Topic: Pizza from scratch

[JerryM]

if u ever need a rest from the curry then pizza makes a good alternative. it's not that difficult to produce a reasonable result just a few hrs off and on during a spare afternoon.

i've had to copy it into word (from spreadsheet) to allow attachment so apologies for the format.

[Unclebuck]

thanks jerry

[vindaloo]

Nice one Jerry. I've found it quite difficult to find a dough recipe that I like. I'll be giving this a go. I usually make garlic bread though. Looking forward to it..I'll let you know how Iget on. 

[JerryM]

I usually make garlic bread though.

do u put garlic into the dough or do u use a fresh loaf and add butter/garlic mix.

i often do the latter for mex chilli - it works a treat especially with ice cold cider.

best wishes on the pizza.

[joshallen2k]

I use a pizza dough recipe similar to this. I always add a little garlic powder, onion powder, and italian seasoning in the dough. Just a little does the trick.

[vindaloo]

I usually make garlic bread though.

do u put garlic into the dough or do u use a fresh loaf and add butter/garlic mix.

I make my own base from scratch, and I have my home made (James Martin) garlic butter in the freezer. I cut off slices of the garlic butter and put them straight onto the base. Works really well. The garlic butter is really ace.

[JerryM]

I make my own base from scratch, and I have my home made (James Martin) garlic butter in the freezer. I cut off slices of the garlic butter and put them straight onto the base. Works really well. The garlic butter is really ace.

i sometimes do a garlic bread pizza but would add a sprinkle of rosemary. i must admit if i'm making garlic bread i mostly cheat. i either make it soft (use a bought loaf, slice but not cut through, spread the garlic/butter paste on each slice, re bake in foil ~15mins 180C) or crispy (use a bought french stick, slice through diagonally, paste each side but only a scrap on the intended bottom face, cook on metal plate/tin ~3 to 5 mins 180C)

i'd be interest in your own dough for comparison (always looking for new ideas).

of surprise to me - i've just switch kneading method to that used by rosemary shragger and getting better bread results. feel it would work equally for pizza. the method is stretch/tear the dough out in a line in front of u and then pull it back in using a rolling action into a ball, turn through 90 and stretch again. 10 to 20 mins seems to work.

[Madchester]

If you are using a domestic oven, cooking your pizza on a terracotta tile with the oven on its hottest setting produces great results.

[JerryM]

nice idea - i will look out for a decent size terracotta (~14") as it just might improve my results.

A new oven is what i really need so that i can control the top & bottom temps independently - my pizza's always cook ready on the base before the top and the compromise is a slightly crispier base than i'd like. the tile as opposed to the rimmed tin would allow the air to circulate more over the top.

[chinois]

If you are using a domestic oven, cooking your pizza on a terracotta tile with the oven on its hottest setting produces great results.

That's the ticket. It definately improves the taste the quicker the pizza cooks!
I use heston blumenthal's technique of heating an iron pan (like le creuset) to max heat, flipping it upside down, putting the pizza on the base of it and putting under a grill in a fully heated oven. Close the door.
Not the safest method but it gets temperatures far hotter than your oven can normally put out. My pizzas cooked in 90 seconds, from fresh, homemade dough.
Aparantly a proper pizza oven in italy should cook them in 90 secs, which is at 500c. They have guidelines for this now.
My pizzas were smaller so cooked quicker but the superheating from the red hot iron pan worked beautifuly. Nice mottled effect on the dough too. As tasty as a good restaurant.