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Home-made pizzas
What are your secret tips for awesome home-made pizzas?
18 Answers
Hey Andrea
I don't have any tips of my own but this is the recipe that I tend to use
http://www.laurenslatest.com/fail-proof-pizza-dough-and-cheesy-garlic-bread-sticks-just-like-in-restaurants/
Rgds
Louise
I have a tub of truffle salt that my friend brought back from Italy for me. We add truffle salt to the dough, and it adds an interesting flavour to the base. Not a weird-interesting, but a good-interesting flavour, which is bit smokey, bit earthy. But don't add too much, it can be pungent.
Oh, and we use a pizza stone! I can't recommend it enough, it makes a big difference to the base. We bought this one the Kitchen Craft one(https://www.yuppiechef.com/kitchen-craft-cooks-tools.htm?id=1293&name=Kitchen-Craft-Pizza-Stone-Set-32cm&ref=search), but there are others available. But this Kitchen Craft one is great!
Jamie Oliver's pizza dough recipe - so quick and simple, and nothing like fresh pizza bases instead of store bought.
Also, I use my recipe for chicken fajita's to make an awesome chicken pizza topper - aways a winner!
One last secret tip to keeping the kitchen counter and floor a little less white (from all the excess flour), the Kitchen Craft mat I bought from Yuppiechef makes it easy to roll the pizza bases out on!
Who wants the chicken fajita recipe? ;)
Double zero flour makes all the difference
Prebake the base before adding all the toppings - nothings worse than soggy pizza base. Also adding the cheese just a few minutes before the pizza is done will ensure that the cheese is gooey and just melted instead of disintegrated hard smidgens just hiding under the veg.
i spent a week in an italian kitchen on the Amalfi coast and the best secret i got from the Pizza recipe is to always bake the dough, with your tomato paste, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and bake for roughly 12 minutes. Take out the base, add the rest of your ingredients and carry on baking until perfection :)
Awesome tip Camilla - I am definitely going to try that!
My bread machine makes the dough for me while I'm at work. I use half Eureka mills wholemeal flour and half plain white, and honey instead of sugar. Some of my favourite tips:.
- Let the dough rise again after rolling it out for a thick, American style crust.
- For a very indulgent treat, roll some cheddar that's been cut into sticks into the crust
- Bake in the bottom of a very hot oven - I'm sure a pizza stone is great but I find a solid oven rack works just as well.
- Not too many toppings, but good tomato sauce and lots of good quality mozzarella.
Every now and then, I mix it up by folding it into a stromboli or calzone.
I used to be really scared of yeast dough but now I won't make pizza without it. A food processor with a dough hook or a bread machine certainly helps!
1.Measure by weight rather than volume to get the perfect water to flour ratio for your crust. Many elements can change the density of ingredients such as age, storage temperature, or environmental climate. Measuring by weight assures the perfect hydration ratio.
2.Use double zero (type 00) flour which is a highly refined flour that has been milled to a standard “00” and completely free of bran or germ.
Use natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer’s yeast, sea salt and water.
3.Keep yeast refrigerated and check the expiration date on the package to make sure it’s fresh.
4.The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer.
5.Allow the dough to rise for 24 hours at room temperature. The bare minimum standard is 6 hours (after mixing let the dough rise for 2 hours, then hand cut and roll into small balls, let rise for 4 more hours).
6.After the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other machine, and may be no more than 3 mm thick. Use your hands to gently work the dough from the center outward.
7.Use ZZ2 tomatoes, for the pizza sauce like a bona fide pro
8. Less is More: Don’t drown a pizza in sauce and toppings. The most delicious pizzas use smaller portions of the highest quality of fresh ingredients.
9.A thin crust is the signature trait of Neapolitan pizza. While having a wood fired oven at home is not common these days, making your crust as thin as possible will allow for fast cooking time, which intensifies and seals in the flavors of each ingredient.
10.The pizza must be baked for 60-90 seconds in a 300°C stone oven with an oak-wood fire. When cooked, it should be crispy, tender and fragrant. But a normal oven atit's highest temperature and a pizza stone would also work.
Definitely my mom's recipe called "Popeye's Pizza Dough"!. I haven't found a better recipe in 20 years!
Also, make your own tomato base sauce with real tomatoes...slow cooked on the stove with a few added seasonings and a dollop of tomato sauce.
Love garlic salt or garlic flakes in my pizza dough. The dough turns out flavourfull and puts less pressure on choice of toppings.
the key to a great pizza base is the kneading - i tend to knead with both hands for at least 30min. when i make my dough i only use italian still water and doppio 00 flour.
the top two ingredients make the base thin crisp and light.
These are all such great tips - thanks for the insight everyone! :)
My favourite topping is Bobotie. Buy some from your local supermarket's warm food department and add thin slices off banana if you like to...
If you are inclined towards store-bought bases, Italpizza's is the best! Their's don't seem to have that uncooked look.
By the way, just a Gordon Ramsay tip on how to reheat pizza. Heat a pan on medium heat. Add the cold pizza, base side down and put a lid on it. About 8 - 10 minutes later you will have great reheated pizza, sometimes with a better base than when you bought it!
Skip the heavy topping and make a fresh pizza.
In your pizza oven make a foccacia, whip it out hot and generously spread homemade hummus. Top with fresh baby tomato halves, hot medium rare rump slices (chicken works for vegetarians ;) ) and rocket. Season with your Favourite salt and pepper.
Chuck some peppers on top to add some bright summer colours
Sounds weird maybe but I add about 3 tablespoons of sugar to my doug.
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