Jauronimo Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 No knead dough is pretty damn good. Any variation on Jim Lahey's (trailer park supervisor and master baker) no knead dough will get you good results. The version below with 00 flour got me best results. http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2015/01/05/best-pizza-youll-ever-make/ Dough is so temperamental and frustrating. Working with this dough requires a few tries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 No knead dough is pretty damn good. Any variation on Jim Lahey's (trailer park supervisor and master baker) no knead dough will get you good results. The version below with 00 flour got me best results. http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2015/01/05/best-pizza-youll-ever-make/ Dough is so temperamental and frustrating. Working with this dough requires a few tries. This recipe looks promising. I've made the no-knead bread in a cast iron dutch oven before and it is always delicious (nice voids/air pockets, crusty, flavorful) so the same rule applies for the pizza dough. I'm a little hesitant to preheat to 550 degrees and then use the broiler function. Do you follow that step (broil) as opposed to bake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jauronimo Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 This recipe looks promising. I've made the no-knead bread in a cast iron dutch oven before and it is always delicious (nice voids/air pockets, crusty, flavorful) so the same rule applies for the pizza dough. I'm a little hesitant to preheat to 550 degrees and then use the broiler function. Do you follow that step (broil) as opposed to bake? I did both. Pre-heated to 550 then broiled for a few minutes before sliding my pie into the oven. Not sure I noticed much of a difference from just baking at 550. I turned the broiler on to get more color on my top crust and brown some cheese. I'm thinking about getting a baking steel and using that as the cooking surface and keep my stone on the rack above. That's supposed to be as close as you can get to turning your home oven into a pizza oven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 I did both. Pre-heated to 550 then broiled for a few minutes before sliding my pie into the oven. Not sure I noticed much of a difference from just baking at 550. I turned the broiler on to get more color on my top crust and brown some cheese. I'm thinking about getting a baking steel and using that as the cooking surface and keep my stone on the rack above. That's supposed to be as close as you can get to turning your home oven into a pizza oven. What's a baking steel? So in other words, pizza on steel and stone above to trap the heat around? How far above? I wonder if they make some sort of insert? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 What's a baking steel? So in other words, pizza on steel and stone above to trap the heat around? How far above? I wonder if they make some sort of insert? https://shop.bakingsteel.com/collections/steels/products/baking-steel I'm wondering about the size at 16" x 14"...doesn't seem large enough if you want to make a decent sized pizza (or two small ones). I'll keep looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jauronimo Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 What's a baking steel? So in other words, pizza on steel and stone above to trap the heat around? How far above? I wonder if they make some sort of insert? Its a sheet of stainless steel ideally 3/4" thick that you can use to bake bread, pizzas, or even sear steaks. Super conductive. The stone is positioned about 6 to 8 inches above. The stone stores heat well and throws a bit of that infrared spectrum at your food as opposed to just convection. That's the concept anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Thanks! Gonna try! Oh... If your oven is convection, should you use that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostbitmic Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 I usually just buy frozen bread dough, take it out of the freezer in the morning, pour a little olive oil over the top and cover it with plastic wrap all day. For sauce I just use Pellicano's Northern Italian pizza sauce (made in Buffalo) I always make two pizza's because my wife and one daughter are vegetarians while my other daughter and I are carnivores. The veggie pizza usually has shrooms, black olives and artichoke hearts and my meatza usually has pepperoni, Ital sausage and sweet peppers. Sometimes to annoy all of them I'll make what my wife calls a sacrilegious pizza and put pineapple on it. We also use shredded mozzarella, romano and asiago cheeses It's easy and tastes great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 For my vegetarian daughter we make polenta pizza. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 You want an easy sauce?Just crush a big can of San Marzano tomatoes, drain and add some salt. Done. Works well for Margherita pizzas. Just slice some buffalo mozzarella and add basil leaves at the end. We also use a baking steel instead of stone (bakingsteel.com). Cooks each pizza WAY faster and allows a better crust where you get that light and dark mottled bottom that isn't burned, but yet fully cooked. Screw making your dough. We get the pre-made stuff from the store that comes on it's own parchment paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 You want an easy sauce? Just crush a big can of San Marzano tomatoes, drain and add some salt. Done. Works well for Margherita pizzas. Just slice some buffalo mozzarella and add basil leaves at the end. We also use a baking steel instead of stone (bakingsteel.com). Cooks each pizza WAY faster and allows a better crust where you get that light and dark mottled bottom that isn't burned, but yet fully cooked. Screw making your dough. We get the pre-made stuff from the store that comes on it's own parchment paper. Like Tom's suggestion above, this sounds too easy and good to be true. I'm a sucker for a sweet sauce so I end up adding a tbsp of sugar (or two if it's a large batch of sauce) but I never remember that tomatoes are sweet after they cook awhile so that might be my problem if it comes out too sweet. No doubt store bought is easy and the one I tried last night that Gugny referenced was excellent...but that 24 hour no-knead recipe above is worth trying I think (just requires more planning days in advance which is sometimes tough to remember in the midst of autumn school sports, activities, etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Like Tom's suggestion above, this sounds too easy and good to be true. I'm a sucker for a sweet sauce so I end up adding a tbsp of sugar (or two if it's a large batch of sauce) but I never remember that tomatoes are sweet after they cook awhile so that might be my problem if it comes out too sweet. No doubt store bought is easy and the one I tried last night that Gugny referenced was excellent...but that 24 hour no-knead recipe above is worth trying I think (just requires more planning days in advance which is sometimes tough to remember in the midst of autumn school sports, activities, etc) It has to be San Marzano tomatoes. Read up on them. http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-deal-14-16365 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Like Tom's suggestion above, this sounds too easy and good to be true. I'm a sucker for a sweet sauce so I end up adding a tbsp of sugar (or two if it's a large batch of sauce) but I never remember that tomatoes are sweet after they cook awhile so that might be my problem if it comes out too sweet. No doubt store bought is easy and the one I tried last night that Gugny referenced was excellent...but that 24 hour no-knead recipe above is worth trying I think (just requires more planning days in advance which is sometimes tough to remember in the midst of autumn school sports, activities, etc) It's not my preferred sauce (I hate tomatoes - it's a texture thing. To use canned tomatoes, I'd have to stew them anyway). But that'll work pretty well. Really, any tomato-based sauce comes down to getting the thickness and spices right. And for pizza sauce, thickness is pretty damned easy ("not too watery.") It has to be San Marzano tomatoes. Read up on them. http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-deal-14-16365 I thought it was a brand, rather than a type. I'll have to try them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 You want an easy sauce? Just crush a big can of San Marzano tomatoes, drain and add some salt. Done. Works well for Margherita pizzas. Just slice some buffalo mozzarella and add basil leaves at the end. We also use a baking steel instead of stone (bakingsteel.com). Cooks each pizza WAY faster and allows a better crust where you get that light and dark mottled bottom that isn't burned, but yet fully cooked. Screw making your dough. We get the pre-made stuff from the store that comes on it's own parchment paper. Do you mean pre-formed, uncooked pizza crusts? Or balls of premade dough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Do you mean pre-formed, uncooked pizza crusts? Or balls of premade dough? We get the pre-formed ones. I tried the dough balls and there isn't enough flour or cornmeal in the world to get me to do that again. Could not manage getting it off my peel without making the kitchen a disaster. The pre-made ones we have in our store are fine with the family and they come with a parchment incorporated. Easy peezy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 We get the pre-formed ones. I tried the dough balls and there isn't enough flour or cornmeal in the world to get me to do that again. Could not manage getting it off my peel without making the kitchen a disaster. The pre-made ones we have in our store are fine with the family and they come with a parchment incorporated. Easy peezy. I've had some pizzas shaped like the state of Texas for that reason.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
section122 Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 I think you're right. I've made complex pizza sauces with garlic, onion, oregano, basil, paste, etc....simmer for three hours, blah, blah, blah....but it is just ok. I can't imagine a pizzeria going through all that trouble for sauce...they must do something real simple. So yeah, tomato paste and some oil might be the perfect simple solution with a few dashes of spices. If you are looking for Pizza shop sauce many use Don Peppino's straight out of the can. They may add some basil/oregano/parm cheese but Don Peppino's is the base. It is fantastic and one of my favorites. Costco carries a giant can of it and I also found it at Sam's Club. $3.76 for 104 oz. Give this sauce a shot and you won't have to worry about your own recipe. The wife grills some kind of gluten-free flat bread, and has some disgusting soybean cheese that she tries to melt on top but it doesn't really melt. She's a good sport. Cuba cheese shop has fantastic soy cheeses. Or at least that is what my wife tells me. I realize Cuba probably isn't local to many but they do ship. We wasted a lot of money on some really terrible cheese substitutes and this is one that she says is the closest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringMetheHeadofLeonLett Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Marjoram is a great add to the sauce. 60/40 non-smoked provalone to fresh mozzarella gives a great consistency. Get a good quality pepperoni sliced hair-thin which crisps up beautifully if you like meats... gotta use a lot if it's thin. Given my own druthers, I'd just make half cheese and half hairline-sliced white onion, but gotta please the clan so the toppings vary. I have a soft spot for Appian Way box-o-pizza. The stuff's good if you play with the sauce, btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 If you like a thin, crispy crust and want a fresh hot pizza at home in under 10 minutes, get some 12" pita breads. If there is a Middle Eastern market near you , they sell them in bags of 6 for $2. Get a pizza screen from your local restaurant supply. Heat the oven to 450, add your favorite toppings, 7-8 minutes and you're done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 If you like a thin, crispy crust and want a fresh hot pizza at home in under 10 minutes, get some 12" pita breads. If there is a Middle Eastern market near you , they sell them in bags of 6 for $2. Get a pizza screen from your local restaurant supply. Heat the oven to 450, add your favorite toppings, 7-8 minutes and you're done. Is this naan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 I'm sensing you giving advice in this thread and I don't like it one bit. Once again. I give advice for a living. Taking it from random people on a message board? Completely different story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 It has to be San Marzano tomatoes. Read up on them. http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-deal-14-16365 Being a Type A personality, I stopped at Price Chopper and looked up and down the aisles for canned or fresh San Marzano tomatoes. No luck. I ended up buying some peeled tomatoes (canned) from Italy. Where do you get these San Marzanos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Being a Type A personality, I stopped at Price Chopper and looked up and down the aisles for canned or fresh San Marzano tomatoes. No luck. I ended up buying some peeled tomatoes (canned) from Italy. Where do you get these San Marzanos? They are getting more reliable to find at Publix in the southeast. It used to be rare, but now it's more often that not. Sweeter with less acidity. Definitely the way to go if you have the option. I see some that are "San Marzano Style", etc, and I wonder how they trick us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 They are getting more reliable to find at Publix in the southeast. It used to be rare, but now it's more often that not. Sweeter with less acidity. Definitely the way to go if you have the option. I see some that are "San Marzano Style", etc, and I wonder how they trick us? I was actually in the aisle reading the back of a whole peeled tomatoes label thinking it would say straight from San Marzano. Then I checked out the produce aisle and they had hydroponic, plum, hot house, and heirloom tomatoes. I may have to ship them in via Amazon drone (Im in a rural area...no Publix). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Is this naan? No. Naan is Indian, central, SE Asian... Pita, MiddleEast. "The name comes from the Persian word, non, for bread. Unlike pita, naan has yogurt, milk, and sometimes eggs or butter in it, resulting in a softer texture. When the dough is made, bakers shape it into a ball and slap it on the interior walls of a tandoor, a clay oven. The bread puffs up and bubbles as it cooks." https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/175880/whats-the-difference-between-naan-and-pita/ "Naan and pita look so similar. But not quite. Look closer. One is fluffy, bubbly, and often oval-shaped. The other is circular and has these wonderfully convenient pockets, perfect for sandwiches. Those are the two most noticeable differences between naan and pita both round, slightly leavened wheat flatbreads. You can brush them with oil or butter and sprinkle spice blends or herbs on them, if you so desire. They both make handy substitutes for pizza crust too." I live on both this stuff. Only breads I really eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 I was actually in the aisle reading the back of a whole peeled tomatoes label thinking it would say straight from San Marzano. Then I checked out the produce aisle and they had hydroponic, plum, hot house, and heirloom tomatoes. I may have to ship them in via Amazon drone (Im in a rural area...no Publix). Try Amazon, it's pretty prominent on the label if it's the good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Being a Type A personality, I stopped at Price Chopper and looked up and down the aisles for canned or fresh San Marzano tomatoes. No luck. I ended up buying some peeled tomatoes (canned) from Italy. Where do you get these San Marzanos? These tomatoes are sort of a big thing so it won't be hidden on the label. It will say in big bold letters on them. Just do a Google search and you can see the different types of brands and packaging out there. I get them at my local grocery store which is nothing special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Is this naan? No. Naan is Indian, central, SE Asian... Pita, MiddleEast. "The name comes from the Persian word, non, for bread. Unlike pita, naan has yogurt, milk, and sometimes eggs or butter in it, resulting in a softer texture. When the dough is made, bakers shape it into a ball and slap it on the interior walls of a tandoor, a clay oven. The bread puffs up and bubbles as it cooks." https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/175880/whats-the-difference-between-naan-and-pita/ "Naan and pita look so similar. But not quite. Look closer. One is fluffy, bubbly, and often oval-shaped. The other is circular and has these wonderfully convenient pockets, perfect for sandwiches. Those are the two most noticeable differences between naan and pita both round, slightly leavened wheat flatbreads. You can brush them with oil or butter and sprinkle spice blends or herbs on them, if you so desire. They both make handy substitutes for pizza crust too." I live on both this stuff. Only breads I really eat. Naan would work as a pizza crust, though they never come that large. These 12-inch pitas make a nice pizza for two, or one if your hungry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jauronimo Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Being a Type A personality, I stopped at Price Chopper and looked up and down the aisles for canned or fresh San Marzano tomatoes. No luck. I ended up buying some peeled tomatoes (canned) from Italy. Where do you get these San Marzanos? You gotta go to the fancy grocery store. The one where all the stay at home moms go to after yoga while the au pair looks after the children. Look for a parking lot full of Range Rovers. You'll find San Marzanos there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 You gotta go to the fancy grocery store. The one where all the stay at home moms go to after yoga while the au pair looks after the children. Look for a parking lot full of Range Rovers. You'll find San Marzanos there. Fergs ... that place in Saratoga where you get your chicken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 Fergs ... that place in Saratoga where you get your chicken. KFC? or Fresh Market? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 KFC? or Fresh Market? Either/or. It's common knowledge that KFC uses fresh San Marzanos whilst making their Sweet 'N Tangy sauce at the beginning of each shift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Naan would work as a pizza crust, though they never come that large. These 12-inch pitas make a nice pizza for two, or one if your hungry. How about as a hors d'oeuvres pizza? The naan that is. We are gonna try... It never really dawned on us to use pita as a crust! We always have tons of it. I wonder if how sneaking cheese & pepperoni in pita pocket would work... The naan too... But I guess you can make like a hors d'oeuvres (as mentioned above). We usually do the little Peppridge farm bread thingys. I mentioned the polenta (from a tube of polenta) pizza, that can be cut off the tube and make pizza bites. Great suggestion... We are gonna try it! I love me some hors d'oeuvres! ;-) Totino's eat your heart out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Fergy, what is the best, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 11, 2017 Author Share Posted October 11, 2017 Im making the dough Jauronimo cited this weekend and the sauce the others talked about (simple sauce but didnt find San Marzano tomatoes...my source tells me Walmart has them so Ill get some this week). In the meantime, try the non-Hannaford brand of dough at Hannaford. Was excellent. Sprinkled sessme seeds sround the outer crust and used real mozz from deli counter cut thin. Anchovies!!! Amazing. Am ordering a pizza steel this week. Hope it gets here by Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Im making the dough Jauronimo cited this weekend and the sauce the others talked about (simple sauce but didnt find San Marzano tomatoes...my source tells me Walmart has them so Ill get some this week). In the meantime, try the non-Hannaford brand of dough at Hannaford. Was excellent. Sprinkled sessme seeds sround the outer crust and used real mozz from deli counter cut thin. Anchovies!!! Amazing. Am ordering a pizza steel this week. Hope it gets here by Friday. Your source sent you a real-time picture of cans of San Marzano tomatoes at Walmart!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 11, 2017 Author Share Posted October 11, 2017 Your source sent you a real-time picture of cans of San Marzano tomatoes at Walmart!!!!!!!!!!! How do I know they are really from San Marzano? I didnt see little italian men canning them. They could be knock offs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Danny Devito just keeps coming up all over.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Your source sent you a real-time picture of cans of San Marzano tomatoes at Walmart!!!!!!!!!!!you at Walmart now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 you at Walmart now? Greeting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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