CFF Homemade Pizza Thread

wvsig

wvsig

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So some joked with me the other day in the members section I should start a Homemade Pizza thread. So I figured why not. I make a lot of pizza. I have been making it at home for almost 7 years now. I have used a ton of recipes. Some are good and some where really bad. It has taken a long time for me to get it to where I can consistently make the dough, sauce, form a proper pizza and get good results. These days I mostly make 2 versions. One is a oven temp pizza which I cook at 550 degrees on a pizza steel. The other is a Neapolitan pizza which I cook in a pizza oven at 850+. I use different doughs for these 2 versions. I also sometimes make deep dish and other variations but these are my go to.

I hope this thread can be a place to share recipes, techniques, resources and ideas. I will start by posting my dough recipe for NYC style oven pizza. This pizza has a thin bottom with a decent crust that is still foldable as a slice but cooks up firm enough to pick up off the plate without it collapsing. I weight all my ingredients when baking. It allows you to keep the moisture ratios consistent as you scale a recipe up or down.

NYC Pizza Dough Recipe 1 Pizza
  • 2.25 grams of yeast
  • 147.5 grams of water
  • 227 grams of high protein flour
  • 4.5 grams of malt powder
  • 2.5 grams olive oil
  • 4.5 grams fine sea salt

Combine yeast, flour, water and malt powder. Mix by hand or in a stand mixer until combined. Then add the sea salt and olive oil and knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit at room temp for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes form the dough into a ball and store it in an air tight container with enough room for it to rise. It will almost double in size. Cold proof it for 24-48 hours in the fridge. You can go as long as 72 but your rise is going to suffer. The longer cold proofs are what make for better crust. It will have a better crumb and better flavor. Take it out 1 hour before you are going to use it to let it get to around 60 degrees before attempting to form the pizza.

The malt powder and the olive oil are the cheats in this recipe. They are there to compensate for the lower temp vs a neapolitan pizza oven at 850+. You can use high protein bread flour but there are better flours out there. Moloino Caputo 00 Americana Pizza Flour is a good choice. You can get it on Amazon. The other great flour is All Trumps non-bromated flour. https://www.megansdesserts.com/store/all-trumps-high-gluten-flour-by-general-mills-7lbs-details.html

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That looks really good. I haven't used malt powder, which I assume is what feeds the yeast, but instead used sugar (I like a teaspoon of brown sugar). Never heard of the cold proofing before, but I am guessing it's similar to how no knead bread works where you let it sit out for about 24 hours. I will have to try that. Over time you will develop a bit of a feel and sense for the water / flour ratios and will know if it is too dry or too wet. It's always best to get this part right early on.

One thing that I do is (using a stand mixer) knead the dough for about 5-6 minutes, let it rest for about 7 minutes and then knead it some more. It is a trick I read in some bread recopies.

We made a pizza a few months ago. Homemade dough, sauce from our garden tomatoes, peppers, the works. It looked beautiful. When I went to get it out of the oven, it slid off the pan and landed upside down on the oven burner. We had to replace the burner to get it out of there.
 
noway2 said:
That looks really good. I haven't used malt powder, which I assume is what feeds the yeast, but instead used sugar (I like a teaspoon of brown sugar). Never heard of the cold proofing before, but I am guessing it's similar to how no knead bread works where you let it sit out for about 24 hours. I will have to try that. Over time you will develop a bit of a feel and sense for the water / flour ratios and will know if it is too dry or too wet. It's always best to get this part right early on.

One thing that I do is (using a stand mixer) knead the dough for about 5-6 minutes, let it rest for about 7 minutes and then knead it some more. It is a trick I read in some bread recopies.

We made a pizza a few months ago. Homemade dough, sauce from our garden tomatoes, peppers, the works. It looked beautiful. When I went to get it out of the oven, it slid off the pan and landed upside down on the oven burner. We had to replace the burner to get it out of there.
Click to expand...

The Malt Powder does help with the rise by feeding the yeast but it also helps to break down the proteins and gives the crust a better texture and better color. I use it when I make bagels and baguette too. Yes over time you get a feel for the dough and room temp and humidity can make a difference. Cold Proofing is similar to the no knead proof. By cold proofing you are slowing down the rising process so you use less yeast and develop better flavors, it is easier to work with and you get better structure. This is essential for pizza dough. I believe that one of the reasons people have so much trouble forming a pizza into a round pie is that they are not cold proofing the dough.

Man that sucks. I have had pizzas get stuck on a pizza stone and had to scrape it off. Took forever. I use a pizza peel. It is well worth the $11.

Amazon product ASIN B0006388MI
 
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I am gonna hafta try this!
 
Just to give the OP a little grief because it is Friday, is the assumption that everybody has a kitchen scale? I do, rather my wife does, but that's to handle recipes from Europe for her home cooking. I'm looking forward to giving this a shot. Maybe I'll convert those grams to cups and spoons like a normal American would use. ;)
 
Chuckman said:
The first meal my wife made for me when we started dating (actually, our second date), was homemade pizza. Her recipe was given to her by someone in the pizza biz, and is the best homemade pizza I have ever had.
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Post it up!
 
Timfoilhat said:
Just to give the OP a little grief because it is Friday, is the assumption that everybody has a kitchen scale? I do, rather my wife does, but that's to handle recipes from Europe for her home cooking. I'm looking forward to giving this a shot. Maybe I'll convert those grams to cups and spoons like a normal American would use. ;)
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Touche... but IMHO anyone who is at all serious about baking good bread is going to have a kitchen scale. Different flours will weigh different if you are measuring by volume.
 
so when can I drop by to grab some dough so I'm not having to buy malt powder and a scale to try this :D
 
I'm kinda picky about my pizza. I like traditional ingredients (no pineapple for me), I like thin crust, and due to my open bite I prefer that all veggies and meats are chopped up rather small so I don't drag half of the stuff off on the first bite.
I haven't made my own in any serious manner yet, but there's a hole in the wall place in the closest town to our SC place called "Famous Pizza"....and their Supreme is the best freak'n pizza I've ever had! I'd like to try to duplicate it at home.
 
So far none of this guys pizza recipes has ever let me down. His sheet pan pizza 2.0 recipe is amazing and everyone I've served it to cannot believe how light and airy a "thick crusted" pizza is. I'm still learning how best to execute his NY style recipe, but so far no issues.



Timfoilhat said:
Just to give the OP a little grief because it is Friday, is the assumption that everybody has a kitchen scale? I do, rather my wife does, but that's to handle recipes from Europe for her home cooking. I'm looking forward to giving this a shot. Maybe I'll convert those grams to cups and spoons like a normal American would use. ;)
Click to expand...
Nope, but if you're even remotely into baking you will quickly get with the program; get a scale and work in grams. Working in weights makes for a more consistent product because the margin of error between scales is much smaller than the margin of error between volumetric measuring devices. To play Devils Advocate would you reload ammunition measuring the powder charge by volume rather than weight? It can certainly be done by volume, but it's such an antiquated and inaccurate method compared to by weight! ;)

Scale

Pizza Steel is good...pizza steel is Life (and expensive but worth it IMO)

Steel

IMG_4791.jpgIMG_4792.jpgIMG_4781.jpgIMG_4782.jpg
 
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Bunsen said:
So far none of this guys pizza recipes has ever let me down. His sheet pan pizza 2.0 recipe is amazing and everyone I've served it to cannot believe how light and airy a "thick crusted" pizza is. I'm still learning how best to execute his NY style recipe, but so far no issues.




Nope, but if you're even remotely into baking you will quickly get with the program; get a scale and work in grams. Working in weights makes for a more consistent product because the margin of error between scales is much smaller than the margin of error between volumetric measuring devices. To play Devils Advocate would you reload ammunition measuring the powder charge by volume rather than weight? It can certainly be done by volume, but it's such an antiquated and inaccurate method compared to by weight! ;)

Scale

Pizza Steel is good...pizza steel is Life (and expensive but worth it IMO)

Steel

View attachment 457881View attachment 457882View attachment 457887View attachment 457888
Click to expand...


Very nice. That is a solid video. I am not a fan of using AP flour it does not have the protein content for pizza dough IMHO. For a classic NYC I do like to cook the sauce. Most of the time I do a bit of a hybrid which uses a no cook sauce with minimal ingredients. A lot of NYC pizzas will also use a bit of provolone.
 
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wvsig said:
Very nice. That is a solid video. For a classic NYC I do like to cook the sauce. Most of the time I do a bit of a hybrid which uses a no cook sauce with minimal ingredients. A lot of NYC pizzas will also use a bit of provolone.
Click to expand...
What sold me on this recipe is how simple yet amazingly elegant and delicious just the basic cheese pizza is. He just released a white pizza video utilizing the same dough this week, and is working on an updated NY Syle recipe.



Years ago when I was a poor college student I had developed a grilled chicken, basil, tomato, garlic white pizza. I'm very curious to revitalize it using his NY dough and baking techniques.
 
Bunsen said:
What sold me on this recipe is how simple yet amazingly elegant and delicious just the basic cheese pizza is. He just released a white pizza video utilizing the same dough this week, and is working on an updated NY Syle recipe.



Years ago when I was a poor college student I had developed a grilled chicken, basil, tomato, garlic white pizza. I'm very curious to revitalize it using his NY dough and baking techniques.
Click to expand...


Really once you have the dough down can do all sorts of experimentation. Do you only do oven pizza or do you also have pizza oven? I have the smaller Ooni Koda. https://ooni.com/products/ooni-koda

Something like this is the only way to really do Neapolitan IMHO.

IMG_4496 (2).jpg
 
cchioda3 said:
What about a cast iron pizza stone? Any draw backs to that vs the pizza steel?
Click to expand...
None it will function the same. The Lodge 15" does a good job but you are limited to a 15" pie. I use cast iron for deep dish.

www.lodgecastiron.com

15 Inch Cast Iron Pizza Pan | Pizza Baking Pan | Lodge Cast Iron

Whether you’re making pizza in the oven, on the grill, or over the campfire, the Lodge Pizza Pan provides consistent, even cooking. Seasoned & ready to use.
www.lodgecastiron.com www.lodgecastiron.com

To me the disadvantage is it is hard to "throw" the pizza to a pan like this. You need to limit the size of the pizza to 14" so you don't spill over the side. It is much easier to launch the pizza onto a larger rectangular surface vs a round one. I put the pizza steel in when I start the oven. I then wait 30+ minutes before I cook on it. This helps the bottom of the crust to cook properly.
 
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wvsig said:
None it will function the same. The Lodge 15" does a good job but you are limited to a 15" pie. I use cast iron for deep dish.

www.lodgecastiron.com

15 Inch Cast Iron Pizza Pan | Pizza Baking Pan | Lodge Cast Iron

Whether you’re making pizza in the oven, on the grill, or over the campfire, the Lodge Pizza Pan provides consistent, even cooking. Seasoned & ready to use.
www.lodgecastiron.com www.lodgecastiron.com

To me the disadvantage is it is hard to "throw" the pizza to a pan like this. You need to limit the size of the pizza to 14" so you don't spill over the side. It is much easier to launch the pizza onto a larger rectangular surface vs a round one. I put the pizza steel in when I start the oven. I then wait 30+ minutes before I cook on it. This helps the bottom of the crust to cook properly.
Click to expand...
That makes sense. I’ve got the lodge cast iron stone. It’s ok. But a rectangular style would be much easier to use. I’ll have to find out what kind my brother has. His is rectangular and heavy as heck.

I haven’t used my cast iron one yet but I figured I would preheat it with the oven while prepping the pizza. Good to know it should function about the same.
 
cchioda3 said:
That makes sense. I’ve got the lodge cast iron stone. It’s ok. But a rectangular style would be much easier to use. I’ll have to find out what kind my brother has. His is rectangular and heavy as heck.

I haven’t used my cast iron one yet but I figured I would preheat it with the oven while prepping the pizza. Good to know it should function about the same.
Click to expand...

This is the one I have. https://bakingsteel.com/products/baking-steel?sscid=41k6_uc7v&
 
wvsig said:
Really once you have the dough down can do all sorts of experimentation. Do you only do oven pizza or do you also have pizza oven? I have the smaller Ooni Koda. https://ooni.com/products/ooni-koda

Something like this is the only way to really do Neapolitan IMHO.

View attachment 457967
Click to expand...
I looked at a gas OOni but since the flame heat is only at the rear how would you prevent burning ? Hafta spin that sucker all the time ?
 
Alfred said:
I looked at a gas OOni but since the flame heat is only at the rear how would you prevent burning ? Hafta spin that sucker all the time ?
Click to expand...
Yup you spin it about every 30 seconds just like you would in a wood fired oven.
 
wvsig said:
Very nice. That is a solid video. I am not a fan of using AP flour it does not have the protein content for pizza dough IMHO. For a classic NYC I do like to cook the sauce. Most of the time I do a bit of a hybrid which uses a no cook sauce with minimal ingredients. A lot of NYC pizzas will also use a bit of provolone.
Click to expand...
The AP flour he uses is King Aurthur which is ~11% and their bread flour is like ~13% which he does use in certain recipes. In my experience the 11% AP will provide plenty of gluten formation. Yep, most pizza places do a cheese blend and I do like provolone in the mix along with fresh grated Parmesan.

wvsig said:
Really once you have the dough down can do all sorts of experimentation. Do you only do oven pizza or do you also have pizza oven? I have the smaller Ooni Koda. https://ooni.com/products/ooni-koda

Something like this is the only way to really do Neapolitan IMHO.
Click to expand...
I am an inside oven only pizza maker. I would LOVE to have an outdoor pizza oven, and I may someday.

As a recovering carbo-holic fat kid I have to minimize my pizza intake to 1 pie per week or 2 pies every two weeks and then take some weeks. I consider pizza an essential food group and over my lifetime I have consumed a LOT of it, which my old waisy size reflects! :cool:
 
had to go back a couple months as i haven’t made pizza in a while as my dough never came out the way i wanted. i made on a few weeks ago and it turned out better but didn’t get pics of it

this is my cheese burger pizza. i haven’t made a breakfast pizza in a long time and i think imma make one soon
 

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backwoodsshooter said:
had to go back a couple months as i haven’t made pizza in a while as my dough never came out the way i wanted. i made on a few weeks ago and it turned out better but didn’t get pics of it

this is my cheese burger pizza. i haven’t made a breakfast pizza in a long time and i think imma make one soon
Click to expand...

That is a solid looking effort.
 
So what do people use for a sauce recipe?

I use San Marzano Tomatoes which I run through food mill. I then drain most of the liquid out of them. For some pizza's I just throw in some fine sea salt, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and call it a day. Other times I cook it down a little bit and add some sautéed garlic. I normally put some torn fresh basil on the sauce before I put the cheese on and then more with the other toppings. No real recipe here I just sort of wing it.
 
wvsig said:
So what do people use for a sauce recipe?

I use San Marzano Tomatoes which I run through food mill. I then drain most of the liquid out of them. For some pizza's I just throw in some fine sea salt, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and call it a day. Other times I cook it down a little bit and add some sautéed garlic. I normally put some torn fresh basil on the sauce before I put the cheese on and then more with the other toppings. No real recipe here I just sort of wing it.
Click to expand...

depends on what is going on it.

ham and chicken get alfredo sauce. pork gets the BBQ sauce, everything else gets either spegetti sauce. all out of a can. breakfast pizza would get gravy
 
The one above was diced tomatoes and oregano run through the blender. Can’t wait to try fresh from the garden.
 
wvsig said:
I have the smaller Ooni Koda. https://ooni.com/products/ooni-koda
Click to expand...

So this is really odd.... Friday we were making pizza (so I had some left over to take to the rifle class on Saturday) and was telling the wife about 'the pizza guy' on the forum. She suggested I start a pizza making thread and ask about pizza ovens.... and here you were doing it.

Anyway, I was going to ask about that oven... it sounds like it's the way to go? No regrets or others in that range that you would rather have?

We've got the deep dish thing down solid in the regular oven inside, and can do flatbread sorta pizzas on the grill, but I wanted to spend my next gun money on a dedicated pizza oven for more options.
 
Jayne said:
So this is really odd.... Friday we were making pizza (so I had some left over to take to the rifle class on Saturday) and was telling the wife about 'the pizza guy' on the forum. She suggested I start a pizza making thread and ask about pizza ovens.... and here you were doing it.

Anyway, I was going to ask about that oven... it sounds like it's the way to go? No regrets or others in that range that you would rather have?

We've got the deep dish thing down solid in the regular oven inside, and can do flatbread sorta pizzas on the grill, but I wanted to spend my next gun money on a dedicated pizza oven for more options.
Click to expand...

If you want to do larger pizzas I would consider their 16" model. I only use it for Neapolitan pizza. In my opinion that is were it shines. If you are not cooking that style pizza a "true pizza oven" is not necessary. If your oven can do 550 you can do most other styles. The only way to get Neapolitan is high heat in a super fast cook. I personally think that woodfired in this size oven is overrated. It takes too long and is more inconsistent than gas. Also the pizza is not in there long enough to get a smokey flavor. The smokey taste you get is just charring.

I have been happy with it. It takes some practice and you have to alter your dough because too much sugar or any oil will burn at 800 degrees but once you dial it in it makes great pizza. The other advantage of the 16" is cooking other foods. You can use it as a super broiler for steaks and other things.
 
Bunsen said:
So far none of this guys pizza recipes has ever let me down. His sheet pan pizza 2.0 recipe is amazing and everyone I've served it to cannot believe how light and airy a "thick crusted" pizza is. I'm still learning how best to execute his NY style recipe, but so far no issues.




Nope, but if you're even remotely into baking you will quickly get with the program; get a scale and work in grams. Working in weights makes for a more consistent product because the margin of error between scales is much smaller than the margin of error between volumetric measuring devices. To play Devils Advocate would you reload ammunition measuring the powder charge by volume rather than weight? It can certainly be done by volume, but it's such an antiquated and inaccurate method compared to by weight! ;)

Scale

Pizza Steel is good...pizza steel is Life (and expensive but worth it IMO)

Steel

View attachment 457881View attachment 457882View attachment 457887View attachment 457888
Click to expand...


I am going to give this one a go Friday! started the poolish today.
 
Can we talk about with pizza ovens everyone is using?

I picked up the new one from Solo Stove Pi Pizza oven when it came out. Haven't use it yet though.
 
My dad started rolling his own about 1965. I picked up the pin a few years later. Nothing special with no exact measurements cooked in a regular kitchen oven. My favorite is onions peppers and mushrooms with lots of cheese garlic and oregano on top of my homemade sauce and a thin crust.20190216_191439.jpg
19776005.jpeg6001.jpegtossin the dough 2019
 
My wife has started making bbq racoon pizza along with all the other kinds she makes.

My brother-in-law (from town) was over and he wouldn't try it.

I called him one derogatory name over and over again as he ate the "regular" pizza and I ate the bbq coon slices.

He didn't say anything, or try the coon, because he is one, you know, what I was calling him.
 
concepthomes2 said:
Can we talk about with pizza ovens everyone is using?

I picked up the new one from Solo Stove Pi Pizza oven when it came out. Haven't use it yet though.
Click to expand...

I use an Ooni Koda 12"

koda12oven_e4e11a61-c0a1-4a84-a834-cedb81c762ac.jpg


The Solo Stove Pi Pizza looks interesting. Did you get the dual fuel? I went back and forth if I wanted wood burning or gas. In the end I went propane for convivence and because the pizzas are not really in there long enough to get much flavor from the wood. Traditionalist will tell you it makes a difference but I think that the high temp is what makes the difference not the fuel source.
 
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