Secret to the perfect pizza crust?

[gettinaclue]

My hubby likes a deep dish and I like thin crust, we meet in the middle with this:

1 package of yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/3 cup sugar (brown or white)
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cupps all purpose flour

It makes 2 of our crusts, but would make great deep dish.

I bake it off for about 10 minutes at about 350 or 375 before I do anything to it. I use the aluminum round pans since I don't have a stone. I prefer extra sauce, and this works well for me.

I also use this recipe for making home made hotpockets. Works great and whips up quick. Just make sure you let the dough rest between working. Keeps well for a day in the fridge. By day two it begins to sour slightly, which is good if you like sour dough.

 

[ImStillMags]

Quote:
Soggy crust comes from not having your oven hot enough.

My oven doesn't hold heat well, my first pizza would be perfect but the second and third would be soggy. I finally figured out what the problem was...so I lined the bottom of my oven with bricks (being careful not to block the vents) to increase the mass of my oven and I place my pizza stone on top of the bricks. Then I preheat the oven for 45 minutes at 500° (the bottom rack has been removed of course) and bake my pizzas on the stone on the bricks. I leave the bricks in all the time, it takes longer to preheat for regular baking but it makes the oven bake much better.

I live in Texas and our summer's are very hot here, so this oven I keep in the garage, I do all my baking in the garage so I don't heat my house up with the stove.

Edited to add: When I was having so much trouble making a pizza I resorted to this to get my pizza fix. I still make them and they are yummy!!!

Pizza Loaf
Make 2

Dough
2 heaping tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 stick margarine (chopped up)
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 cups scalded milk
2 large eggs – plus 1 egg yolk beaten
1/3 cup cool water
6-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons yeast
3 heaping tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten
1 egg – plus 1-tablespoon water beaten for egg wash

Place in bread machine in order listed and select the dough cycle.

Filling
1 – 8 ounce can tomato paste
1 large onion – caramelized
1 bell pepper – caramelized
1 – 8 ounce package mushrooms
Garlic salt
Italian Seasonings
Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese
oil to coat pan

Divide dough into 2 pieces and roll out like you are making cinnamon rolls.
Spread half of the tomato paste on each piece of the bread dough like you were spreading peanut butter on a sandwich and sprinkle it with garlic salt, Italian seasonings and Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella cheese, caramelized onions and bell peppers. I also cooked my mushrooms first. Rolled it up and baked it at 350° for 1 hour.

http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww88/TheChickenLady/MyPics/PizzaLoaf002.jpg

http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww88/TheChickenLady/MyPics/PizzaLoaf001.jpg

That looks amazing. Makes me hungry looking at it.

 

[Kim_NC]

I have to agree with several posts.

- oven must be hot enough
- easy on the sauce...too much makes the crust soggy

We also like to brush the crust with olive oil.
And we bake our pizzas on a preheated pizza/baking stone.

 

[huntinwidow]

Quote:
How much alpaca compost you using in your sauce? Just a pinch for flavor or is this a compost based sauce?

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Brioche.

I think its the perfect compromise between deep dish but crunchy.

I used to accidentally make a brioche for a crust, just too many eggs and use butter instead of oil. Prebake, it will poof (poufe?) up like a ball, punch it down, add sauce and toppings, bake again, it will fall back down as it cools.

We don't make pizza anymore, I miss it. The brioche pizzas were beautiful and tasty. Crust like a croissant, melt in your mouth but a little crispy on the outside.

 

[BettyR]

Quote:
Soggy crust comes from not having your oven hot enough.

My oven doesn't hold heat well, my first pizza would be perfect but the second and third would be soggy. I finally figured out what the problem was...so I lined the bottom of my oven with bricks (being careful not to block the vents) to increase the mass of my oven and I place my pizza stone on top of the bricks. Then I preheat the oven for 45 minutes at 500° (the bottom rack has been removed of course) and bake my pizzas on the stone on the bricks. I leave the bricks in all the time, it takes longer to preheat for regular baking but it makes the oven bake much better.

I live in Texas and our summer's are very hot here, so this oven I keep in the garage, I do all my baking in the garage so I don't heat my house up with the stove.

Edited to add: When I was having so much trouble making a pizza I resorted to this to get my pizza fix. I still make them and they are yummy!!!

Pizza Loaf
Make 2

Dough
2 heaping tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 stick margarine (chopped up)
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 cups scalded milk
2 large eggs – plus 1 egg yolk beaten
1/3 cup cool water
6-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons yeast
3 heaping tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten
1 egg – plus 1-tablespoon water beaten for egg wash

Place in bread machine in order listed and select the dough cycle.

Filling
1 – 8 ounce can tomato paste
1 large onion – caramelized
1 bell pepper – caramelized
1 – 8 ounce package mushrooms
Garlic salt
Italian Seasonings
Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese
oil to coat pan

Divide dough into 2 pieces and roll out like you are making cinnamon rolls.
Spread half of the tomato paste on each piece of the bread dough like you were spreading peanut butter on a sandwich and sprinkle it with garlic salt, Italian seasonings and Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella cheese, caramelized onions and bell peppers. I also cooked my mushrooms first. Rolled it up and baked it at 350° for 1 hour.

http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww88/TheChickenLady/MyPics/PizzaLoaf002.jpg

http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww88/TheChickenLady/MyPics/PizzaLoaf001.jpg

That looks amazing. Makes me hungry looking at it.

Thanks...

 

[bigmike&nan]

With my home made sourdough starter continuing it's evolution I made pizza dough yesterday with the "take out" part of the starter. Using a small amount of milk, sugar and warm water I started my yeast, then after it frothed used the starter (about 1 cup), the yeast mixture, 2 cups of bread flour and a pinch of salt. I worked the dough about 8 minutes at a lower speed in the Kitchen Aid on the dough hook and rested it in an oiled Rubbermaid container. I let it rise and did a letter fold, turn, letterfold, flip, letterfold, turn and letterfold again. Let it rest until it had almost doubled and repeated that again and in a few hours more repeated that again. What I had was more akin to a baguette dough (the process mimics how bakers fold baguette dough). Very delicate and light I had some trouble but managed to get it spread out SUPER thin on an oiled sheet pan. Spread a VERY thin layer of sauce, then cheeses, then pepperoni and fresh spinach. Spread a little ricotta (prounounced RIGOTT here in New Jersey) and lastly a "salad" I had prepped of thin sliced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, red bell peppers and vidallia onions tossed in seasoning salt and herbs with EVO - 18 minutes in a 450 degree oven and it came out like this, super crispy and the dough had some resistance that was very pleasant. Amazing...

 

[JAPJRGIRL21]

The pizzas look wonderful! I might need to work with some of the recipes here. While I love homemade pizzas, unfortunately the husband does not. He will eat Dominos, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, but not mine. I most definitly think it is time to try again with one or two of these recipes. Thanks guys!!

 

[Kim_NC]

bigmike&nan :

With my home made sourdough starter continuing it's evolution I made pizza dough yesterday with the "take out" part of the starter. Using a small amount of milk, sugar and warm water I started my yeast, then after it frothed used the starter (about 1 cup), the yeast mixture, 2 cups of bread flour and a pinch of salt. I worked the dough about 8 minutes at a lower speed in the Kitchen Aid on the dough hook and rested it in an oiled Rubbermaid container. I let it rise and did a letter fold, turn, letterfold, flip, letterfold, turn and letterfold again. Let it rest until it had almost doubled and repeated that again and in a few hours more repeated that again. What I had was more akin to a baguette dough (the process mimics how bakers fold baguette dough). Very delicate and light I had some trouble but managed to get it spread out SUPER thin on an oiled sheet pan. Spread a VERY thin layer of sauce, then cheeses, then pepperoni and fresh spinach. Spread a little ricotta (prounounced RIGOTT here in New Jersey) and lastly a "salad" I had prepped of thin sliced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, red bell peppers and vidallia onions tossed in seasoning salt and herbs with EVO - 18 minutes in a 450 degree oven and it came out like this, super crispy and the dough had some resistance that was very pleasant. Amazing...

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/...0089414942239_700647238_6161225_5827161_n.jpg

Nice Looking, BigMike!

We made pizza last night using our Whole Wheat Crust recipe . Then I forgot to get a picture! Argh!

But here's a crust and a pizza I had made another time.:

Homemade pizza - sauce, mozzarella, Anaheim peppers, onions, mushrooms, black olives, bacon and hot sausage from our pastured pork.

JAPJRGIRL21 - yep, try again. You'll hit on something he likes eventually.​

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

Quote:
I guess I missed that information on the stove because I have had my glass top for 4 years and use my cast iron pans daily! You will be fine using them, the issue is if you drop them your stove is toast