hour mix followed by an hour's proof. It's the same basic program for bread dough. It does say in the notes to rest the dough for 15 mins. Once I've got one under my belt and if it turns out edible I'll start experimenting with longer rests. Topping will be as you mention, straight cheese/tomato with maybe some pre cooked chicken

Cheers Tom

 

[soupdragon]

As a fellow "happy with a low-hassle 80% solution" pizza maker, I'd point you to my big post about that, post #262. The only bit of fancy kit I use is a £1.29 (now up 55% to a shocking £2) pizzamesh from Dunelm which makes it so much easier to handle uncooked bases (whilst taking up no room and Teflon coated so easy to clean), otherwise I'm just using a regular oven and stuff from supermarkets.

I've already made a mental note about them. The metal trays are ok on their own for shop bought pizza with cardboard bases (that's how they taste sometimes) but I'd imagine fresh dough would need some support so I will be investing in one to sit inside the trays

Cheers Tom

 

[Clint]

I push my bases out on a "dinner on your knee" tray...easy to contain extra flour or semolina you chuck down to stop it sticking,and restricts the clean up.
Tray is a melamine type.

 

[soupdragon]

Right, I'm all fired up to do this in a week or so, or at least once pizza tea comes around again.
I know it all depends on how thick you make the base but "roughly" how much dough is generally required for, say, a 10 inch pizza? The recipe in my booklet gives a total of around 750g, so if I get 3 balls of 250g am I the ballpark?
From reading through the thread it seems to be a good idea to part bake the base before adding toppings if using a standard kitchen oven.
Oh, and the recipe turns out at approx 62.5% hydration, ish.

Cheers Tom

 

[Clint]

From memory...
450g flour,I subbed 100g semolina last time,
300ml warm water
1 tsp salt
2 tblsp olive oil
2 tblsp sugar
1 pkt bread yeast..tried yeast out the little tub thing but found pkt better
Bread machine..DOUGH setting,mine is 1.5 hours..it's a 20 + yrs old machine.

 

[grooves]

My initial plan is just to follow the instructions in the bread makers booklet. If I remember correctly it's a half hour mix followed by an hour's proof. It's the same basic program for bread dough. It does say in the notes to rest the dough for 15 mins. Once I've got one under my belt and if it turns out edible I'll start experimenting with longer rests. Topping will be as you mention, straight cheese/tomato with maybe some pre cooked chicken

Cheers Tom

make the dough the day before using french bread setting (this has longer rests built in) separate into balls and bung them in the fridge overnight - this makes a big difference to the quality of the dough and it still requires minimal effort

300ml water (1/3 boiling + 2/3 cold gets good temperature)
500g 00 flour
12g salt
1 tsp yeast

 

[grooves]

My initial plan is just to follow the instructions in the bread makers booklet. If I remember correctly it's a half hour mix followed by an hour's proof. It's the same basic program for bread dough. It does say in the notes to rest the dough for 15 mins. Once I've got one under my belt and if it turns out edible I'll start experimenting with longer rests. Topping will be as you mention, straight cheese/tomato with maybe some pre cooked chicken

Cheers Tom

The day before use the french bread programme - this has more rests built in. Then separate into balls and bung in the fridge overnight. This makes a big difference to the quality of the dough for still minimal effort.

 

[soupdragon]

The day before use the french bread programme - this has more rests built in. Then separate into balls and bung in the fridge overnight. This makes a big difference to the quality of the dough for still minimal effort.

Will have a look at the french bread setting and see what the timer says

Cheers Tom