pizza dough

Dizzyblonde

I sprinkle semolina onto a piece of baking parchment, then put the pizza base onto it. Then after I add all the toppings, I slide the pizza onto the stone.

Mind you, I recently decided that this was all too much trouble so I make my pizza in a tin, then put the tin onto a hot hob ring to crisp the base if it's a bit soft.

the beer revolu

The incredibly frustrating job of getting the pizza onto the hot stone has put me off making pizza. I have tried semolina and I use a very thin baking sheet as a peel . My latest idea which I've yet to try out is to put the pizza on a pizza tray (the one with holes in) and put the tray on the stone. After a couple of minutes it should be easy to transfer the pizza directly onto the stone.

I will report back!;)

Mr Simpson

Try an aluminium pizza screen, its what I use (I make about 60 pizzas a day). Stretch the dough out, put it on the pizza screen. Top it, and place it (still on the screen) onto the hot stone.

Alleviates the need to try and use a peel.

sham69

mmcn90 wrote: »

Try an aluminium pizza screen, its what I use (I make about 60 pizzas a day). Stretch the dough out, put it on the pizza screen. Top it, and place it (still on the screen) onto the hot stone.

Alleviates the need to try and use a peel.

I was looking at the screens, sounds like a good idea.
I might invest, they seem cheap enough aswell.
Thanks for the tip.

Bodie Broadus

heres a real easy way to cook pizza without the stone, i just do this then put the pan in the oven or take it out and onto an upside down baking tray

Thud

i use rice flour on my peel (i use tesco non stick cookie tray as a peel it only has a lip on one side), rice flour doens't burn as easily as normal flower.
The key is to have your toppings ready so that the dough/base isn't on the peel too long, if any moisture gets between the base and the tray it won't slide off easily onto the stone. Shape it on worktop and only transfer to peel once it's the right size.

Give your peel or tray a shake before you open the oven door this will show you if your pizza is stuck or not, if it is you can either try to unstick the stuck bit and get some more rice flour underneath it or worst case scenario put cookie tray into oven for first minute or two and then transfer pie to the stone.

fred funk }{

I use a metal pizza tray first and give the pizza a few minutes in the oven then I slide it staight onto the pizza stone to finish cooking. Works perfect every time.

Toto Wolfcastle

I have all my toppings ready to go, take the stone out of the oven, throw the toppings on and put it back in. It takes less than a minute and the pizza is perfect.

cannyfradock

I am also a Pizza enthusiasts and have made a peel out of an old baking tin and a spatula but if you make a lot of pizza's it's worth investing in a short handled pizza peel and a pizza paddle.

The pizza is made on the pizza paddle with a little semolina or rye flour sprinkled on the paddle to ease the pizza off. It's then taken off the paddle using a short handled pizza peel to transfer in and out of the oven. They are not that expensive to buy. this peel is less than £10 (euro's?) on line



....and this paddle is £14...



That's not that much expense if you like making your own pizza's often. You can also make your own paddle if you are a decent D.I.Yer. Here's a link to making your own paddles.

http://ukwoodfiredovenforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=justcooking&thread=441&page=1

Happy bakin....

Terry

sham69

update...

Had a party on Sunday night and cooked around 20 pizza's
Missus got some pizza tray's in aldi or lidl.
Metal tray with holes in it.
Worked a treat and made the pizza's nice and crispy (that and rolling them thinner).
Slide nicely off aswell.
I think they were only 3.99 or something.
Very happy with my results now.
Had pizza and beer for breakfast yesterday, how healthy

Dizzyblonde

fred funk }{ wrote: »

I use a metal pizza tray first and give the pizza a few minutes in the oven then I slide it staight onto the pizza stone to finish cooking. Works perfect every time.

I tried this last time and it worked a treat - that's how I'll be cooking mine in future

donalh087

A couple of tips.

1. If your uncooked pizza gets stuck to the table of peel simply lift one corner and blow firmly underneath. The pizza lifts off beautifully. The peel is for transporting only, the pizza should not be made on the peel - it is pretty much guaranteed to stick.

2. The 'leading edge', the first inch of your peel, should be floured and you will have no problem.

3. Once you have found Caputo blue flour you will never go back. The protein/gluten is so strong you can roll it thin enough to virtually see through. It is stronger even than 00.

4. I know it is unusual but I let the dough rise for 48 hours in the fridge. The long slow rise gives superb texture, crispy on the base and yet quite a chewy rim (so to speak). IMHO it is as good as using a Biga.

5. I stopped using sugar in my recipe as I found it burned at too low a temperature. Dry yeast doesn't need it.

Thud

Did you find Caputo in Ireland or order online?

donalh087

I buy Caputo from a company called Italicatessen in Wicklow. Dont know if they do retail Caputo but a 25KG sack is only about E25.

Gloomtastic!

donalh087 wrote: »

I buy Caputo from a company called Italicatessen in Wicklow. Dont know if they do retail Caputo but a 25KG sack is only about E25.

25kg sack! It'll never fit in the baking cupboard. :eek:

Thanks for the heads up though, will be keeping an eye out for it.

Thud

would take me a while to get through 25kgs....

pwurple

We make other breads too, could it be used in them?

sham69

cannyfradock wrote: »

I am also a Pizza enthusiasts and have made a peel out of an old baking tin and a spatula but if you make a lot of pizza's it's worth investing in a short handled pizza peel and a pizza paddle.

The pizza is made on the pizza paddle with a little semolina or rye flour sprinkled on the paddle to ease the pizza off. It's then taken off the paddle using a short handled pizza peel to transfer in and out of the oven. They are not that expensive to buy. this peel is less than £10 (euro's?) on line



....and this paddle is £14...



That's not that much expense if you like making your own pizza's often. You can also make your own paddle if you are a decent D.I.Yer. Here's a link to making your own paddles.

http://ukwoodfiredovenforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=justcooking&thread=441&page=1

Happy bakin....

Terry

Sorry a bit slow.
Just had a look at your wood fired oven, wow...
I would love to try something like that but I am not that great with my hands..
Computers yeah but building anything no...
Really looks great.

sham69

Weird.
Have been making the pizza's for the past month with no issues.
I must have made about 50-60.
On Saturday I tried to make a batch with the usual ingredients.
Dough didnt really come together the way it normally does.
It was crumbly and not smooth.
I got it as smooth as I could and left it to rise...
It didnt...
It stayed heavy and crumbly not the usual light and airy.
Rolled it out anyway and made it and it wasnt that bad.
Anyone any ideas why the change?
Yeast seemed fine (bubbly), used castor sugar in it as I normally do, water not too hot.

Really confused.

donalh087

Sound like it was a bit dry really. Depending on the weather flour can vary quite a lot. If it was a crumbly dough there really is only one answer!

unkel

MarkMc wrote: »

Try an aluminium pizza screen, its what I use (I make about 60 pizzas a day). Stretch the dough out, put it on the pizza screen. Top it, and place it (still on the screen) onto the hot stone.

Isn't the whole point about using the stone that it takes moisture away from the pizza (and thus making it crisp)? That won't happen if you keep a screen between pizza and stone.

Mr Simpson

unkel wrote: »

Isn't the whole point about using the stone that it takes moisture away from the pizza (and thus making it crisp)? That won't happen if you keep a screen between pizza and stone.

Pizza stone is mainly to evenly distribute heat, the aluminum screens are quite thin, and by god they heat up (I have a couple of fresh burns to prove it ), so it wouldn't really affect it.

unkel

MarkMc wrote: »

Pizza stone is mainly to evenly distribute heat

IMHO it is mainly to crisp up the pizza

Mr Simpson

unkel wrote: »

IMHO it is mainly to crisp up the pizza

Thats what the stone does, same thing Hot stone in contact with dough = Crispy base

dealhunter1985

I want to try making a home made pizza tomorrow.
Someone mentioned semilina to take away the bready taste from the base.
I will need to pick some up in tesco. Is it just called Semilina or? What type of packaging does it come in?
And finally, how much do i need to add?

Thanks

unkel

MarkMc wrote: »

Thats what the stone does, same thing Hot stone in contact with dough = Crispy base

Aye that's my point!

Hot stone in contact with dough = Crispy base

Hot stone not in contact with dough (because you use a screen in the middle) = not crispy base!

Mr Simpson

unkel wrote: »

Aye that's my point!

Hot stone in contact with dough = Crispy base

Hot stone not in contact with dough (because you use a screen in the middle) = not crispy base!

I'm tired and confused, but it does work!!

Cheshire Cat

dealhunter1985 wrote: »

I want to try making a home made pizza tomorrow.
Someone mentioned semilina to take away the bready taste from the base.
I will need to pick some up in tesco. Is it just called Semilina or? What type of packaging does it come in?
And finally, how much do i need to add?

Thanks

It's called semolina. I have the Shamrock variety here. It's a 500g bag. Most supermarkets keep it next to pudding rice, tapioca etc.

donalh087

Semolina is used for two purposes in baking bread - to give a tastier crust to bread, and to stop bread sticking to a baking tray. I would never use it in pizzas. It is almost like a byproduct of milling wheat, it is whats left once the bran and wheatgerm have been removed. If it's yellow then it is made from durum wheat or corn (the Americans call this grits). We make couscous from it, we had it as dessert when we were kids (cooked in milk and vanilla).

The pizza screen is not like a tray or a plate it is like very miniature chicken wire, this allows the heat direct access to the pizza and creates the crust. It's nearly, but not quite as good as, the pizza stone.

nice1franko

If you use cornmeal as a dusting you get this kind of finish which is nice:

http://slice.seriouseats.com/images/2012/02/20120213-poll-cornmeal-crust-primary.jpg