Home-made pizzas

The secret is to make a rich tomato sauce (imho).

Fry onions and garlic, when done add Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, smoked spanish paprika - the hot one is best, but sweet will do (essential ingredient! Has to be the smoked Spanish one) and tomato puree, cook it out for a few seconds then add tinned tomatoes, cook and reduce for a bit then adjust seasoning.

I usually make my own base and use mozzarella cheese combined with either goats, roquefort or cheddar cheese, but add whatever you want to that tomato sauce and it's brilliant.
 
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Stupot_ said:
Anyone got any simple recipes for the dough? I've tried some quick methods before and it was a bit doughy. I like my pizzas ultra thin and crispy.
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300g strong bread flour
200ml warm water
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Throw it all together, knead for 5 mins, leave it to rise, or not for a thin crust. Then rip it in two, roll out very thinly, bang some stuff on it then put it in the oven at 220C for fan
 
TheBrooder said:
300g strong bread flour
200ml warm water
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Throw it all together, knead for 5 mins, leave it to rise, or not for a thin crust. Then rip it in two, roll out very thinly, bang some stuff on it then put it in the oven at 220C for fan
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I use the same ingredients but I use half the yeast and 170ml of water. I split it in two for two 12" thin crust pizza's.
 
I've been making my own bases for a while and they come out really well.

half a teaspoon of yeast
300g strong white flour
1tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp salt
170ml water

This is enough for two decent size bases.

I bung it all in the breadmaker on 'dough', wait for it to finish, shape it into a ball and let it prove for an hour by putting it in a bowl with a cling film covering and leaving it in a warm place.

Then I add a smidgeon of sugar to feed the yeast, knead and knock back then divide into two and roll out into base shapes. I go quite large as I like my pizza thin and crispy.

At this point the pizza stone goes in the oven with the gas oven turned all the way up as high as it will go. The bases are put on brown baking paper and left for an hour for a second prove.

I'll get all the toppings ready during that last hour.

Then once the oven really is a furnace, I lift the stone out, put it on a rack and quickly put the base on the stone. I put the side that's been exposed to the air downwards on the stone and it starts cooking immediately!

With the base on the stone, I build the pizza quickly, once built I spray extra virgin olive oil all over the pizza and then bung it in the oven for normally 6-7 minutes on the top shelf.

The result is better pizza than you'll buy anywhere. The whole dough preparation procedure with the double prove isn't quick but it's worth it.


 
Using a breadmaker to make the dough makes it very easy (and always make 50% extra to do some garlic bread or doughballs).

Topping is a tin of chopped tomatoes, some finely chopped red onions, garlic, herbs, pepper and tomato puree.

Very easy and much tastier than anything shop bought.

pizza1.JPG

pizza2.jpg
 
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For the topping I get a can of chopped tomatoes simmering and add half a clove of crushed garlic, a teaspoon of mixed italian herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper.

I usually let it simmer away until I can drag a spoon accross the bottom of the pan and leave a trough.

I don't think a Pizza needs too much cheese so I usually just scatter a handful on each and maybe just a little parmesan too. I do sometimes make stuffed crust though :)
 
I've always been useless at making my own pizza. Normally I just buy a pre-made pizza dough. Next time I'll have to use the bread maker to make my own dough. I always put to much cheese or tomato on though, obviously then it tastes horrible! Got a few stone pizza trays as well
 
TheBrooder said:
I was very interested to read your method with the stone, I'll be looking into this. I also would like to make a wood fired oven in the garden at some point.
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To make one base, I always use:

175g white flour,
1tsp salt,
1tsp easy blend yeast,
1/2tsp golden caster sugar,
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
4fl oz water.

First warm flour in the oven at a low heat for around 10 minutes (helps the yeast), then mix in the salt, sugar and yeast. Make a well in the middle and add the olive oil and warm water and stir it all together. Add a touch more flour if it is sticky. Knead for about 5 minutes and leave somewhere warm to rise for at least an hour. After an hour passes knead again to knock out the air and roll (sprinkle surface with polenta) and throw (if you can!) to make a nice thin base.

For the pizza stone just warm it up for at least 30 minutes in a blazing hot oven (as hot as it will go) and remove it from the oven when ready. Sprinkle with a bit of polenta to stop the base sticking, put the base on it, add the pizza topping and put it back in the hot oven. Will be ready in about 7-10 minutes with a nice crisp base.

Also are you really from Cognac!? Lucky so and so!
 
Making mine tonight, just going to make it really basic, got the bread maker going for 45 minutes

300g of strong white
1tsp salt
half a tsp of yeast
170ml of water
tbsp olive oil

Something like that :p

Apparently after the 45 minutes is up it needs to be put in the oven for another 20 or something
 
We use an aluminium pizza dish. This goes into the oven on full whack. When we're ready to go I can stick the dish on a large gas ring on minimum heat this keeps the dish hot and keeps the bottom of the base cooking whilst you add the toppings. 9 mins in the oven and a lovely crispy base.
 
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