It's not that hard to make decent pizza at home.
Of all the people I know, I am clearly the most pizza obsessed. The obsession started young, from the time I first tasted pizza at age five from the now long defunct pizzeria Luigi's in Hightstown, New Jersey. If my wallet and arteries allowed it, I'd be eating pizza daily. If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be pizza, no question.
Unfortunately, however, there's a lot of bad pizza out there. I'm in the Seattle area, where there is good pizza, and I enjoy going out for good pizza. Most recently I frequent the close to home and very good Smoking Monkey Pizza in downtown Renton. Their Bolognese pizza , made with sausage, sun dried tomatoes, and roasted peppers, is a favorite.
But I also make pizza at home. It's cheaper, and it's fun to make. And if you're in a place without good pizza, that is your only option.
But how?
First, get a pizza stone, or unglazed tiles, or a cast iron pan. Those things help the texture and crispness a lot.
To make the dough, I use a Kitchen-Aid mixer, but you can use a bread machine, or do it by hand. I'm kind of a klutz, so the dough mixer saves time, and makes for a better product. Dump 10 ounces of water into the bowl of the dough mixer. Add two teaspoons of sugar, mix, and then a teaspoon of yeast. Let it sit five minutes. Then add three cups of flour. I usually use all purpose unbleached white, but have also successfully used bread flour. The Italian 00 flour is considered great, but it's a little more delicate, and for me has had a tendency to tear, so I don't use it. Turn the machine on to mix and knead( Or do it all by hand if you're so inclined. I won't explain here how to knead since I'm not very good at it.)after it's kneaded for a couple of minutes, add a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt, and let it knead for another minute. If it's too wet add a tablespoon or so more flour, and if it seems to dry add a tablespoon or so more water. take the dough out, but it in a lightly oiled bowl, and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, covered in plastic wrap. You can leave it in the fridge for up to five days. When you're ready to make the pizza, take the dough out of the fridge, flour the counter, and leave the dough on the counter for two hours, unless you're only making one pizza.If you're only making one pizza, cut the dough in half, and put half back in the fridge. Turn the oven on, with the pizza stone/tiles/cast iron pan in it, and turn it up to 475-500 depending on your oven. If you have a wood fired oven, or a gas pizza oven, you can turn it up even higher. High temperature=good. Make sure the oven is on at that high temperature for at least an hour.
In the meantime, saute vegetables, slice meat, grate cheese, do whatever to get the toppings ready, open the can of pineapple or corn( I've heard the canned corn is a popular pizza topping in Japan. Haven't tried it, and don't think I'm about to.)When the dough's been out of the fridge for two hours, flatten it on the counter, pick it up and stretch it across your knuckles, or roll it with a rolling pin.( Pizza experts say not to do this, that the finished product won't be as good, and I don't roll, but it's easy, and the finished product can still come out good, just not as good).
Then, if you have a pizza peel, sprinkle some semolina on it. I've tried corn meal, I've tried flour. semolina works better to keep the pizza from falling off the peel and all over the inside of your oven. Been there, done that. If you're not brave, go ahead and use parchment paper. Again, it might slightly detract from the crispiness/crunch, but it'll still turn out good. Place the dough on the peel, or parchment, or cast iron pan. Quickly add sauce, cheese, and toppings, and slide the pizza into the hot oven. I tend to favor the Trenton NJ style tomato pie, which means the cheese goes on first. That tends to make the finished product less soggy. To get a really good product, go light on the toppings and the sauce. I like to think that the crust is everything, and overloading it with topping, sauce, and cheese is an insult, and it won't hold up as well. Master doing it with light toppings before you try to branch out. In ten minutes, the pizza should be done, or when the cheese is bubbling and the crust is turning golden brown.
This one was made with sauteed pepper, olives, and tuna, and is way better than it sounds.
This one was sausage, goat cheese, and mushroom:
Pizza is way better than war, or violence, or grinding poverty. Go eat some. Or make some
But I also make pizza at home. It's cheaper, and it's fun to make. And if you're in a place without good pizza, that is your only option.
But how?
First, get a pizza stone, or unglazed tiles, or a cast iron pan. Those things help the texture and crispness a lot.
To make the dough, I use a Kitchen-Aid mixer, but you can use a bread machine, or do it by hand. I'm kind of a klutz, so the dough mixer saves time, and makes for a better product. Dump 10 ounces of water into the bowl of the dough mixer. Add two teaspoons of sugar, mix, and then a teaspoon of yeast. Let it sit five minutes. Then add three cups of flour. I usually use all purpose unbleached white, but have also successfully used bread flour. The Italian 00 flour is considered great, but it's a little more delicate, and for me has had a tendency to tear, so I don't use it. Turn the machine on to mix and knead( Or do it all by hand if you're so inclined. I won't explain here how to knead since I'm not very good at it.)after it's kneaded for a couple of minutes, add a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt, and let it knead for another minute. If it's too wet add a tablespoon or so more flour, and if it seems to dry add a tablespoon or so more water. take the dough out, but it in a lightly oiled bowl, and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, covered in plastic wrap. You can leave it in the fridge for up to five days. When you're ready to make the pizza, take the dough out of the fridge, flour the counter, and leave the dough on the counter for two hours, unless you're only making one pizza.If you're only making one pizza, cut the dough in half, and put half back in the fridge. Turn the oven on, with the pizza stone/tiles/cast iron pan in it, and turn it up to 475-500 depending on your oven. If you have a wood fired oven, or a gas pizza oven, you can turn it up even higher. High temperature=good. Make sure the oven is on at that high temperature for at least an hour.
In the meantime, saute vegetables, slice meat, grate cheese, do whatever to get the toppings ready, open the can of pineapple or corn( I've heard the canned corn is a popular pizza topping in Japan. Haven't tried it, and don't think I'm about to.)When the dough's been out of the fridge for two hours, flatten it on the counter, pick it up and stretch it across your knuckles, or roll it with a rolling pin.( Pizza experts say not to do this, that the finished product won't be as good, and I don't roll, but it's easy, and the finished product can still come out good, just not as good).
Then, if you have a pizza peel, sprinkle some semolina on it. I've tried corn meal, I've tried flour. semolina works better to keep the pizza from falling off the peel and all over the inside of your oven. Been there, done that. If you're not brave, go ahead and use parchment paper. Again, it might slightly detract from the crispiness/crunch, but it'll still turn out good. Place the dough on the peel, or parchment, or cast iron pan. Quickly add sauce, cheese, and toppings, and slide the pizza into the hot oven. I tend to favor the Trenton NJ style tomato pie, which means the cheese goes on first. That tends to make the finished product less soggy. To get a really good product, go light on the toppings and the sauce. I like to think that the crust is everything, and overloading it with topping, sauce, and cheese is an insult, and it won't hold up as well. Master doing it with light toppings before you try to branch out. In ten minutes, the pizza should be done, or when the cheese is bubbling and the crust is turning golden brown.
This one was made with sauteed pepper, olives, and tuna, and is way better than it sounds.
This one was sausage, goat cheese, and mushroom:
Pizza is way better than war, or violence, or grinding poverty. Go eat some. Or make some
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