Topic: Pizza recipes anyone?

[Peripatetic Phil]

Surely freezing kills the yeast?

More likely puts it in a state of suspended animation.  After all, if it can tolerate accelerated freeze-drying (as use in the production of dried yeast) it may well be able to tolerate domestic freezing.

** Phil.
--------

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20513958:[/url] )]J Gen Appl Microbiol. 2010 Apr;56(2):107-19.
Survival of yeasts stored after freeze-drying or liquid-drying.
Miyamoto-Shinohara Y, Nozawa F, Sukenobe J, Imaizumi T.
Source

International Patent Organism Depositary, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Central, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. y.miyamoto@aist.go.jp
Abstract

We investigated the survival mechanisms of freeze-dried or liquid-dried (L-dried) yeast cells in ampoules. Type strains of various yeasts were freeze-dried or L-dried and sealed in ampoules under high vacuum (< 1 Pa) or low vacuum (4.8 x 10(4) Pa), then stored at 37 degrees C (accelerated storage test) for up to 17 weeks. Among strains in each of the genera Saccharomyces, Saccharomycopsis, Debaryomyces, and Pichia, survival rates immediately after freeze-drying varied more widely than those after L-drying. Freeze-dried cells stored at 4.8 x 10(4) Pa had lower survival rates than those stored at < 1 Pa. L-dried cells stored at 4.8 x 10(4) Pa also had lower survival rates than those stored at < 1 Pa, but the decrease in survival was not as marked as in freeze-dried cells. Strains that had high survival rates immediately after freeze-drying tended to have small cells, to be osmotolerant, and to be able to utilize many kinds of carbohydrates. L-dried cells of most Candida strains had stable survival rates regardless of the vacuum pressure. In basidiomycetous yeasts, strains forming extracellular polysaccharides had markedly lower survival.

[harley]

Pleased to see some pizza threads, it's my next project since I've cracked currys.

I tried researching takaway pizzas but didn't find anything conclusive and surprised to see some threads here, a new one and and old bumped that I did not know about.

Pizzas vary quite a lot so I don't have any broad goal as in TA pizza. I would actually say pizzahut, dominos and indie shops are mostly rubbish for the price and not far from the fresh stonebaked one's in Aldi etc.

The best pizzas I had were from Ginos pizza in south manchester area in the early 90s. Not sure if the franchise was nationwide and the quality was probably specific to the one shop having people who can actually prepare dough and have some experience and care about their food. They got took over by papa john/perfect pizza. The staff changed and so did the pizza even though on the face of it its mozzarella, tomato and dough base.

The ginos mozzerella used to be a mouthwatering melting stringy cheese with a unique taste. Not had a pizza that came close in cheese and dough quality since then, maybe 15 years, despite trying all the main franchises and local indie shops. They're okay to an extent but only on special offers. I normally just get a reasonable fresh one from the supermarket. Even tried italian run shops when they newly open and just left with a bog standard taste that you find in the fresh supermarket ones, nothing special to make me go back.

I watched a show on channel 4 about a pizza business, the new boss went around undercover, seemed like only one of many of his franchise shops actually used fresh dough each day and really committed to decent food. The new boss said his pizza was the best he ever tasted and looked/hoped to replicate his methods across all  stores/franchises. Kind of rung true as to why nothing has compared to the guys who used to run the old gino shop near me.

Anyway I just hope to create a nice tasting pizza with quality mozzarella with the right amount of cheese and tomato and pepperoni. One annoying thing is how supermarket ones often have not enough tomato paste and you're left with dry hard bits yet they feel its okay to put 50 slices of pepperoni, I only want around 5-6 slices on a pizza and I'm pissed off when I put most in the bin and the pizza is lacking coverage of tomato costing them 0.1p more to cover properly, maybe a machine makes them of course. The local buy one get one free days etc conflict with our curry days so I need to get on this.

[natterjak]

Hi Harley

I think I agree with you on every point. I have fond memories of takeaway pizzas from 20 odd years ago being delicious and not the over salty, chemical tasting nonsense dominos serves up now, with tiny unidentifiable toppings. The best pizza I've had in years was early last year in Split, Croatia of all places. So fresh, so delicious and simple but just good quality thin Italian style pizza rather than the American influenced takeaway rubbish we get here. But being directly opposite Italy on the other side of the Adriatic I guess they've had plenty of Italian influence through the years.

Well as you experiment with pizza recipes feel free to bring back to this thread any record of your successes and I'll do the same

[Malc.]

Are they the ones you had in mind? I'm interested in freezing dough balls as this is surprising to me, that they can be defrosted and used again... Surely freezing kills the yeast?

Hi NJ i'll compare them with the book recipes I have. As for freezing, the dough balls proove again on defrosting, it works great. 

[wasp-598]

Hi i used to make pizzas you can have alook at some of them.

I use to spend most of my time making the tomato sauce

https://picasaweb.google.com/114859780368771886416/February172013

gone on to making curry now.

yes that is a first go at the bikers pizza dough pie, beef and onion it was.

[StoneCut]

This site is a great jump-start:
http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm

I ordered some sourdough starter (Oregon Trail - www.carlsfriends.net) - I'm looking forward to making a pizza with it soon. I'll definitely drop a note once I succeed (I'm trying to go entirely without any other yeasts except for the starter so it could take a while).

[natterjak]

I ordered some sourdough starter (Oregon Trail - www.carlsfriends.net) - I'm looking forward to making a pizza with it soon. I'll definitely drop a note once I succeed (I'm trying to go entirely without any other yeasts except for the starter so it could take a while).

What a remarkable site. Thanks for mentioning it!

[JerryM]

i've put all i know into my post that UB listed earlier.

getting the dough right is the No 1 priority. this also seems the hardest. i'd still like to get it better and am trying to emulate the Mozza restaurant or Nancy Silverton dough.

i have made deep pan in the past and might just revisit as a change from thin pizza (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/01/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe.html?ref=search).

i'd be very interested in any suggestions on the cheese as "toppings" are my aim for the coming season.

i currently use a mix of aldi grated cheddar 460g and mozzarella 200g. i've used the wet mozzarella in the past without success (even drying in the fridge). nothing seems to come close to restaurant grade.

for info from rivergirl on the wfo site my fav topping is banana and spanish chorizo (aldi, you could use peperoni). it's sounds a strange mix but well worth a try.

[wasp-598]

JerryM

I would not use "grated cheddar 460g" it has more fat so more calories, mozzarella is better in this respect.


Maybe one day I will try some of those dry chives from asda and put it on top of the cheese.

[JerryM]

wasp-598,

you're not wrong. i only use around 60g of cheese per 10" pizza (the less is more ethos). the fat does trouble me (calories are not an issue for me) but some things you just can't skimp on - day without pizza is day without sunshine (or curry of course).

i'd like to find a better mozzarella. i'm not sure the cheddar can be ditched completely as if gives an extra layour of flavour. i do think you could with a good mozza switch the proportions round significantly.

i feel i will need to search on line for a decent mozza though as the uk supermarkets don't impress and i don't have a local deli.

adding herbs on top is a great option. i like fresh coriander but sprinkle as the pizza come out the oven.