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Jedit posted:I'm not suggesting that a steak needs to be a lump of charcoal before it's done, but at least one piece on that pizza looks like it's still bleeding. FYI: the stuff that spills out of rare steaks isn't actually blood (I know you were probably just being casual) I just got my gorgeous new pizza stone in the mail, and now I find out that the apartment I'm moving to only has a half-size oven. Just kill me.
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May 24, 2013 04:25
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It's a suspension of myoglobin proteins in water!
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May 24, 2013 09:55
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Alright, I took a second shot at it. Turned out better but I miss my old oven, it was 30 or 40 years old and ran a good 75F hotter than whatever you set it on, which was great for pizza making. RIP old oven you will be missed.
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May 26, 2013 08:15
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I have searched through the thread and have seen it mentioned maybed I missed it fully. What was the stone type that I could just go to Home Depot or wherever and buy and use as a pizza stone. It would be much appreciated.
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May 29, 2013 21:28
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Hollis posted:I have searched through the thread and have seen it mentioned maybed I missed it fully. What was the stone type that I could just go to Home Depot or wherever and buy and use as a pizza stone. It would be much appreciated. I have always heard unglazed quarry tile is fine for making pizza, and you can get enough of it for about $5.
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May 29, 2013 21:38
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I never had luck with lowes or Home Depot trying to get unglazed quarry tile. They either had no clue, or it was a box of 4x4 squares. I ended up getting slightly larger rectangles to line my lovely brick oven, but I had to go to a specialty tile place. Even they couldn't source a large/pizza sized solid piece.
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May 30, 2013 01:25
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I had pretty decent luck getting those little 4x4in tiles and placing them on an oven rack 2x3 and 2 tall (12 tiles altogether.)
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May 30, 2013 14:46
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Last night made my first pizza from scratch, inspired by agentseven's recipe.   Some notes:
Despite of this, it turned out pretty drat great so I'm quite encouraged to try again. Good thing the cheese is rather expensive, otherwise I'd be making pizza every day from now on.
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Jun 1, 2013 17:30
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Spent like five minutes carefully sticking the paper under it in order to move onto the plate thingy that came with the oven.
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Why did you microwave the pepperoni? The oven should cook it just fine without drying it out. Also, was pecorino romano the only kind of cheese you used, in lieu of mozzarella? As a dry, hard cheese, pecorino romano isn't known for it's melting characteristics - more for its use as a finishing cheese to be added after the pizza is cooked, for its saltiness and nutty flavor. If you can't find mozzarella, rather than pecorino I'd advise trying to find some young (soft) provolone, jack cheese, or even muenster.
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Jun 1, 2013 17:50
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Based on my past experience with putting extra pepperoni on frozen pizzas, the stuff leaks too much grease on the pizza unless I microwaved it a bit on a paper towel or something, so that's the only reason I did that. Yeah, I only used pecorino romano, and it didn't really melt properly as can be seen on the photos. I liked the texture and taste even so, but thanks for the suggestions. It seems that Tesco (where I was shopping then) doesn't have any of these cheeses, but I'm sure some specialty cheese shop does.
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Jun 1, 2013 18:14
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Mozzarella should be in literally any grocery store.
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Jun 1, 2013 23:45
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Daedalus Esquire posted:Mozzarella should be in literally any grocery store. Does it go by another name in the UK?
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Jun 2, 2013 01:22
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I don't think so, but I've never been to the UK. "Mozzarella" is the name of the cheese, I don't really think there is an English translation for it since it's a proper noun...maybe look for something labeled "Pizza cheese" cause that's about the only other way I could think it would be labeled. It's a a staple for any Italian cooking, so it really shouldn't be hard to find.
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Jun 2, 2013 01:44
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Daedalus Esquire posted:I don't think so, but I've never been to the UK. "Mozzarella" is the name of the cheese, I don't really think there is an English translation for it since it's a proper noun...maybe look for something labeled "Pizza cheese" cause that's about the only other way I could think it would be labeled. It's a a staple for any Italian cooking, so it really shouldn't be hard to find. I only ask because as an American raised by Australians, it took some adjustment understanding what aubergine, coriander (the herb, not seed), courgettes etc. all were. My mom pronounces cumin "cummin", and parmesan "pah-muh-zan". As for pizza sauces: is adding a little touch of honey considered a short cut? I was fairly satisfied with my first pizzas but was always surprised at their indescribable savoriness, and it wasn't until I tried adding honey that I realized how sweet most restaurant pizzas are (which in this case I consider a virtue). Jewmanji fucked around with this message at 01:57 on Jun 2, 2013 |
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Jun 2, 2013 01:53
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Daedalus Esquire posted:I don't think so, but I've never been to the UK. "Mozzarella" is the name of the cheese, I don't really think there is an English translation for it since it's a proper noun...maybe look for something labeled "Pizza cheese" cause that's about the only other way I could think it would be labeled. It's a a staple for any Italian cooking, so it really shouldn't be hard to find. Some of the fancier restaurants here (USA) call it "fior di latte." I think it's a differentiation from dry and fresh mozz. Also I don't get why so many people still use the dry kind when fresh is so much more pleasant. Mu Zeta fucked around with this message at 02:58 on Jun 2, 2013 |
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Jun 2, 2013 02:55
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Mu Zeta posted:Some of the fancier restaurants here (USA) call it "fior di latte." I think it's a differentiation from dry and fresh mozz. Also I don't get why so many people still use the dry kind when fresh is so much more pleasant. Only reason I still have dry, shredded mozz, in my fridge is because it lasts longer. That said, I don't make pizzas that often so who knows what my opinion means.
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Jun 2, 2013 03:03
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I saw an interesting technique at Manco & Manco's on the Ocean City, NJ boardwalk. They took 2 doughs, floured them up, stuck one on top of the other, and then stretched. Once the 2 doughs together were the size and thickness of one regular pizza, they peeled them apart. Now they have 2 pizzas with their extra thin crust. Of course you need some good rear end dough to pull this off.
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Jun 2, 2013 03:48
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mobby_6kl posted:Based on my past experience with putting extra pepperoni on frozen pizzas, the stuff leaks too much grease on the pizza unless I microwaved it a bit on a paper towel or something, so that's the only reason I did that. http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/browse/default.aspx?N=4294698074 Anywhere but the teeniest Tesco Express will stock it. Don't look in the deli, it's in the aisle with the packaged cheese.
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Jun 2, 2013 08:52
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Mu Zeta posted:Some of the fancier restaurants here (USA) call it "fior di latte." I think it's a differentiation from dry and fresh mozz. Also I don't get why so many people still use the dry kind when fresh is so much more pleasant. Fresh makes my pizza soggy and has to be sliced instead of shredded. I always go whole blocks of low-moisture part-skim and then shred them onto my pizza.
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Jun 2, 2013 13:25
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Jmcrofts posted:Fresh makes my pizza soggy and has to be sliced instead of shredded. I always go whole blocks of low-moisture part-skim and then shred them onto my pizza. What you're talking about is nearly impossible to find in the UK, and I have absolutely no idea why. It's infuriating. Can't even get it at Costco 
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Jun 2, 2013 14:15
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angor posted:What you're talking about is nearly impossible to find in the UK, and I have absolutely no idea why. It's infuriating. Can't even get it at Costco Can't you wrap it in cheesecloth and press like you might yogurt or tofu? I genuinely do not know
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Jun 2, 2013 14:35
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I use fresh mozzarella but let it dry for a day or so in a cloth over the sink.
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Jun 2, 2013 15:40
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Mozzarella is trivial to find in the UK. It's at every supermarket. Even the tiny corner store types. I have no idea why Mobby is struggling. As a man with a pizza stone, my main issue is getting the pizza onto the stone without a horrible spillage. I've taken to dropping a disc of dough directly onto the hot stone, throwing on toppings as quickly as possible and then sticking in the oven. I'd like to rush less though and I don't really want to buy a pizza shovel (if I'm doing that then I'm just getting a real pizza oven) Also, everybody should be aware that the greatest pizza is mozzarella, potato and rosemary. I came across this in the Polpo cook book. You thinly slice the potato (really drat thin), throw it in boiling water for thirty seconds, then put it on the dough, scatter fresh rosemary then stick a few blobs of cheese. When it's ready scatter some salt flakes over the surface. It's life changing.
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Jun 2, 2013 19:19
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I'm not in the UK, we just also have Tesco here, and I was specifically looking for hard/dry mozzarella as in the recipe. Anyway, not saying the stuff doesn't exist, maybe it was just sold out at that particular store and I couldn't be bothered to track down an alternative on a Friday night after work. The potato pizza sounds interesting, might give that a try once I use up the sauce and pepperoni.
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Jun 2, 2013 20:53
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Mojo Jojo posted:
Can I ask what you're building your pizza on? If by "shovel" you're referring to a peel, that's usually the best option. Any flat surface without a lip will work pretty well, though. If your pizza is sticking and throwing off toppings, I recommend lifting an edge and blowing underneath. This will make a bubble of air so only the edges are touching the peel making it trivial to slide off.
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Jun 2, 2013 20:55
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Made with home made dough and sauce in an old apartment oven with a 1/2" baking steel. Standard Neapolitan pizza.   Tomato sauce with roma tomatoes and baby spinach  Olive oil, garlic and parmesan cheese for the sauce with roma tomatoes, baby spinach and red onions.  The baking steel was a huge improvement from my old pizza stone. It cut my baking time down to about 4 minutes form 7-8. Now I just need to learn to make my own mozzarella.
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Jun 2, 2013 23:14
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Mojo Jojo posted:As a man with a pizza stone, my main issue is getting the pizza onto the stone without a horrible spillage. I've taken to dropping a disc of dough directly onto the hot stone, throwing on toppings as quickly as possible and then sticking in the oven. I'd like to rush less though and I don't really want to buy a pizza shovel (if I'm doing that then I'm just getting a real pizza oven) With this I've moved to making the crust on parchment, cooking it a couple minutes on the stone, taking it out to top, then putting it back in without the parchment. Though this does lead to the secondary minor trouble that the crust sometimes puffs up incredibly in those couple minutes than needs pierced and deflated before topping. Not sure what to do about that. I tried piercing one just now and if anything it did it worse.
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Jun 3, 2013 02:27
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"Dry" ASDA mozzarella should be in every ASDA in the UK and I know that the same product is in Morrisons and Sainsburys. If it comes in Brine then it is wet mozzarella. Don't get the pre-shredded stuff because the likelihood is that it isn't even real cheese, but manufactured processed stuff from oil and milk powder.
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Jun 4, 2013 18:48
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Mu Zeta posted:Also I don't get why so many people still use the dry kind when fresh is so much more pleasant. Because despite having the same name they've very different and serve different purposes.
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Jun 4, 2013 20:23
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Killer robot posted:Though this does lead to the secondary minor trouble that the crust sometimes puffs up incredibly in those couple minutes than needs pierced and deflated before topping. Not sure what to do about that. I tried piercing one just now and if anything it did it worse. I always dock my crust before topping/cooking it. After you've got your crust shaped, just take a fork (or your finger I guess) and poke the dough a bunch of times, about an inch apart, until there are little pock marks all over it. Don't poke it too hard, since you don't want to make holes in the crust, but hard enough that the holes don't just spring back up. That should stop any big bubbles from forming when it bakes. This is also handy for pie or any other dough that you want to stay flat when baking. 
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Jun 4, 2013 20:47
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I love you all, seriously. I started reading this thread when I was bored one night about a week ago, and by the end of it I went out and bought a cheap stone and peel. I can't believe how cheap/tasty this turned out and I have no desire to ever get carryout again.   Self made dough(added garlic powder and oregano before kneading) and sauce, Sargento Mozz/Provolone blend and a Parmesean blend on top, Mushrooms, and Italian sausage from a local place. My oven looks like it's from the 70s and tops out at 550, but I feel like it's about 50-75 degrees hotter than that. I let my stone(cheapo from Target) heat for a couple hours while I was making the sauce and such and it ended up being done in just under 8 minutes. I really just can't get over how great it was! The ONLY complaint I had was that the outside crust was really hard, but I brushed it with a mixture of melted butter, garlic powder, and oregano and it softened up a lot. If I brushed it before I baked it as well, would it help it stay softer?
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Jun 5, 2013 02:12
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I brush the outer edge of my crust with olive oil before I cook the pizza, and it turns to turn out nicely.
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Jun 5, 2013 02:17
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Thanks for that! I had enough dough left to do another smaller one and it was much softer. I also took it out of the oven about a minute sooner too so I may have left it in too long last time.
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Jun 5, 2013 02:43
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Mojo Jojo posted:As a man with a pizza stone, my main issue is getting the pizza onto the stone without a horrible spillage. Killer robot posted:With this I've moved to making the crust on parchment One trick I've found for moving the parchment onto the stone is to pull out the oven rack with the heated stone, hold the pan (or upside-down cookie sheet or whatever you use to carry the pizza to the oven) ~1/2" over the stone, and hold one corner of the parchment while gently sliding the pan out from under the pie. The whole pizza should gently settle on the stone with a minimum of fuss, and if it's not quite in the right spot you can just slide the parchment around on the stone.
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Jun 5, 2013 02:45
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Dough question. A few months ago I made some dough using tipo 00 flour. I believe the ratio was approximately 5.5 cups to 2 water plus some salt, sugar, and olive oil. The first time I made it the dough came out very well and was easy to manage. However the last two times I've made it using the same flour the dough has come out very sticky and difficult to manage. It also tends to be very thin. The only difference in the technique is the last two times I've started it in a stand mixer then kneaded by hand for about twenty more minutes. Any thoughts as to what may be causing the extra stickiness of the dough? Was the first time a fluke and I should pass on that flour variety? This is the recipe off the top of my head, may have some of the details wrong. 5.25 cups flour plus extra for dusting .25 mg yeast 1 cup lukewarm water 1.25 cup ice cold water 2 tablespoons olive oil 1.5 tsp sugar 1 tbs salt
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Jun 21, 2013 12:54
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I can't comment on that specific mix, but one thing I've learned when working with flour is to always get a recipe figured out in weight, not volume. It's just so prone to packing and settling that I can never get it consistent otherwise. I usually use about a 3:2 weight ratio for flour:water but I also usually use a mix of whole wheat and bread flour rather than 00 so I don't know how that affects it.
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Jun 21, 2013 15:21
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I romanced a pizza stone for the first time yesterday! All my pictures turned out horrible, it's a miracle I even got to it before my roommate attacked  Prosciutto, blue cheese and dates: 
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Jun 21, 2013 16:17
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Killer robot posted:I can't comment on that specific mix, but one thing I've learned when working with flour is to always get a recipe figured out in weight, not volume. It's just so prone to packing and settling that I can never get it consistent otherwise. I usually use about a 3:2 weight ratio for flour:water but I also usually use a mix of whole wheat and bread flour rather than 00 so I don't know how that affects it. This is especially true of a 00 flour which had a much finer mill.
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Jun 21, 2013 21:24
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lifts cats over head posted:Dough question. A few months ago I made some dough using tipo 00 flour. I believe the ratio was approximately 5.5 cups to 2 water plus some salt, sugar, and olive oil. The first time I made it the dough came out very well and was easy to manage. However the last two times I've made it using the same flour the dough has come out very sticky and difficult to manage. It also tends to be very thin. The only difference in the technique is the last two times I've started it in a stand mixer then kneaded by hand for about twenty more minutes. I'm not an expert, but I have to imagine the temperature/moisture of the room and its variance might have effects on your dough. It's not a perfect science- it's never a bad idea to use a recipe, but generally when making doughs I anticipate needing to make adjustments virtually every time.
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Jun 21, 2013 21:35
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Anyone have any tips on cooking a pizza on a gas BBQ? I have a pizza stone that I have been romancing lately, and my mother would like me to conserve her electricity costs (I am cranking the oven to max temps every time, she hates it).
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Jun 28, 2013 04:13
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