The Last Great Pizza Thread

'Bout time we had a thread for all those that make their own dough and sauce. Too many good cooks on THP to let something as magnificent as that king of foods, pizza go unnoticed on this forum. This thread however comes with some rules to post...

1) Make your own dough and post the recipe. Thin crust. Whole wheat. Foccacia. NY or Chicago style. Naan....your choice!

2) Make your own sauce and post the recipe. Red. White. Olive oil w/ garlic. Whatever gets your mojo workin'!

3) Mandatory that it brings teh heat. Habs. Serrano's. Bhut's. T-Scorps. Fatalli. Hot sauce's and puree's will qualify. Using wimp sauce's such as Tabasco Brand or Franks will
be ridiculed with extreme prejudice and boooooed heavily!

4) Toppings can be anything. Pepperoni. Avocado. Greek olives. Pulled pork. If it came out of the ground or walked, swam or crawled, its all cool and the gang!

5) Bake them in the oven on a sheet pan. In cast iron. A pizza stone. On the grill. Got a wood fired pizza oven? Have mercy!

6) Pics are mandatory! Anyone can talk smack about it but put up or shut up. No pics? It never happened and ridiculing and boooooing will follow. Capiche?

Alright ya'll, lets get it on.....

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Excellent Grandma slice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just has some the other night, slices still in fridge, I will take a pic so you can see how close you are to the real deal Grandma!

 

[cypresshill1973]

Theirs is majestic Chiliriot!!! a luxury these pizzas.
 
That oven is amazing

 

[LUCKYDOG]

I like the idea of sliced pepperoni on the pie Pic

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Okay!
 
This is what we call grandma pizza in Brooklyn.
 

 
And this is Pic 1's interpretation.
I think HE NAILED IT!
 

 

[PIC 1]

Amazing comparison shot !
 
That's a beauty piece of pizza, wonderful souffle edge of cheese and crusty rim. That's what a commerical oven will bring on with the heat.
Wow....almost an illusion of the cheese being ladled on rather than the sauce......simplicity at it's best.....
Heavy on the Garlic ?
 
Was that from the originator of thee Grandma........I see that there's many parlors on the same track.........thinner than a Scilian.
 
Thanks for sharing that photo......

 

[SavinaRed]

 
First off, that's a great looking pizza.  The BGE or another Kamado style grill would be a great way to make pizza.  Do you have a steel or something you place in it, or is there a flat portion you're able to slide the pizza onto?
 
Question: Why two different pizza peels?  
 
Also, do you use flour to get the dough off of the peel, and if so do you run into issues with it?

I have a Kamado Grill. I will fire it up next week and make some home made sour dough crust and a basil,garlic,tomato and cheese pizza. I'll post the pics on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'll crank it up to 600-800*

 

[sicman]

great pie.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Amazing comparison shot !
 
That's a beauty piece of pizza, wonderful souffle edge of cheese and crusty rim. That's what a commerical oven will bring on with the heat.
Wow....almost an illusion of the cheese being ladled on rather than the sauce......simplicity at it's best.....
Heavy on the Garlic ?
 
Was that from the originator of thee Grandma........I see that there's many parlors on the same track.........thinner than a Scilian.
 
Thanks for sharing that photo......

 
I tried to recreate your photo composition, and this looks pretty good for reheated.
 
Yours looks amazing.
 
I had never heard of grandma pizza before moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Apparently it's a Brooklyn or Long Island thing. I believe it's called grandma because it's a homestyle pizza with good ingredients. One an Italian grandma might cook on a square baking sheet (your average cookie/baking sheet with 1/2" lip) with a slow cooked sweet sauce and fresh mozzarella. No fancy oven or stone, but garden and homemade ingredients. Well, that's my take on why it's called that.  
 
They are always square or rectangular. The crust is always pan style but thinner than Sicilian. The sauce is usually a bit sweet. No, it is not garlic heavy. (I put a little romano atop my slice, but it did have some fresh grated already, the larger pieces. That wasn't garlic in case you were wondering.) Usually, it's cheese first, then sauce. Here is where the ladled cheese illusion happens. See, you put cheese first. Then, you do stripes with the sauce. When it cooks, the cheese bubbles up and the edges spill over the sauce, creating the illusion it is on top. There you go, a secret. Try it! It's not always stripes, sometimes it's cheese with patches of sauce.
 
No, I did not go to any famous place. Just a joint by me, and they pretty much all have it. Yours looks awesome, that's why I posted my take-out pizza. That's a damn fine clone I'd eat any day of the week!
 
Here's a general tip (not to you PIC 1, yours look awesome):
When using fresh mozzarella, try to buy it freshly made at an Italian store, in a salt water or water bath. This will melt the best! If you have to buy it refrigerated at the supermarket, take it out the day-of, and put it in a bowl of lightly salted water, or just water. Let it sit all day. Don't worry, it will be fine! When it comes to make the pie, slice it in rings and place it on the pie. It will melt much better than pulling from the fridge. Refrigerated fresh mozzarella tightens up and does not melt well. You will get that toasted marshmallow effect of the light browning, and it won't melt down, it will keep the same shape as you put on the pie. If you put a circle, it will look like a browned circle. The looser warm mozzarella will melt onto the pie and only brown in certain spots if your oven is hot enough. Like a pizzeria. There is such a thing as cheap fresh mozz, but temperature is also at play. And buffa mozz if you can!!
 
This can be applied to shredded cheese also. Let it sit out.
 

 

[John1234]

Here's a general tip (not to you PIC 1, yours look awesome):
When using fresh mozzarella, try to buy it freshly made at an Italian store, in a salt water or water bath. This will melt the best! If you have to buy it refrigerated at the supermarket, take it out the day-of, and put it in a bowl of lightly salted water, or just water. Let it sit all day. Don't worry, it will be fine! When it comes to make the pie, slice it in rings and place it on the pie. It will melt much better than pulling from the fridge. Refrigerated fresh mozzarella tightens up and does not melt well. You will get that toasted marshmallow effect of the light browning, and it won't melt down, it will keep the same shape as you put on the pie. If you put a circle, it will look like a browned circle. The looser warm mozzarella will melt onto the pie and only brown in certain spots if your oven is hot enough. Like a pizzeria. There is such a thing as cheap fresh mozz, but temperature is also at play. And buffa mozz if you can!!
 
This can be applied to shredded cheese also. Let it sit out.
 

 
Veeeeeeeery interesting. Thanks for the tip, toasted marshmellow perfectly describes the effects I've had so far. Stoked to try this method!

 

[samcanadian]

 
Veeeeeeeery interesting. Thanks for the tip, toasted marshmellow perfectly describes the effects I've had so far. Stoked to try this method!

Yeah, that'll be on my list of things to try for my next pizza too!

 

[cypresshill1973]

interesting tip. Will have to try it ... 
 
 
You say put in the brine mozzarella cut into small pieces all day at room temperature?
 
 

 
Here's a general tip (not to you PIC 1, yours look awesome):
When using fresh mozzarella, try to buy it freshly made at an Italian store, in a salt water or water bath. This will melt the best! If you have to buy it refrigerated at the supermarket, take it out the day-of, and put it in a bowl of lightly salted water, or just water. Let it sit all day. Don't worry, it will be fine! When it comes to make the pie, slice it in rings and place it on the pie. It will melt much better than pulling from the fridge. Refrigerated fresh mozzarella tightens up and does not melt well. You will get that toasted marshmallow effect of the light browning, and it won't melt down, it will keep the same shape as you put on the pie. If you put a circle, it will look like a browned circle. The looser warm mozzarella will melt onto the pie and only brown in certain spots if your oven is hot enough. Like a pizzeria. There is such a thing as cheap fresh mozz, but temperature is also at play. And buffa mozz if you can!!
 
This can be applied to shredded cheese also. Let it sit out.
 

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Veeeeeeeery interesting. Thanks for the tip, toasted marshmellow perfectly describes the effects I've had so far. Stoked to try this method!

 

Yeah, that'll be on my list of things to try for my next pizza too!

 

interesting tip. Will have to try it ... 
 

You say put in the brine mozzarella cut into small pieces all day at room temperature?

Refrigeration kills fresh mozz. It's turns into a low-moisture, rubber softball. Fresh mozz is actually very creamy and melts well!

Best to buy it freshly made with no refrigeration, sometimes on the counter, sometimes in water, brine, or whey... but if you can't, yes you can revive it somewhat. Submerged in water at room temp, with a little salt.

When ready to use, slice or dice.

Here's an article I found after you guys asked me about it. Not sure they say exactly what I am saying, but it looks similar.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/04/the-food-lab-can-you-rescue-poorly-stored-mozzarella-cheese-refrigerate-or-no.html


 
Not all fresh mozz is fresh, ha!

 

[Essegi]

 
Refrigeration kills fresh mozz. It's turns into a low-moisture, rubber softball. Fresh mozz is actually very creamy and melts well!
 

I have to agree, but, at least here, is nearly impossible to find mozz not cooled down.
I recently had a chance to taste some good buffalo mozz from south Italy that was not refrigerated by any means, just preserved 2-3 days in his water.
By far the best mozz i've ever had. Probably in south Italy there are the best mozz ever.
Lol, that was a reward because i gave the cleaning guys some fresh moruga!
 
Just a note: cooled down mozz sometimes has uses on pizza to prevent burning if properly done (i don't speak with my experience, i've heard that as an advice).

 

[cypresshill1973]

Interesting article. 
 
Now my question is this. Here are 2 types of mozzarella, bufarra mozzarella (packed with serum) and mozzarella stick to put on the pizza. 
 
Never try to bufarra mozzarella pizza, always eat in salads  I think pizza with mozzarella bufarra very little flavor
 
However I find contradictory. Here, pizza chefs experts, recommend matured mozzarella refrigerated for at least one month before using it on pizza.
 
They say: When mozzarella is crushed by its own weight and serum be liquid in the bag is just right
 
I think mozzarella matured, tastier than fresh.  
 
 
This will also have to deal with, before being sure !!!

 

[Essegi]

Well, to tell the truth that was to eat mozz as it is.
Or maybe that in truth was referred to fiordilatte to be used within 3 days from the production...
I've never understood well the difference between mozz and fiordilatte (maybe for pizza the original stuff is fiordiatte). They're surely similar and i'm pretty sure that fiordilatte has only cow milk, no other. Traditional mozz is with bufala milk i believe, but there are of course also with cow milk too (and goat and sheep it seems...).
 
For pizza some drying is needed with buffalo mozz (and even with fresh cow mozz) or you risk to found it all too watery. I always cut mozz and put on a board or pasta strainer at least 2 ore before using...
Sometimes aged mozz have a somewhat bitter taste, so also should not be too old. Also i like the fresh milky taste part of mozz in particular.
 
At least from mozz here buffalo mozz is surely stronger in taste (and better imho).  But in south Italy they have for sure far better mozz/fiordilatte than north.
Also someone (and someone that knows pizza really well) says that frozen mozz is good on pizza (probably frozen to preserve and unfrozen before using)    Seems quite subjective btw.

 

[cypresshill1973]

It will be curious to try the method next Saturday. Only then know whether improving taste of mozzarella. But I do not risk using water / salt. I'll do it with salty milk as the article explained that linking THP. I think milk along better with cheese. So I interpret the article.
 
Then use mozzarella matured , I think adding salt will enhance the flavor ... maybe even possible to put spicy powder to milk and make spicy mozzarella 

 

[The Hot Pepper]

This is not a debate of fresh vs. aged or packaged/manufactured, all cheeses have their merits, this is simply about the quality of fresh. Fresh mozzarella is always best fresh. Same day. A few days later and it is not as creamy. Add refrigeration, and you also lessen the quality. At this point it is rubber. Just like the ones sold in supermarkets. A lot of people complain about fresh mozzarella, saying it is plasticky, or it doesn't melt, but they just haven't had "fresh" fresh mozzarella.
 
At this point you may be best using a packaged/manufactured mozzarella, as it will melt a lot better. This, or try to "bring back" the fresh. Moisture is the real issue, so it is possible.
 
Essegi, I know you can buy it same-day fresh! You have no worries. I can too. Literally a block away. Made daily. Bocconcini, smoked, and scamorza too!

 

[Essegi]

It will be curious to try the method next Saturday. Only then know whether improving taste of mozzarella. But I do not risk using water / salt. I'll do it with salty milk as the article explained that linking THP. I think milk along better with cheese. So I interpret the article.
 
Then use mozzarella matured 

I think adding salt will enhance the flavor ... maybe even possible to put spicy powder to milk and make spicy mozzarella  
 
I suppose salt helps absorption of liquids... Yeah, the article says that whole milk is the way to go.
Well, if you do post here the results! That was for mozz to be eaten fresh, surely cooking it on pizza at high temps is another matter.
 
It would be interesting to homemade mozz but at the moment i've not time for that.
And damn, i must seriuosly find the time to mod my Ferrari oven, results improve with that.
 

This is not a debate of fresh vs. aged or packaged/manufactured, all cheeses have their merits, this is simply about the quality of fresh. Fresh mozzarella is always best fresh. Same day. A few days later and it is not as creamy. Add refrigeration, and you also lessen the quality. At this point it is rubber. Just like the ones sold in supermarkets. A lot of people complain about fresh mozzarella, saying it is plasticky, or it doesn't melt, but they just haven't had "fresh" fresh mozzarella.
 
At this point you may be best using a packaged/manufactured mozzarella, as it will melt a lot better. This, or try to "bring back" the fresh. Moisture is the real issue, so it is possible.
 
Essegi, I know you can buy if same-day fresh! You have no worries. I can too. Literally a block away. Made daily. Bocconcini, smoked, and scamorza too!

Maybe you won't beleive that, but really fresh made mozz is really hard to find here.
In south Italy is easy, but i'm in the north...
Btw some store mozz are actually good.
Mozz called mozz for pizza are evil and must be avoided. I really don't like them.

Oh, i don't remember if i shared that link:
http://davidericciardiello.blogspot.it/
WARNING: possible brain damage clicking here!

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Such a shame!
Lucky my local place makes it. This is an Italian neighborhood. They even smoke the smoked mozz. Try getting fresh smoked mozz in the market! That stuff is always rubber, even more so!!! Because smoking dries! This guy does a light cold smoke, and it's perfect.

PS. The brine encourages osmosis, where the salination levels will try to equilibrate, so since the water outside is saltier, it will force its way into the less salty cheese.
 
But I'd be interested to see water vs. brine vs. whey, etc.
 
In any event, good luck and post pics!

 

[Essegi]

Such a shame!
Lucky my local place makes it. This is an Italian neighborhood. They even smoke the smoked mozz. Try getting fresh smoked mozz in the market! That stuff is always rubber, even more so!!! Because smoking dries! This guy does a light cold smoke, and it's perfect.

I know some guys sold buffalo mozz. That was a very small producer, i noticed the billboard (a cardboard hand written with a marker on a small road), then by chance my aunt told me that they make really excellent stuff, maybe a bit expensive, but buffalo mozz is expensive.
Once i went to see and i dind't find anymore the billboard and i didn't knew in wich home going to ask...
I hope they still make that, i must go again and ask.
 
The good thing is that i like an inexpensive mozz i find in nearly every market here, i think it's better than more famous brands.
 
I've also heard that for some pizzas mozz in treccia is good cause is less moist: