General Pizza tips & Quick Questions

Tiddlywinks

I'm going to do some HM pizzas tonight and wanted to ask for some help as I'm a bit nervous about it.

I'm going to make the dough in the breadmaker and then let it stand to grow a bit.... then I'm at a bit of a loss.

Do I part cook it first and then add the toppings or do I just go ahead and put the tommy sauce, mushrooms etc on and wham it in the oven?

Is 180 degrees about right for cooking or should it be higher? I don't want to burn it but don't want it soggy either.

I've searched through and there are so many threads on pizza but none that really has the idiots version that I need .

Please save me from a pizza disaster...

Tiddly

rach

Hi Tiddly

I felt a bit the same the first time I tried it, though I used the artisan bread dough rather than making it in the BM. I now love making it and its a lovely easy meal.

I just roll the dough out thinly (depends how you like you pizza) onto an oiled baking tray and then I cooked it for a bit (5 mins ish? til it was just a bit done). that stopped it from going soggy in the middle. then i put the sauce and topping on and finished off with cheese (most people probably put the cheese on and then the toppings).

I put mine in at 200 ish, doesn't take long to cook.

tessie_bear

i would roll out dough and put on tomato sauce cheese and toppings.thyme chopped up is nice and then bake it at 200 gas 7 .........i think ill do i myself

phizzimum

how long to cook it for does depend on how thick or thin you've rolled the base out. I like a deep base so I cook pizza for about 20 mins at 200 degrees. But keep an eye on it, once the cheese is cooked and the crust is looking golden it will be ready.

betterlife

definetly cook base before you add the topping else it will go soggy, i didnt do this ages ago and made a massive back to freeze. went to cook one straight on the oven rack and yes you can guess what happened it all sunk between to rack, nightmare x

phizzimum

I don't think you can cook homemade pizzas straight on the rack like you would a shop bought one. I cook it on a metal baking tray and it doesn't go soggy.

PasturesNew

I've recently been making my own pizzas.

I use the dough setting on the BM all the time. After an hour and a half it beeps and is finished. At this point the dough has risen quite a bit.

I plonk that out onto a floured worksurface, sprinkle more flour on it, then give it a small amount of kneading for about a minute (nothing major as I am rubbish and a right weakling, just idly kneading it in a fashion).

Then I roll it out and stick it onto what I will cook it on. I usually flour or oil the tray first so it doesn't stick. Then I put that to one side on top of the oven (where it's a bit warm) for half an hour. I someimtes spread a small amount of olive oil over it at this point (no particular reason, just it's mentioned in a few recipes so I figure it can't hurt). I think it is best covered if you can manage that (I don't possess anything large enough to cover it with, so tend to just not bother.

After half an hour, I daren't touch it, so I just plonk the toppings on and bung it in the oven at about 200deg for 20 minutes. I do open the door and give the dish a half turn during that time.

Gingernutmeg

I always part bake my bases a little as otherwise I find they do go a bit soggy in the middle. What I do is roll out the dough, then p-rick the bases well with a fork - if I don't I sometimes end up with big 'balloons' of dough in the oven lol Then I take them out, top them and cook them till they're bubbly and the toppings are cooked through. I used to have my own as high as it could go (200ish, but it was a rubbish oven so I doubt it ever got that hot) and just kept a close eye on the pizzas to make sure they didn't burn.

blackwidowz

We are having this but with chunky pieces of fresh bread instead of dough.

really cheap and filling meal with HM garlic bread too...yum

Pretani

I use pizzas trays when making my own pizza. I don't use a pizza stone because then you need a paddle to slide the pizza onto the hot stone, pizza trays are easier to use.

oil the bottom of the pizza tray
place the dough on the tray and put on ingredients, no need to prebake

If you've rolled your base thin, set oven to 200 and cook for 5-10mins

If your base is thick, set oven to 170 and cook for 20 mins

if your pizza tray, for whatever reason doesn't cook the centre as you would like, heat the tray over the oven rings for a few seconds before you put the pizza in the oven.