The Home-made Pizza thread

**fool** · 08-01-2009, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by Turd Ferguson

When I think of Mellow Mushroom, I think of a sort of brittle, slightly hard shell on the crust. I'm pretty sure they give the crust a heavy dusting of corn meal to achieve that - is that what you're trying to do?

I'm not a big fan of their pizza, I prefer a thinner crust and fewer toppings - but I really miss their pretzels which I think is the same dough - if you figure the dough out, please post it here.

I think you're talking about the parmesan cheese. Apparently they brush the crust with olive oil (probably, could be butter I guess, but something like that) and then cover with Parmesan cheese. That, is simple enough. However, like you said about their pretzels, the dough itself is delicious, and that's what I'm looking to make. I think it's the slight chewiness and sweetness...maybe. I don't know, it's hard to describe, all I know is that it is delicious. And, FYI, the dough that they use for the pizza and pretzels is also the same as for the calzones.

If I figure it out, I'll post my findings here. However, I've just become serious about this baking/cooking thing within the past year or so, so I doubt I'm close to solving the mellow mushroom dough mystery. I've done epic searching on the internet to no avail as well as talk to friends and people that work there and haven't turned up much. I think it's like the Coke recipe, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up.

Thanks for the help/thoughts.

Originally Posted by wandering, not lost

Squirrelmurphy and I made pizza last night with this for toppings (plus homemade mozzarella):

Oh, and homemade mozzarella...sounds delicious!

-fool

**wandering, not lost** · 08-01-2009, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Caucasian Asian

I see a lot of really great looking thin-crust pizzas here, but does anybody make Chicago-style deep dish? Bobby Flay made a pretty tasty looking pie on the Food Network last week.

Or am i only thinking about deep-dish pizza because i'm stuck on the couch, all hopped up on pain killers?

We do occasionally make deep dish, but I don't think it's as good as our thin crust.

Our Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking book has a recipe for Sfinciuni aka Palermo's Stuffed Pizza that I'm definitely going to try soon. It looks pretty much amazing.

**gatorboy** · 09-23-2009, 08:05 PM

Use this sauce instead of red and add sliced tomatoes, cheese, and whatevah

**dookeyXXX** · 09-23-2009, 08:22 PM

just batched up a habanero/nopales with red amaranth pesto on whole wheat crust 'zza the other night.

will be testing it out on Vets this weekend (he's become my 'zza guinea pig as i bring slices along for our patch skiing adventures).

fyi, brushing the crust with olive oil tends to make it burn/brown quicker, thus making it crustier/harder depending on temp of oven and cooking time.

**couloirman** · 09-23-2009, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by Caucasian Asian

I see a lot of really great looking thin-crust pizzas here, but does anybody make Chicago-style deep dish? Bobby Flay made a pretty tasty looking pie on the Food Network last week.

Or am i only thinking about deep-dish pizza because i'm stuck on the couch, all hopped up on pain killers?

the only time I will ever make a deep dish is when I do focaccia style pizza. Its a super wet, rustic dough that ferments in the fridge for at least a day. Then leave it at room temp covered with plastic wrap in a baking sheet of your choice for the morning before you bake it, and when youre ready to eat and the dough has doubled at least, spread it by coating the top of the dough in herb oil and dimpling the dough with your fingertips, not stretching the dough until it is spread so far that the gluten makes it spring back. Let it rest for 20 min, then dimple again with more herb oil, and repeat until it takes up a whole baking pan. Let it rise up a few inches, then add your toppings, bake it hot as hell and you're done!

I am totally addicted to baking bread at this point. If you dont have it already, I highly recommend 'the bread bakers apprentice' by peter reinhardt. It changed my (culinary) life. It not only shows recipes like most books, but explains everything about the bread making process/science so you can develop your own recipes and just use the book as a reference/template for new ideas. he also makes a whole wheat book which Im really into, where he teaches how to make 100% whole grain breads(including pizza dough) that actually taste good. The main problem with most 'whole grain' breads from a bakery are that they are only partially whole grain cause no one knows how to make a 100% whole grain bread taste good and have good texture at the same time(ie: not be hard as a rock).

Enough with the thread hijack, I gotta go turn my seed culture into barm so I can have me some sourdough in a few days! Sourdough pizza coming my way? oh yeah, it is...

**RootSkier** · 09-23-2009, 09:45 PM

whole wheat pizza dough.....no.

**couloirman** · 09-23-2009, 10:23 PM

^^^ get fine grind whole wheat, maybe sift once or twice and trust me, its fucking great

BSS · 09-23-2009, 10:31 PM

How about oat flour?

**TheDingleberry** · 09-24-2009, 07:33 AM

Corn meal? You guys gotta be kidding me. The hard stuff you think is corn meal is semolina flour. Who puts corn meal on a pizza? What are you from Iowa?

**bagtagley** · 09-24-2009, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by TheDingleberry

Corn meal? You guys gotta be kidding me. The hard stuff you think is corn meal is semolina flour. Who puts corn meal on a pizza? What are you from Iowa?

Depends on where you go. Corn meal isn't that uncommon, though. It's not hard to tell the difference.

**TheDingleberry** · 09-24-2009, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by bagtagley

Depends on where you go. Corn meal isn't that uncommon, though. It's not hard to tell the difference.

Fuck that. You can have your cormeal pizza. I'll stick to using corn for good corn related by products like grits, polenta, cornbread, and bourbon.

**couloirman** · 09-24-2009, 08:25 AM

oh, and parchment paper=Ullr's gift to baking.

Roll out your pizza(or anything you need to back ever) onto the parchment, top that shit, bake it on the stone and just grab the corner of the parchment with your finger and pull to slide it off the stone. Its nonstick and it wicks away moisture so when you heat up your leftover pizza, it stays crispy on the bottom. Ill never reheat pizza on foil ever again.

**dookeyXXX** · 09-24-2009, 11:19 AM

cornmeal is commonly used as a "lubricant" on one's pizza paddle. you sprinkle down a small amount of cornmeal and it allows the freshly made pizza to slide off the paddle with ease and onto the pizza stone in the oven.

ask any pro pizza maker, they'll tell you the same (if they don't use cornmeal, they probably use a little extra flour on the paddle, but most recipes for making pizza will mention the use of cornmeal for decreasing the friction/stickiness of the fresh dough against the paddle).

**TheDingleberry** · 09-24-2009, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by dookey67

cornmeal is commonly used as a "lubricant" on one's pizza paddle. you sprinkle down a small amount of cornmeal and it allows the freshly made pizza to slide off the paddle with ease and onto the pizza stone in the oven.

ask any pro pizza maker, they'll tell you the same (if they don't use cornmeal, they probably use a little extra flour on the paddle, but most recipes for making pizza will mention the use of cornmeal for decreasing the friction/stickiness of the fresh dough against the paddle).

Hmm...are you sure it's not semolina flour, the flour that is extra hard and resembles cornmeal? I'm pretty sure it's semolina flour.

**grrrr** · 09-24-2009, 12:02 PM

No, cornmeal is more commonly used on the peel.

**Pura Vida** · 02-09-2010, 10:54 AM

Made a couple excellent pies last night.

1. Broccoli Rabe, Olive, Bufala Mozzarella. Sautéed the broccoli rabe with garlic and red chili flakes. Simple and tasty

2. Speck, Brussel Sprouts, Bufala Mozzarella, Smoked Mozzarella. Roasted the brussel sprouts in some leftover bacon fat. This one was the star. Speck is probably my current favorite pizza topping, salty, slightly smoky, slightly gamey, so good. The addition of a light sprinkle of smoked mozz along with the fresh mozz I think brought all together.

mmm I wish there were leftovers

**Dantheman** · 02-09-2010, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by BSS

How about oat flour?

No go. Oats lack a protein required for gluten formation, and gluten is essential for good pizza dough.

**DeeAre** · 02-09-2010, 03:44 PM

Just ordered a pizza stone this weekend. Bye bye inconsistent pizza crust.

**Howie** · 02-09-2010, 03:49 PM

God dammit i want pizza now.

**Pura Vida** · 02-09-2010, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by Dantheman

No go. Oats lack a protein required for gluten formation, and gluten is essential for good pizza dough.

Originally Posted by BSS

How about oat flour?

For pizza your best bet is:

You can now find Tipo "00" at most of the fancy pants markets these days or online, worth looking for if you enjoy making pizza at home. Due to the higher gluten content, you'll end with the chewy, yet crisp crust if you cook it properly.

**jjdec5** · 02-09-2010, 07:01 PM

Those of you who are looking for 00 flour and San Marzano tomatoes and can't get them locally, try wwwfornobravo.com, they have it all.

**gatorboy** · 07-09-2010, 09:30 PM

again, I'm a BIG fan of buying raw dough from local pizzeria ($1), but this is new for me.
Flatten dough
heat grill
cook one side of pizza
remove, flip, and add toppings:
light spreading of bbq sauce
Thin sliced roma tomatoes (cause I like tomatoes)
bbq rib meat (or chicken)
goat cheese
light amount of mozzarella (cause I like mozz)
return to grill and cook a bit longer.

FENOMINAL

**skieurmalade** · 07-10-2010, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by Caucasian Asian

I see a lot of really great looking thin-crust pizzas here, but does anybody make Chicago-style deep dish? Bobby Flay made a pretty tasty looking pie on the Food Network last week.

Two words: Cast Iron.

more words:
In my experience it's hard to make a whole wheat dough rise for the deep dish experience, so i usually just do half unbleached and half white and let rise for anywhere from 1 beer to half a week. I activate the yeast w/ sugar and hot water and make the dough once that has occurred. when it's a full 50% larger it's ready for pizza w/out being heavy and undercooked usually. The best way to get chewy cheese and golden crust is on an open fire, dutch oven style in any size castie.
first you need two casties of the same size and make
dutch oven basic rules for those who don't know:

1)burn a huge bonfire down to coals while you prep your pizza
2)establish a spot where castie can be about three inches above the coals and place it there. YOUR HAND SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO BETWEEN SKILLET AND COALS FOR 3-4 SEC'S EXACTLY. coals should be 4 inches thick to maintain temp for duration.
3)get tongs and meticulously place one layer of coals on top of top castie and then build a big bonfire back up over and around the entire apparatus. When this burns down your pizza is ready. If you smell it before remember "THE NOSE KNOWS" and if you burn it you didn't do the bottom coals to the exact science or you were like my wife and trying to save oil.

Top heat and fresh mozz is key for chewy cheese, which is where backcountry pizzas can really excel. I like to stash cast iron skillets in backpacking campsites occasionally.

**MrDirt** · 09-13-2010, 11:46 PM

Made a tasty thin crust pizza tonight.

Crust:
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 packet yeast
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbs. honey
- 1.5 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tbs. minced garlic
- 1 tbs. chopped basil
(makes 2 x 14" thin crusts)

Sauce: Sauteed onion and garlic tomato sauce

Toppings:
- Freshly grated mozzarella, colby jack, and parmesan
- Pepperoni, mushrooms, red onions, orange and red peppers

I prefer to cook on aluminum pizza screens, but haven't made it down to the kitchen supply store in SLC yet. I used a non-stick perforated pizza pan and rolled the dough very thin and about 1" too wide, folding over the excess to form the crust. I brushed it with softened butter and pre-baked for 5 minutes at 450. Added the toppings and baked for another 15 minutes. Came out great!