Pizza pizza!!

[Apple]

Jan 4, 2018 23:36:49 GMT -5 beergut said:

Jan 4, 2018 23:23:18 GMT -5 Apple said:

If I make it at work (my plan...) I'll have to knead it by hand since I'm not bringing in my stand mixer.  I have a little hand one I leave here, but it's not that powerful.

Are you going to use a spoon and a bowl? Mix it on your break, let it rise, then bake it at lunch time?

Do y'all have an oven at work?

You could always just make the dough the night before, put it in the fridge at work, and take it out and let it get to room temperature before shaping it into pizza. 

Yeah, probably a spoon and bowl, and then knead on the counter if needed.

I work a 12 hour shift, and when I'm on nights, well, there are some nights I have less than 20 minutes of actual work.  So, I have all the time I want!  I just have to be able to walk (run) away from whatever I'm doing if there is an emergency, so I have to accept that one of these days I may completely ruin a meal.  However, emergencies are rare, so I can cook whatever I want.  One of the break rooms has a decent setup for a work kitchen, and there is a refrigerator and oven.  I have my own cast iron skillet that I just tuck away in a bottom shelf back corner.

[beergut]

Well, if you have to leave after mixing the dough, you can always just put it in the fridge there and it will slow the fermentation. Take it out when you get back and it'll speed up as it warms up. 

[beergut]

Ok, chiver78 , we're going to figure this out.

We're going to simplify it down to the very basics. 

I made pizza dough using one cup of flour yesterday. 

1 cup of bread flour, 1 teaspoon of yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/3 teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of olive oil or cooking oil, and maybe 1/3 cup of warm water. I had 1/2 cup of warm water, but didn't use all of it. 

Put all the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl, started the mixer, let it sift the dry ingredients for a few seconds, put in the olive oil, then slowly added the water until I got the hydration level I wanted. After it mixed for about 6-8 minutes, I stopped it, and pulled out the dough, and shaped it into a ball.



See my maroon Texas A&M Converse lowtops in the bottom of the image? That's how you know it's authentic. 

Put the dough ball in a bag and let it rise for an hour.



Notice how it is now bigger than my hand.

Remove dough from bag and shape into personal-sized pizza.



Top with sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella. 



6 minutes at 525 degrees.




Let it rest for 6 minutes, then slice.




If we do a small batch of dough made from only one cup of flour, we should be able to figure out what the issue is. I hope, at least. 

[chiver78]

ha, awesome. I am totally game for this!

so I can't wrap my brain around not proofing the yeast ahead of time. I can sacrifice 1c of flour's worth of dough to try it w/o proofing though. I've already pitched a full batch.

one question - I have packets of active dry yeast. do you store yours somewhere airtight if you're only using 1t at a time?

ETA - 2nd question - what's with the Ziploc bag? I've always (and you said the same before) let it rise in an oiled bowl, covered. closing that bag keeps all the off-gases contained and tweaks the proofing. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Sigh. Jealous. DH was making pizza dough, biscuits, rolls, and breads almost weekly for a few years. We had to buy a bigger Kitchen Aid because the basic one we had was walking off the counter with the amount of dough in it. DH broke both of his wrists Aug 2016, and we went a full year without him making any breads. He's done buttermilk biscuits once in the last few months and a foccacia for a Christmas gathering. I don't want to be a brat and be like "Hey, buddy, why don't you make some pizza crust". We have at least ten crusts left from the restaurant supply store. That will last us another two months. Maybe then I'll suggest it. Yes, I know I could attempt it, but I haven't been able to add that to my schedule. Anyway, please know I enjoy reading these threads. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Upon closer look at the pictures:  beergut, do you not use a pizza stone when cooking?

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Also, have you tried putting a bit of olive oil on the crust before putting the sauce on? We really like a flavor called "Tuscan". We're out right now, but I can look for it if you're interested. 

[dee27]

Jan 6, 2018 13:30:15 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Upon closer look at the pictures:  beergut , do you not use a pizza stone when cooking?

My pizza sticks to the stone, and I opt to use an oiled pan instead.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 6, 2018 13:51:13 GMT -5 dee27 said:

Jan 6, 2018 13:30:15 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Upon closer look at the pictures:  beergut , do you not use a pizza stone when cooking?

My pizza sticks to the stone, and I opt to use an oiled pan instead.

Yes, we had that problem initially also. DH's solution was to bake the crust on a metal pan for a few minutes so that it was solid enough to not stick to the stone. Then put, it on the stone and build the pizza. 

[dee27]

Jan 6, 2018 13:31:45 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Also, have you tried putting a bit of olive oil on the crust before putting the sauce on? We really like a flavor called "Tuscan". We're out right now, but I can look for it if you're interested. 

Since I pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes before I add the toppings, I do sprinkle olive oil on the crust before I pre-bake it. 

[dee27]

Jan 6, 2018 13:53:05 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Jan 6, 2018 13:51:13 GMT -5 dee27 said:

My pizza sticks to the stone, and I opt to use an oiled pan instead.

Yes, we had that problem initially also. DH's solution was to bake the crust on a metal pan for a few minutes so that it was solid enough to not stick to the stone. Then put, it on the stone and build the pizza. 

Good idea that I can try. Thanks

[dee27]

My Italian aunt used to make pizza on 1/4 sheet pans because she had six children. All of my cousins still make the pizza the same way.

[Shooby]

I make my own dough. For my last pizza, i did a first rise, then punched down and put it in the fridge for 2 days to ferment. Had good texture and flavor.

[dee27]

Jan 6, 2018 15:16:09 GMT -5 Shooby said:

I make my own dough. For my last pizza, i did a first rise, then punched down and put it in the fridge for 2 days to ferment. Had good texture and flavor.

I make my own dough, too, and I used to flash freeze half of it before I bagged the dough. However, the shelf life is only three months, and the dough takes time to thaw. Now, I make two pizzas at a time, and DH has the leftover slices for lunch.

[Shooby]

[Apple]

Not beergut, but...

You can let the dough rise however, in whatever.  When I worked in the pizza restaurant, we used large food-grade garbage cans (40 gallon? On wheels...)  We also never proofed the yeast.  If you think your yeast might be old, then proofing is a good idea (or, proof a little to test what you have on had, and use the unproofed stuff in the recipe, or use the proofed stuff and cut down the liquid). Otherwise, skip it.

Make sure the water is not too hot.  Too hot and you'll kill your yeast.  Too cold and it will just take longer to rise.  "Perfect" is when you can put your finger in the water and not even feel it because it's perfect body temperature.  If it feels warm, it's warm enough.  If it feels really warm, it may be too hot.

If using salt, stir the dry ingredients before adding the yeast.  I was told that putting that putting the yeast straight onto the salt would kill the yeast (not sure if it's true, but I never put yeast on straight salt, just in case).

I have a round pizza pan I use that I "stole" from the restaurant where I used to work (he was closing the business at the same time I got a new job, so I got to take one home.  I wish I would have grabbed a couple more!)  I have a pizza stone, but I don't use it near as often because I really like the pan.

[thyme4change]

The best pizza dough I ever made had both wheat flour and corn something (meal?) but I lost the recipe.

[Apple]

Jan 6, 2018 23:41:56 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

The best pizza dough I ever made had both wheat flour and corn something (meal?) but I lost the recipe.

Did it have honey?  Bob's Red Mill has a recipe with both.  I've had good luck with their recipes in the past.


www.bobsredmill.com/blog/recipes/meatless-mondays-basic-whole-wheat-pizza-crust/

[thyme4change]

Jan 6, 2018 23:53:15 GMT -5 Apple said:

Jan 6, 2018 23:41:56 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

The best pizza dough I ever made had both wheat flour and corn something (meal?) but I lost the recipe.

Did it have honey?  Bob's Red Mill has a recipe with both.  I've had good luck with their recipes in the past.


www.bobsredmill.com/blog/recipes/meatless-mondays-basic-whole-wheat-pizza-crust/

I don't think so. But it was the texture I loved, so the honey may not be a deal breaker.

[beergut]

Jan 6, 2018 13:30:15 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Upon closer look at the pictures:  beergut , do you not use a pizza stone when cooking?

 No, I don't have a pizza stone.

EXGF had one, and I used it once or twice.

 I honestly don't see a huge difference in the crust without it, so I've never bothered buying one. 

[beergut]

Jan 6, 2018 13:17:13 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

ha, awesome. I am totally game for this!

so I can't wrap my brain around not proofing the yeast ahead of time. I can sacrifice 1c of flour's worth of dough to try it w/o proofing though. I've already pitched a full batch.

one question - I have packets of active dry yeast. do you store yours somewhere airtight if you're only using 1t at a time?

ETA - 2nd question - what's with the Ziploc bag? I've always (and you said the same before) let it rise in an oiled bowl, covered. closing that bag keeps all the off-gases contained and tweaks the proofing. 

I buy my instant yeast in the jars from Fleischman's. I keep it in the fridge when not in use. Honestly, I use it so quick, I don't need to do anything to preserve it, because it is gone, but it's a habit. Since you're using a teaspoon out of a packet, I'd put the rest in a sealed plastic container. 


The Ziploc bag: I put dough in a bowl to let it rise if I'm using it right after it rises. If it is going to be used later (I sometimes let dough cold ferment in the fridge for a few days), I put it in a Ziploc bag. If I'm not sure if I'm cooking with it now or later, I go ahead and let it rise in the bag. It doesn't make a difference as far as proofing goes, it works either way. 

[beergut]

Jan 6, 2018 13:31:45 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Also, have you tried putting a bit of olive oil on the crust before putting the sauce on? We really like a flavor called "Tuscan". We're out right now, but I can look for it if you're interested. 

I don't use it with sauce, no, but I do when making a white pizza (no tomato sauce). The sauce has a little olive oil in it, the dough already has a little olive oil in it, and it has some on it from the rising process. I don't think putting more on before the sauce is needed. 

[beergut]

Jan 6, 2018 13:51:13 GMT -5 dee27 said:

Jan 6, 2018 13:30:15 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Upon closer look at the pictures:  beergut , do you not use a pizza stone when cooking?

My pizza sticks to the stone, and I opt to use an oiled pan instead.

 Put corn meal on the stone before you put the dough on to prevent sticking. 

If you don't have corn meal, use some extra flour. 

 I've always used a little flour, and never had issues with it sticking. 

 A third option is to bake it on parchment paper, but just realize the high temps are going to burn the hell out of the paper in the brief 6-10 minutes it is in your oven. 

[beergut]

Jan 6, 2018 21:44:09 GMT -5 Apple said:

Not beergut, but...

You can let the dough rise however, in whatever.  When I worked in the pizza restaurant, we used large food-grade garbage cans (40 gallon? On wheels...)  We also never proofed the yeast.  If you think your yeast might be old, then proofing is a good idea (or, proof a little to test what you have on had, and use the unproofed stuff in the recipe, or use the proofed stuff and cut down the liquid). Otherwise, skip it.

Make sure the water is not too hot.  Too hot and you'll kill your yeast.  Too cold and it will just take longer to rise.  "Perfect" is when you can put your finger in the water and not even feel it because it's perfect body temperature.  If it feels warm, it's warm enough.  If it feels really warm, it may be too hot.

If using salt, stir the dry ingredients before adding the yeast.  I was told that putting that putting the yeast straight onto the salt would kill the yeast (not sure if it's true, but I never put yeast on straight salt, just in case).

I have a round pizza pan I use that I "stole" from the restaurant where I used to work (he was closing the business at the same time I got a new job, so I got to take one home.  I wish I would have grabbed a couple more!)  I have a pizza stone, but I don't use it near as often because I really like the pan.

 I had a friend over one night, and I was making a calzone for dinner. While we were making the pizza dough, I was explaining the process to her step by step. When it came to water temperature, I was trying to explain how you want it warm but not too warm. She just said, "So baby bathwater warm?" Since then, that's how I've described it, baby bathwater warm. 

[beergut]

Jan 6, 2018 21:44:09 GMT -5 Apple said:

Not beergut, but...

You can let the dough rise however, in whatever.  When I worked in the pizza restaurant, we used large food-grade garbage cans (40 gallon? On wheels...)  We also never proofed the yeast.  If you think your yeast might be old, then proofing is a good idea (or, proof a little to test what you have on had, and use the unproofed stuff in the recipe, or use the proofed stuff and cut down the liquid). Otherwise, skip it.

Make sure the water is not too hot.  Too hot and you'll kill your yeast.  Too cold and it will just take longer to rise.  "Perfect" is when you can put your finger in the water and not even feel it because it's perfect body temperature.  If it feels warm, it's warm enough.  If it feels really warm, it may be too hot.

If using salt, stir the dry ingredients before adding the yeast.  I was told that putting that putting the yeast straight onto the salt would kill the yeast (not sure if it's true, but I never put yeast on straight salt, just in case).

I have a round pizza pan I use that I "stole" from the restaurant where I used to work (he was closing the business at the same time I got a new job, so I got to take one home.  I wish I would have grabbed a couple more!)  I have a pizza stone, but I don't use it near as often because I really like the pan.

 Did y'all use 00 flour to make your dough, or just regular AP flour or what?

Also, did you end up making dough at work? How did that turn out?

[Apple]

Jan 7, 2018 4:49:56 GMT -5 beergut said:

Jan 6, 2018 21:44:09 GMT -5 Apple said:

Not beergut, but...

You can let the dough rise however, in whatever.  When I worked in the pizza restaurant, we used large food-grade garbage cans (40 gallon? On wheels...)  We also never proofed the yeast.  If you think your yeast might be old, then proofing is a good idea (or, proof a little to test what you have on had, and use the unproofed stuff in the recipe, or use the proofed stuff and cut down the liquid). Otherwise, skip it.

Make sure the water is not too hot.  Too hot and you'll kill your yeast.  Too cold and it will just take longer to rise.  "Perfect" is when you can put your finger in the water and not even feel it because it's perfect body temperature.  If it feels warm, it's warm enough.  If it feels really warm, it may be too hot.

If using salt, stir the dry ingredients before adding the yeast.  I was told that putting that putting the yeast straight onto the salt would kill the yeast (not sure if it's true, but I never put yeast on straight salt, just in case).

I have a round pizza pan I use that I "stole" from the restaurant where I used to work (he was closing the business at the same time I got a new job, so I got to take one home.  I wish I would have grabbed a couple more!)  I have a pizza stone, but I don't use it near as often because I really like the pan.

 Did y'all use 00 flour to make your dough, or just regular AP flour or what?

Also, did you end up making dough at work? How did that turn out?

I remember pretty much everything about how we made it, except the type of flour (came in huge 50 pound bags...)  It was probably some 00 or other "special" flour though.

Haven't made it at work yet.  I have nine more nights before this stretch is done.  Tonight might be a rare busy night, so maybe tomorrow night.

[dee27]

Jan 7, 2018 2:50:36 GMT -5 beergut said:

Jan 6, 2018 13:51:13 GMT -5 dee27 said:

My pizza sticks to the stone, and I opt to use an oiled pan instead.

 Put corn meal on the stone before you put the dough on to prevent sticking. 

If you don't have corn meal, use some extra flour. 

 I've always used a little flour, and never had issues with it sticking. 

 A third option is to bake it on parchment paper, but just realize the high temps are going to burn the hell out of the paper in the brief 6-10 minutes it is in your oven. 

I don't like the grit from the cornmeal but never tried to use more flour.

[dee27]

I think the water temperature might be the key to Chiver's problem. I use an instant read thermometer to test the water.

[Shooby]

I always measure my water temp.

[chiver78]

could be. "baby bathwater" isn't a useful comparison tool for me.