Passionate About Pizza Blog» Passionate About Pizza: Making Great Homemade Pizza Cookbook

Pizza Making Techniques

pizzaman383 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:41:24 +0000

Working with yeast dough can be a little intimidating. You have seen a pizza chef stretching out pizza dough and throwing it around as if it is no big deal, but you may have thought, "I could never do that!" Well, I am here to tell you that you can make a great pizza. It is not difficult and my Passionate About Pizza Cookbook describes just how to do it.

The book describes:

Mixing & Kneading Dough
Letting Dough Rise & Making a Dough Ball
Stretching, Rolling, and Pressing Pizza into Shape
Assembling Pizza & Pizza Peel Technique
Baking, Serving, Storing, & Reheating Pizza

Mixing Dough

pizzaman383 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:41:20 +0000

The goal is to mix the right amount of the proper ingredients together to create uniform dough. Good dough has all the ingredients evenly distributed throughout the dough. There are two basic methods – the dry mix and wet mix methods. Both work well, so use the method that suits your fancy. I generally use the wet mix method because it gives me a chance to see that the yeast is active.

Preparing Your Oven

pizzaman383 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:41:07 +0000

Pizza Pans

Pizza Screens

Baking Stone

Your home oven is all you need to make great pizza. Using pizza pans, pizza screens, or a baking stone will turn your oven into a fine pizza-baking machine!

Questions about Sourdough

PizzaMan383 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:41:20 +0000

Bill Morris asked a couple of questions:

I am making the sour dough starter sponge. After leaving it out for a couple of days, can I put in a closed jar in the refrigerator. (Well it expand and break the glass?)

Also, on page 140ish, Calif sour dough pizza and the next style, do not state how much sour dough starter to use in the recipe. Can you please clarify.

P.S.: I bought 3 books and everyone loves them.

PizzaMan replies:

The wild yeast in the sourdough starter will slow down when you refrigerate the starter but it will NOT stop entirely. If you place it in a closed jar it may very well explode. Virtually everyone recommends that you use a loose-fitting cover for any sourdough starter.

The California-style Sourdough recipe was written to use the entire quantity of the Sourdough Starter Sponge recipe on the prior page; in other words, a cup of water, a cup of flour, and 1/2 teaspoon yeast. That works out to be something like 1 1/4 cup of sourdough starter if you already have one made. Depending on the consistency of your sourdough starter you might need to adjust the amount of flour you use when making dough to reach the consistency you prefer.

Dough needs help? Don’t forget the Salt!

PizzaMan383 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:41:16 +0000

Here is an exchange PizzaMan had with a friend:

Scott

January 26 at 12:29pm

when you have time. I’ve been working on my pizza for a while now but its still lacking.

Scott

PizzaMan

January 26 at 4:34pm

Hi, Scott!

What about your pizza needs improvement?

May your dough rise,
PizzaMan

Scott

January 26 at 4:42pm

Well, I tried this last week to serve on Saturday:

* 3 1/2 cups flour
* 1 packet of yeast
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 2 tbsp honey
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1 cup water

# Put all ingredients in mixer, except 25% of flour
# Mix low for 1-2 mins (consistency should be like pancake batter)
# Cover and let sit for 20 mins
# Mix on low for 8 mins, 5 mins in start adding flour gradually
# After for 6 mins, increase speed,
# Then remove dough and work by hand, should be very sticky
# Pour on floured surface and portion into balls
# Once it’s ready (smooth when you sprink flour), cover and let it rest for 15-20 mins
# Put into glad containers with tiny amount of oil and then put in fridge
# Let it cold-rise in fridge for at least 24 hours, up to 3 days
# Take dough out fridge when i start oven (roughly 60 mins before cooking)
# Don’t use rolling pin – build a little rim around the edges then spread the dough
# Dunk the dough lightly in a bowl of flour then work it on granite counter top, only tiny amount on peel

I did this on Thursday and let it cold rise until Saturday afternoon. My biggest problem before was getting it to a workable state where its very plyable easier to work. (like the restaurants).

My issue is it wasn’t very tasty and a little too bready for my taste. I like it thin and a bit crispy. My buddy Jimmy said it could be the lack of salt.

As far as the dough itself, precooking, it was just the way I want it, now my problem is the taste…

Scott

PizzaMan

January 26 at 5:26pm

Scott,

Definitely use 1 tsp of salt for that recipe. It makes it taste MUCH better. I tried the no/low salt and it is very bland and tastes like flour not pizza crust.

With 1 cup water, I usually use 2 3/4 cups flour for a short rise (1-2 hours) and 3 cups for long/cold rise (1-3 days). Less flour makes it stretch easier.

For thinner dough, try splitting it in two pieces and make two pizzas. This let’s you stretch/roll until it is the thickness you like.

More details in Passionate About Pizza

PizzaMan

Dough Thickness Not Right? Adjust it to your taste!

PizzaMan383 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:41:15 +0000

Here is another consultation between PizzaMan and a friend:

From: ADAM
Date: Sat, 2 May 2009
To: PizzaMan

Hey a quick question on my "P.A.P.B."….My biggest problem is being consistent about my dough. It’s a little tough on the bottom. Not as soft as I like. Maybe too tough on the bottom. Did I knead it too long? Not let it rest enough? Too much flour? Stone too low/high in the oven?

Hope all’s well.

Adam

From: PizzaMan
To: ADAM
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2009

Do you mean too crunchy? Too thick? Too dense?

PizzaMan

From: ADAM
Date: Sat, 2 May 2009
To: PizzaMan

Nobdy else seemed to notice, but almost too stiff. Nice crunch though. I always prefer a limp NY style, but mine are definitely more hearty. Even thought my dough is your NY style, I seem to add enough flour along the way….Now I need a metal scraper to get the sticiy dough off the maple chop block!

Adam

From: PizzaMan
Date: Sun, 3 May 2009
To: Adam

To make limp, thin crust you need to stretch it thinner. Try adding 1/4 cup (or even up to 1/2 cup) more flour. This will make the dough less sticky and more elastic. Then cut the dough into two pieces after rising to make two dough balls. Stretch each ball to 12-14 inches and the crust will be thinner. The pros stretch the dough to 4-6 inches bigger than the size it will end up. As they drape the dough on the peel it springs back and is a little rippled. This should give you thinner, floppier crust.

There is more information in Passionate About Pizza.

PizzaMan

Make Pizza in a Kamodo or Big Green Egg

PizzaMan383 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:41:18 +0000

Kamodo style barbecue grills have become popular over the last decade. One of the most commonly known versions is the Big Green Egg. Kamodo cookers are made of thick ceramic material and can cook at low, medium, or very high temperatures.

Kamodos can be used to make pizza if you prepare it properly. Here are some tips:

Remember that pizza cooks from both the top and bottom at the same time. Therefore, to bake pizza properly in a Kamodo, you need to move the pizza up toward the top of the cooker so that radiated heat from the Kamodo’s top cooks the top of the pizza. Most people do this using the "plate setter" accessory that comes with the grill (or is purchased separately). The plate setter has three legs and a flat surface. Place the plate setter on the grill’s cooking grate and then put a round pizza stone on top of the plate setter. You can adjust the height of the pizza stone by putting plates, fire bricks, or other spacers under the stone until you get even cooking on the top and bottom of the pizza.

The other important factor in baking pizza on a Kamodo is temperature. For most pizza recipes, you need to set the dampers on the Kamodo such that the internal temperature of Kamodo stays constant in the 500-600 degrees F range. Below that temperature, the pizza cooks too slowly and will become tough or dry. Above that temperature range, the pizza will cook very quickly and may burn.

Some people want to make Neapolitan style pizza. This pizza requires special preparation because it bakes at 650-800 degrees F. A Kamodo is one of the least expensive ovens that can consistently reach that baking temperature. At this temperature, you need to use the right dough recipe (no added sugar), specially formulated flour (browns at higher temperature), and very short baking times (30-120 seconds). These temperatures can more rapidly age your Kamodo so just be aware of that.

All in all, a Kamodo is a fun way to make pizza but it does require a little bit of practice and some special techniques to get the best out of it.

Hope this helps, Gordon!