Options
Pizza
WaltBasil
Posts: 1,757 ✭✭✭
Ive got love for cigars and accompanying beverages. Ive also got a love for food. I thought Id share something here, see how receptive everyone is to it, and maybe post more like it later.
For me, there is nothing more satisfying in food than seeing a scrumptious looking pizza pie. Especially one that youve made yourself. Ive got a couple high dollar additions to the casa that I plan on implementing in the medium term future. Like a wood burning stove, and a brick house pizza oven. There are all sorts of ways to cook your pizza, but the brick ovens seem to be the best in my opinion. Until then, Ill settle for my oven.
Even using a regular oven, there are many ways to cook your pizza in there. Deep dish. Thin pans. Cast iron. On a stone slab (closest to the brick oven taste youre going to get, and even closer is to use the stone right on your BBQ grill set at the highest temp).
Today, Ill cover a decent all purpose crust and my special sauce (no, not baby gravy, get your mind out of the gutter). Feel free to take these recipes and modify or claim for yourself. I stole the original ideas from a pizza making forum I used to hang out in and tweaked them to my own liking. I use a standard KitchenAid counter top mixer with the dough hook.
You can hand toss this crust. Roll it. Go for a deep dish. Cook on a stone off a peel. To make the breadsticks, divide the dough up after the first rise. Roll out some for the breadsticks, pre-slice, then top with a garlic butter spread and parmesan. Let them rise for the next hour with the rest of the dough meant for the crust. When cooking the breadsticks at the same time as your pizza, they only take about 7-8 minutes. Pull them out and spread more garlic butter spread immediately, allowing it to melt into the sticks for a few minutes. Theyll pull apart easily.
The Sauce
1 can (1LB 12 OZ) crushed tomatoes. I prefer 6in1 from Escalon. Hard to find in a store, but easily and cheaply available from their website.
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons minced dry onion
1 teaspoon salt
3/8 teaspoon black pepper
1.25 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
Mix all ingredients and allow to sit in fridge for at least 2 hours, 5 or more is better. You can easily freeze your remainder afterwards and use for later.
The Crust
This is called a 2 hour pizza crust because you let it rise twice, one hour each. When I make this, I double the recipe and it makes 14+ breadsticks, one 14-inch pie , and one 7-inch pie. My wife doesnt eat my toppings, so I make her very own personal pan with just cheese and jalapeños.
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon flour
3/4 cup water (112 degrees)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 and 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
Mix water, yeast, salt and sugar until dissolved. Let sit for 2 minutes.
Stir in olive oil.
Add flour and mix.
Allow to rise for 1 hour in a large covered greased/oiled container in a warm place , punch down, rise for another hour, and shape into a well oiled pan 14 inch crust. Usually I pour a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil into my cast iron pan or skillet and coat it thoroughly.
Add your sauce, favorite toppings and bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes, depending on how well done you like it.
Hope you enjoy...
For me, there is nothing more satisfying in food than seeing a scrumptious looking pizza pie. Especially one that youve made yourself. Ive got a couple high dollar additions to the casa that I plan on implementing in the medium term future. Like a wood burning stove, and a brick house pizza oven. There are all sorts of ways to cook your pizza, but the brick ovens seem to be the best in my opinion. Until then, Ill settle for my oven.
Even using a regular oven, there are many ways to cook your pizza in there. Deep dish. Thin pans. Cast iron. On a stone slab (closest to the brick oven taste youre going to get, and even closer is to use the stone right on your BBQ grill set at the highest temp).
Today, Ill cover a decent all purpose crust and my special sauce (no, not baby gravy, get your mind out of the gutter). Feel free to take these recipes and modify or claim for yourself. I stole the original ideas from a pizza making forum I used to hang out in and tweaked them to my own liking. I use a standard KitchenAid counter top mixer with the dough hook.
You can hand toss this crust. Roll it. Go for a deep dish. Cook on a stone off a peel. To make the breadsticks, divide the dough up after the first rise. Roll out some for the breadsticks, pre-slice, then top with a garlic butter spread and parmesan. Let them rise for the next hour with the rest of the dough meant for the crust. When cooking the breadsticks at the same time as your pizza, they only take about 7-8 minutes. Pull them out and spread more garlic butter spread immediately, allowing it to melt into the sticks for a few minutes. Theyll pull apart easily.
The Sauce
1 can (1LB 12 OZ) crushed tomatoes. I prefer 6in1 from Escalon. Hard to find in a store, but easily and cheaply available from their website.
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons minced dry onion
1 teaspoon salt
3/8 teaspoon black pepper
1.25 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
Mix all ingredients and allow to sit in fridge for at least 2 hours, 5 or more is better. You can easily freeze your remainder afterwards and use for later.
The Crust
This is called a 2 hour pizza crust because you let it rise twice, one hour each. When I make this, I double the recipe and it makes 14+ breadsticks, one 14-inch pie , and one 7-inch pie. My wife doesnt eat my toppings, so I make her very own personal pan with just cheese and jalapeños.
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon flour
3/4 cup water (112 degrees)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 and 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
Mix water, yeast, salt and sugar until dissolved. Let sit for 2 minutes.
Stir in olive oil.
Add flour and mix.
Allow to rise for 1 hour in a large covered greased/oiled container in a warm place , punch down, rise for another hour, and shape into a well oiled pan 14 inch crust. Usually I pour a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil into my cast iron pan or skillet and coat it thoroughly.
Add your sauce, favorite toppings and bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes, depending on how well done you like it.
Hope you enjoy...
0
Comments
And be sure to coat your baking pan in oil.
I have been making a version of Chicago Lou Malnati's deep dish that turns out great. I will have to try this. Dang you made me hungry.
Thanks for the recipe/tips too....
Sunday has become homemade pizza night at our house...it's easy to make and is a good way to wrap up the weekend/get ready for the work week.
Thin crust, fresh sauce, top with mozz & fresh parm, and a combination of bacon/onions/cowhorn peppers or pineapple/ham if we have them.
Wife makes big batches of dough (6-8 pizzas) every couple months, divide it up and then freeze it. recipe click here
Makes it easy on Sundays, just set the dough out early in the morning, cover the bowl, let it thaw and you'll be good to go by dinner time.
Sauce from scratch too --- been using canned tomatos from in-laws' garden. (Until next spring when we get fresh tomatoes from the garden again)
Love the fresh Belgioioso mozzarella too.
Preheat the oven and baking stone (we use emile henry 14"x18" stone) to 450.
Toss the crust by hand, cook it for about 5 mins .... pull it out, add the sauce/cheese/toppings and put it back in for another 5-ish mins until the cheese starts to turn brown.
Yum.
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
LMK what you think.
Will have to try yours too for a thicker crust....I like our thin crust but sometimes I crave a thicker crust, usually end up ordering a pizza out on those nights but I'd prefer to make it at home. Thanks!
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
Told you, homemade pizza has become a Sunday night tradition at our house!
Simplest meal I swear, just thaw out the dough, mozz, and sauce --- preheat the oven then assemble the ingredients.
Topped it with bacon and a chopped cowhorn pepper. But dang that was an extra hot pepper this week! Probably going to skip the pepper next week though because there were a couple bites where my mouth was on fire. If I didn't know better I'd have sworn it was a serrano...good thing I brought up a couple extra beers to the upstairs fridge, definitely needed those to cool down my taste buds.
Oh, and I was going to take a pic of the pie for you guys but we ate it too fast, haha! Maybe next week....
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
We don't dock it (I like the air bubbles LOL) ....
Do you hand toss it or roll it out?
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
lookin' good dane.
Didn't have any mozz or bacon for ours last night, and it was too cold to run out to the store and get some. And wasn't in the mood for hot peppers so kept it simple with just tomato sauce and grated parm. It still turned out pretty damn good, and once again we ate it way too fast before I could snap a pic.
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
topped it with some salami yesterday, yum.
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
Haven't tried gouda. Might have to try that sometime.
I have on occasion shredded some Romano and/or parmesan over the pie after everything else has been laid.
Planning on making some pizza today, and an abundance of dough for freezing...
and so thin (this is problem for when I cook pizza)
You are great cook