General Pizza tips & Quick Questions

Jem8472

I have just started doing HM pizza. I did some out of the normal dough that I have made bread from and it was ok but not great. But I found a really easy recipie and it makes a wonderful pizza base.

I do it slightly differently to the recipie because it says to use dried yeast that you reactivate in water. I just use quick yeast hat you add to flour.

Makes one 12 inch pizza (think and crispy)

1 tsp yeast.
1 tsp salt
100ml warm water.
2 tsp olive oil and a little more for greasing
160g plain flour, sifted. ( I dont bother sifting it and use bread flour)


Put the flour in a bowl add the yeast salt oil and water. mix to a ball. I find this part it does not come into a ball totally. Bits keep falling off.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 mins.
The dough I find becomes very tough and hard to knead but that might be because of the strong bread flour.

Rub the inside of a bowl with oil and then roll the dough round the bowl to coat the dough in oil.
Leave in the bowl and cover with a clean cloth and leave for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
The dough and be then put in the fridge or frozen. Just got to be left to come back to room temp before usign again.

Roll our the dough to fit the pizza tray and leave for 15 mins to rise a little again.
add toppings.

I cook it on about 200c for about 20 mins.
I have not found it to go soggy.

Pretani

it's important to let the yeast activate in the warm water before adding the flour.

I also read that adding sugar is important, as it helps the yeast to activate with the gluten in the flour.

Jem8472

Pretani wrote: »

it's important to let the yeast activate in the warm water before adding the flour.

I also read that adding sugar is important, as it helps the yeast to activate with the gluten in the flour.

Only if you are using yeast that needs to be reactivated.

shezza

Hi, I am attempting home made pizza's for the first time tonight, and what a nightmare. I bought 2 pizza pans (wanted to look professional), made the dough in the breadmaker so far so good, and then the problems begin. I put the dough into the pans and tried to spread it out, all I can say is I'm pleased that my OH was at work he would have LHAO, the air was blue, my pizza bases resembled emmental cheese (all holey) and I'm absolutely knackered. Can some one please tell an easy way to do this, or is it easier to roll it out onto the bench then transfer it. When you see it done on the TV it looks so easy, and I never expected to throw it in the air like the Italians do, but I never thought it would be so hard , please help I don't want to give up on this.

Jem8472

That does not sound too good. I have once or twice used a BM to make pizza dough and I found it to be very very sticky and hard to work with. The recipie I posted above makes good dough easy to work with.

Also this vid might help to see how to strech out pizza dough. Also says how to get either thin or thick crust pizza. Cant wat to try that out!


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SjYqw1CLZsA

10past6

If you want to make a really simple pizza in a rush, grab a couple of Nan breads (I always have some in the freezer for this very reason) slap on some tomato purre, and anything you have handy, cheese, mushrooms, onions, whatever, slap under the grill for 5 mins. Yummy yummy

Pretani

shezza wrote: »

I put the dough into the pans and tried to spread it out, all I can say is I'm pleased that my OH was at work he would have LHAO, the air was blue, my pizza bases resembled emmental cheese (all holey) and I'm absolutely knackered. Can some one please tell an easy way to do this, or is it easier to roll it out onto the bench then transfer it. When you see it done on the TV it looks so easy, and I never expected to throw it in the air like the Italians do, but I never thought it would be so hard , please help I don't want to give up on this.

roll it out using a rolling pin on the board then transfer it and push it out to the edge of the tray. Remember to sprinkle flour on the dough occasionally to help it roll out without sticking. Oil the tray before you transfer and it will help the pizza stay the shape you rolled it and prevent the pizza sticking while cooking.

MeAllOver

I know this is a bit late as you were baking on Saturday.... We had hm pizzza on Saturday too for our anniversary. We decided it would save £38 compared to dominos and everyone prefers homemade anyway!

I make the dough in the breadmaker too. Then roll it out on a floured surface and put it on an oiled baking tray. DON'T part-bake it. There's no need, unless you like it dry and crispy. I make the sauce with tomato puree and passatta. Just cover it in sauce, then put your toppings on (olives and veggie sausages in our case) then cheese and bake at 200C for 10-15 mins until the cheese is golden.

Everyone always comments on how nice the base is, so I really wouldn't worry about pre-baking it unless you were going to do it really thick.

hth

ZoeGirl_3

Hi all, I have tried to do this and when cooked they have turned out soggy in the middle. What am I doing wrong?

Should I precook base first? Because then they tend to get a bit puffy...

Or should I cook it a bit before freezing and then freeze and really just reheat later?

Currently I just roll out pizza dough, top then freeze.

If there is a thread about this, please point me in its direction.

overlykeensaver

My DH makes pizzas and he just freezes the dough (in ball) and the pizza sauce separately. Then when it is time for a pizza, he will defrost the dough, roll it out and then add the (defrosted) pizza sauce and other toppings.

This might not be what you had in mind but might be the way to get a pizza that isn't soggy in the middle...?