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.....

 

[Born2Burn]

Not sure I posted my NY formulation before. If not, this is my go to recipe.

100% 635 g King Arthur Bread Flour (13.7% protein)
63% 400 g Water at around 95F if done by hand. Adjust water temp to get close to 80-85F finished dough.
.3% 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
2% 11.5 g Sea Salt
2% 13 g EVOO
2% 13 g White sugar


1. Dissolve the sugar, salt and yeast in the water. Add the flour and oil and stir till combined, around 2-3 minutes.
2. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
3. Knead the dough for 12 minutes using as little flour as possible.
4. Shape it into a tight ball allow to rise for 30 minutes.
5. Divide into three 357g balls and cold ferment for 24 hours.
5.5. Or for improved flavor, coat the ball with oil and place it in a large sealed container for 2-3 days cold fermentation. Then scale and ball at least 5-6 hours before baking.
6. Take the dough out of the fridge at least an hour before baking.

For the sauce, try to find the least processed tomato product without any citric acid, salt or preservatives.
Around here I use Bionaturae or Jovial whole-peeled tomatoes. For NY style pies I hand crush to remove the stems then run through a coarse food mill.
Since this is an uncooked sauce it helps to create a spice tea. 1 tbls boiling water, 2 tsp dried basil, pinch of salt and/or super-hot powder.

Good whole-milk low moisture mozzarella is the hardest to find. Best I could find in stores is Galbani Precious cut with provolone. Nothing I've found comes close to the wholesale stuff I get through a local pizza place. Worth hunting for a friendly pizzeria or restaurant owner that wouldn't mind adding a few blocks to their order.

-Peter

 

[grantmichaels]

just a little PSA in anticipation of some dough we started!

 

[The Hot Pepper]

That's a true statement. Funny how you can order a slice or two and it fills you up, but if you order a pie, you can't stop.

 

[sicman]

That's a true statement. Funny how you can order a slice or two and it fills you up, but if you order a pie, you can't stop.

one of the biggest thangs i miss about living in n.y.,even up-state n.y.is being able to walk and get a slice.

 

[Scovie]

Had a good piece lately?

 

[grantmichaels]

got setup for cheese for home use from the pizza place I've been frequenting since I was about 5 yrs old ... win.

 

[Booma]

Spent most the weekend shifting wood and putting a floor in the pizza oven stand. All ready for tomorrow night. Get ready to catch some pies

 

[texas blues]

Boom I can't even tell you how much awesomenessess is goin' on that picture.

That is just sweeeeet!

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Woop woop!

 

[Scovie]

Yeeeeaaahhh Buddy!!!

Summer's just kickin down there. We are usually doin the firewood thang in the fall... for winter! LOL

I want to hang at your place for a couple months.

What kind of wood is that? It looks nice and seasoned, and VERY red. just curious...

You need another piece of art on the brick wall! IMHO...

 

[The Hot Pepper]

You need another piece of art on the brick wall! IMHO...

That's JayT's pizza shaper.

 

[Booma]

Yeeeeaaahhh Buddy!!!

Summer's just kickin down there. We are usually doin the firewood thang in the fall... for winter! LOL

I want to hang at your place for a couple months.

What kind of wood is that? It looks nice and seasoned, and VERY red. just curious...

You need another piece of art on the brick wall! IMHO...

Yep summer had just begun, 30 plus every day this week.

Plenty of spare room at ours, couple of rooms, a man cave and a caravan

The timber is Red Gum. Moderate heat and long burning.

And correct do need some more artwork, that wall is very plain. Plan is to get a nice big piece of timber out there and use it as a prep board

 

[Scovie]

Plan is to get a nice big piece of timber out there and use it as a prep board

Great idea.

Red Gum... interesting.

That's JayT's pizza shaper.

 

[Deathtosnails]

I use redgum a lot. Awesome for smoking with too. Need a chainsaw to cut it though lol. Wher'd ya get it from Booma?

Summer has indeed started. Drankin time

 

[Booma]

Robs Redgum. Next day delivery. Top quality. Heaps of pizza tonight no pics too much booooooooze

All cut to pizza oven size also, perfect

May have made the best dessert pizza tonight so far, but, no pics so it may have or may not have happened.

Brown sugar, Butter and Nutella base, strawberries, marshmallows and milk chocolate. Unreal

 

[JayT]

That's JayT's pizza shaper.

I just saw this. Bastige. If I used that, I would not be able to make amoeba pizza.

 

[Born2Burn]

In Naples this week...14 pizzas at 9 pizzerias so far
Few quick shots, hi-res once we have PC access.

Three more days in pizza heaven!

ciao,

-Peter

 

[JayT]

Oh my FREAKIN' GOD!!! Do want!

 

[whataberger]

I bet it tasted as good as it looks. man i need to travel more!

 

[texas blues]

Mama mia n'sheeit!!!

The pizza's rock.

The forno's are smokin'!

I could trip on some pizza every day and those look fantastic!