Homemade Pizza Tips...Just the Tips

[RMac5 1551]

@52-80 My favorite place for Neapolitan is in Coleman, Texas of all places. They use a 3 day fermentation as well, been wanting to try it sometime. Yours looks great!

https://www.ranchopizzeria.com/

[tequila 319]

I’m diggin the fresh japs on that pie. 

Pepperoni, Italian sausage and fresh japs. Sub green pepper for the japs if you have friends that are adverse to delicious stuff.


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[52-80 19282]

I used the so-called Biga recipe available from the Ooni app and youtube channel. 
 

Its supposed to be very poofy which it obviously is. Used 72% hydration which is the top of their range and it made pizza way too pliable and delicate to handle - 3 transferred from the surface to the peel and reshaped okay, but the 4th was a righteous calzoney mess. 
 

Next time I will drop to 65% hydration so I could easily thin crust out more. Here it looked thin but when cooked it shrunk together and became a bit thick and chewy. 
 

next time….

[Etexhorn13 3054]

Are y’all making a sauce or using store bought? I feel like I’m never fully satisfied with mine, but I can never really put my finger I’m just quite what I’m missing. 

[dcbc 14570]

7 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Are y’all making a sauce or using store bought? I feel like I’m never fully satisfied with mine, but I can never really put my finger I’m just quite what I’m missing. 

Yes.  This has worked for me.  There probably are better recipes.

1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes (reserve the juice)

1 T olive oil

1 T Salt

1 T fresh cracked Pepper

1 T Oregano

1 T Basil

2 Tsp raw sugar

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp red pepper flakes

 

I put it in a blender and blend until smooth/combined.  Pour into a jar and refrigerate for a few hours.  I do not cook it.  Also, this is all approximate.  I don't measure anything.

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by dcbc

[Etexhorn13 3054]

3 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Yes.  This has worked for me.  There probably are better recipes.

1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes

1 T olive oil

1 T Salt

1 T fresh cracked Pepper

1 T Oregano

1 T Basil

2 Tsp raw sugar

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp red pepper flakes

 

I put it in a blender and blend until smooth/combined.  Pour into a jar and refrigerate for a few hours.  I do not cook it.  Also, this is all approximate.  I don't measure anything.

 

Thanks. I think it must be the sugar/sweetness that I’m missing, as that’s generally what I’m doing for mine. Picked up the truck of not cooking it recently and that also made a big improvement. 

[dcbc 14570]

1 minute ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Thanks. I think it must be the sugar/sweetness that I’m missing, as that’s generally what I’m doing for mine. Picked up the truck of not cooking it recently and that also made a big improvement. 

Regular sugar or honey is fine too.  Go easy on it for sure.  Any more than a hint of sweetness and it just doesn't taste right.  I found that recipe online when I made my first pizza and haven't felt much need to change it. 

[52-80 19282]

6 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Are y’all making a sauce or using store bought? I feel like I’m never fully satisfied with mine, but I can never really put my finger I’m just quite what I’m missing. 

Usually straight san marzano from the can. Crush/squeeze the whole tomatoes. 

A few sources recommend to lightly cook the sauce in some oil, basil, garlic, and salt. Even barely reducing the mixture, it starts to taste too pasta-sauce for me. 

I suppose for sweetness can just blend with a bit of raw sugar directly. 

[dcbc 14570]

16 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

Usually straight san marzano from the can. Crush/squeeze the whole tomatoes. 

A few sources recommend to lightly cook the sauce in some oil, basil, garlic, and salt. Even barely reducing the mixture, it starts to taste too pasta-sauce for me. 

I suppose for sweetness can just blend with a bit of raw sugar directly. 

I just edited my post above, but I always pour out the juice from the can of tomatoes before adding them to the mix.

[C-Man 27388]

Are y’all making a sauce or using store bought? I feel like I’m never fully satisfied with mine, but I can never really put my finger I’m just quite what I’m missing. 

I use the Ooni sauce recipe and think it’s great. 28 Oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, minced garlic, EVOO, sugar, salt, pepper and fresh basil. It calls for cooking it for a short time, which I do. I think it’s great. Though I see the cook-or-not-cook pizza sauce is debated online as hotly as whether beans belong in chili or not.

[LosIllini 91]

1 hour ago, C-Man said:

I use the Ooni sauce recipe and think it’s great. 28 Oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, minced garlic, EVOO, sugar, salt, pepper and fresh basil. It calls for cooking it for a short time, which I do. I think it’s great. Though I see the cook-or-not-cook pizza sauce is debated online as hotly as whether beans belong in chili or not.

That's perfect!  I'll go even simpler for thinner crust/ tavern style pizza.  1 Can of Cento Puree, salt, and sugar.  I like the Cento alot--- cheap, you can find it at most stores, and not as acidic as some sauces.  If you want it thicker, add in some tomato paste.

Jimmy's in Dallas has some great tomatoes/ sauces- lot of times random, but, they usually have Sclafani Crushed Tomatoes which are good, and big cans of Tomato Magic, which is a great sauce for pizza. 

[52-80 19282]

Tastewise IMO if you do a margherita which is very thin and sparse on topping, the bright tasting uncooked sauce is appropriate. Its almost like a bruschetta of sorts.

for a thicker pie a more cooked sauce might fit better

[Zepol87 9263]

Got really high with my gf and made pizza. It isn't terrible at all. Jimmy's dough and sauce and I can't spread the dough out for shit

 

 

 

[52-80 19282]

had a stoner thought today: has anyone tried prebaking formed neapolitan dough, for say 30 seconds, and then doing the toppings, and then finishing it?

my last few doughs were slightly undercooked.  even though the base was stretched to near breakage (which also made the transfer to the peel difficult). 

what if you form the dough straight on the peel, launch it for a rapid cook just until it firms up, then quickly top, and then cook.  could balance the burning of the crust with the leopard spotting on the bottomside.

i might do this next time.

[Anastasis 23514]

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

had a stoner thought today: has anyone tried prebaking formed neapolitan dough, for say 30 seconds, and then doing the toppings, and then finishing it?

my last few doughs were slightly undercooked.  even though the base was stretched to near breakage (which also made the transfer to the peel difficult). 

what if you form the dough straight on the peel, launch it for a rapid cook just until it firms up, then quickly top, and then cook.  could balance the burning of the crust with the leopard spotting on the bottomside.

i might do this next time.

 

What are you cooking in?  Regular oven? I think that a pre-bakes makes a lot of sense with an oven situation.  You just can't get the temps necessary for neapolitan style in the oven.  Maybe try two different approaches, one with some forming and a light coating of olive oil on the inner, and another with sauce, adding toppings to finish. 

[52-80 19282]

5 hours ago, Anastasis said:

 

What are you cooking in?  Regular oven? I think that a pre-bakes makes a lot of sense with an oven situation.  You just can't get the temps necessary for neapolitan style in the oven.  Maybe try two different approaches, one with some forming and a light coating of olive oil on the inner, and another with sauce, adding toppings to finish. 

Im using Ooni. 15min preheat or whatever, and infrared measures 500c on the stone. 
 

I could lower the temp during cook time, but already a pie takes about 120 seconds, instead of the 60-90 folks say. 

[Chopper 17362]

SIAP but has anyone had a good result with a Detroit style pizza, a la Via 313?

[CycleTex87 2991]

Yep - There's been a lot of discussion about Detroit style some pages back.  Great guide for homemade is from Serious Eats:  https://www.seriouseats.com/detroit-style-pizza-recipe

If you have the proper pan, it’s pretty good copy of VIA313. 

[Landomatic 3813]

On 4/30/2022 at 7:27 PM, 52-80 said:

had a stoner thought today: has anyone tried prebaking formed neapolitan dough, for say 30 seconds, and then doing the toppings, and then finishing it?

my last few doughs were slightly undercooked.  even though the base was stretched to near breakage (which also made the transfer to the peel difficult). 

what if you form the dough straight on the peel, launch it for a rapid cook just until it firms up, then quickly top, and then cook.  could balance the burning of the crust with the leopard spotting on the bottomside.

i might do this next time.

 

On 4/30/2022 at 8:39 PM, Anastasis said:

What are you cooking in?  Regular oven? I think that a pre-bakes makes a lot of sense with an oven situation.  You just can't get the temps necessary for neapolitan style in the oven.  Maybe try two different approaches, one with some forming and a light coating of olive oil on the inner, and another with sauce, adding toppings to finish. 

 

On 5/1/2022 at 2:26 AM, 52-80 said:

Im using Ooni. 15min preheat or whatever, and infrared measures 500c on the stone. 

I could lower the temp during cook time, but already a pie takes about 120 seconds, instead of the 60-90 folks say. 

I used to do this sometimes when I was making a lot of pizzas. I was using a regular oven though, so not sure about results with Ooni.

I really only found it helpful/necessary for pizzas with a lot of toppings. Like 3+ toppings with extra cheese. All that extra weight of toppings was what was making the transfer difficult and keeping the dough from cooking the right amount.

Also, you have to keep a really close eye on it as the dough starts to bubble very quickly. And you end up with huge dough bubbles all over the middle of the pizza. You can pop them and smooth it out a little after you pull it if you catch it in time, but if they start to harden even a little (which is the difference of seconds), you're kind of screwed and it ends up with less than desirable results. I found less time was definitely more when doing the precook thing just to try to avoid too much bubbling. I would think that would be even more of a factor with an Ooni.

[52-80 19282]

7 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

Also, you have to keep a really close eye on it as the dough starts to bubble very quickly. And you end up with huge dough bubbles all over the middle of the pizza.

Good point I didnt think of that.  I think ill try to attack the problem at the dough end, prob starting with lower hydration (?)

[creeper 100]

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

Good point I didnt think of that.  I think ill try to attack the problem at the dough end, prob starting with lower hydration (?)

What flour are you using and what's your current hydration?

[52-80 19282]

9 minutes ago, creeper said:

What flour are you using and what's your current hydration?

00, i think i did 65+% on the last one

[Sam Lin 3566]

1 hour ago, Landomatic said:

. And you end up with huge dough bubbles all over the middle of the pizza. 

This is why pizza aerators are used. Roll the dough with an aerator and bubbles can't form, they get vented out.

[Texas St. Armadillos 1381]

For oven made pizzas, I have two ovens.  I use the smaller of the two and put the pizza stone in that.  I preheat at 550 (highest it will go) for an hour.  10 minutes before I throw the pie in, I turn on the broiler above the stone to get it really hot, then turn back to Bake 550.  Cook the pizza, remove it.  Then I turn the broiler back on for a few minutes while I prep the next pie.  Turn back to Bake 550.  Rinse repeat.

They come out great with the some good scorching on the bottom crust. 

[ChickenSandwich 9856]

15 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

This is why pizza aerators are used. Roll the dough with an aerator and bubbles can't form, they get vented out.

Not for me. Get you a crow bar looking hook and pop and turn. 
 

Eyes on the pie early and often 

[creeper 100]

On 5/4/2022 at 8:37 AM, 52-80 said:

00, i think i did 65+% on the last one

I assume you're using 00 pizza flour, like Caputo.  I'd dial down the hydration, maybe start with a recipe like the AVPN one, which comes in closer to 58% - 62%.  That sounds low, but with a proper fermentation 00 flour will absorb a ton of moisture, so the dough will likely feel much wetter than you'd expect.  If you use the AVPN approach, I'd recommend less yeast and a 24 hour (room temp) ferment.  https://www.pizzanapoletana.org/en/ricetta_pizza_napoletana

[TankedBevo 2487]

50 minutes ago, creeper said:

I assume you're using 00 pizza flour, like Caputo.  I'd dial down the hydration, maybe start with a recipe like the AVPN one, which comes in closer to 58% - 62%.  That sounds low, but with a proper fermentation 00 flour will absorb a ton of moisture, so the dough will likely feel much wetter than you'd expect.  If you use the AVPN approach, I'd recommend less yeast and a 24 hour (room temp) ferment.  https://www.pizzanapoletana.org/en/ricetta_pizza_napoletana

[HouTex 1902]

When you want a semi homemade pizza but don’t have time to make the dough from scratch, the HEB par-cooked thin pizza crusts are quite good.  

[Anastasis 23514]

On 5/1/2022 at 2:26 AM, 52-80 said:

Im using Ooni. 15min preheat or whatever, and infrared measures 500c on the stone. 
 

I could lower the temp during cook time, but already a pie takes about 120 seconds, instead of the 60-90 folks say. 

Yeah, something doesn't seem right here. You're at 900F+ and getting undercooked crusts?  I don't a straight up neo style that much, but if anything I was having problems with toppings not coming along at same speed as the crust.  Maybe it is a dough issue. 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Anastasis
do/dont/whatever

[Anastasis 23514]

Couple pies tonight.

 

[Anastasis 23514]

first pie had some fake ass cheese on half, per the wife's request.  The other half just a marinara with veggies. 

[CycleTex87 2991]

There’s nothing redeeming about low fat or imitation cheese. I’d rather have nothing. 

[Sam Lin 3566]

Perfect crust cook.

[Wax Beer Cup 382]

OK - y’all have brought me to the dark side.  Getting an Ooni Koda tomorrow.  Before going down the homemade dough route, gonna try the Whole Foods dough first.  Bought the 16 oz pack today.  Sounds like I need to let it proof first.  Question  - for 10 inch pies, how do I need to divide the dough and how long should I let it proof?  Looks like halving it would be about right, but no idea how much it will grow while proofing.  Assuming I’m going to f it up at first, I bought several packs. Planning to experiment all weekend.  Many thanks! 

[ChickenSandwich 9856]

29 minutes ago, Wax Beer Cup said:

OK - y’all have brought me to the dark side.  Getting an Ooni Koda tomorrow.  Before going down the homemade dough route, gonna try the Whole Foods dough first.  Bought the 16 oz pack today.  Sounds like I need to let it proof first.  Question  - for 10 inch pies, how do I need to divide the dough and how long should I let it proof?  Looks like halving it would be about right, but no idea how much it will grow while proofing.  Assuming I’m going to f it up at first, I bought several packs. Planning to experiment all weekend.  Many thanks! 

Can get fresh dough balls from the pizza station at Whole Foods. Home slice will sell you fresh dough as well etc. 

[52-80 19282]

6 hours ago, Wax Beer Cup said:

OK - y’all have brought me to the dark side.  Getting an Ooni Koda tomorrow.  Before going down the homemade dough route, gonna try the Whole Foods dough first.  Bought the 16 oz pack today.  Sounds like I need to let it proof first.  Question  - for 10 inch pies, how do I need to divide the dough and how long should I let it proof?  Looks like halving it would be about right, but no idea how much it will grow while proofing.  Assuming I’m going to f it up at first, I bought several packs. Planning to experiment all weekend.  Many thanks! 

1.  what's an oz or inch?

2. most thin-crust neapolitan personal pizzas are reciped for 250g of final dough, but i like 300g+ for extra flexibility in establishing crust size

 

[Landomatic 3813]

9 hours ago, Wax Beer Cup said:

OK - y’all have brought me to the dark side.  Getting an Ooni Koda tomorrow.  Before going down the homemade dough route, gonna try the Whole Foods dough first.  Bought the 16 oz pack today.  Sounds like I need to let it proof first.  Question  - for 10 inch pies, how do I need to divide the dough and how long should I let it proof?  Looks like halving it would be about right, but no idea how much it will grow while proofing.  Assuming I’m going to f it up at first, I bought several packs. Planning to experiment all weekend.  Many thanks! 

Half should be fine. Or at least close.

Proof around 10-12 hours minimum. Most pizzas I've made, I put the dough out the morning of the cook and it turned out just fine. But that's mostly just because I hadn't thought about it until the day of. The couple times I've planned a little more ahead, I put it out the day before and it was better. So, I'd say 12-24 hours-ish. And best results were to put it in a bowl and cover with a damp towel while it sits on the counter.

From my experience, the times and amounts won't be what you struggle with. Hardest parts are 1) forming the crust and 2) transferring from peel to oven. Good luck.

[52-80 19282]

On 5/1/2022 at 2:27 AM, 52-80 said:

my last few doughs were slightly undercooked.  even though the base was stretched to near breakage (which also made the transfer to the peel difficult).

i did another Biga.  found out the trick was to stretch the ever living shit out of it and not be afraid of tearing.

last time i used 72% hydration and it was very sticky.  this time 65% was more manageable.

problem was dough being too flexible, snapping back quickly after stretching the pie.  when cooked it shrunk even more into a thick lump.

then i had my friend form the final pie (gravity method) and he allowed it to sag beyond the point of elasticity.  330g made a final pie larger than a dinner plate.  very satisfied

[Anastasis 23514]

 Debated whether this should go in the game thread or shit I have cooked threads, but decided that this was the right home.

Ever since I watched this action bronson new york pizza video I have had taking a crack at lahmajoon floating around in my head. It's basically a very thin flatbread topped with lamb/beef/whatever that has been mixed with a salsa and cooked quick. Wife was talking about making some salmon for dinner, but I sensed a weakness in the force and pitched breaking out the pizza oven to make a run at it with ingredients around the house. Namely ground venison from the freezer. The dough is basically a cracker, so a short 30m rise will do. Once you got the flatbreads, you can improvise with toppings and roll this bitch up into a nice little sandwich. Got a few things to work out with seasoning and toppings, but this shit was yummy, and if you have a hot oven and a good assembly line you can crank out a stack of these pretty quick. 

First, action bronson.

 

Some action shots, salsa, meat mix, some samplers to testing season (moar salt!), first bread going in, a smaller one in cook, couple breads coming out, various toppings...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[52-80 19282]

damn, nice spotting on that turkish pizza

[Mac8111 2118]

We had friends over Sat night and made pizzas and drank 9 bottles of Italian red wine.   Total failure on my part of no pics but I was running around too much trying to keep the pizzas rolling.   They turned out pretty good despite my Green Egg not getting up to the temperature I wanted (guessing I just didn't put enough charcoal in it).  I bought four of the 12" pizza screens off Amazon and those were a life saver.  Made it so much easier and we still got a nice crispy crust on the bottom.  I just didn't get that little char on top like 52-80's last pic. (That pizza looks legit).  

 

Homemade sauce (no cook) 

Pizza dough from a local bakery.  

Boars Head Low Moisture Mozz from the HEB deli

 

 

[Texzilla58 4745]

Couple pies tonight.

 

All that trouble and then California black olives? You can get kalamatas in Texas these days.

[C-Man 27388]

On 5/2/2022 at 9:58 AM, Chopper said:

SIAP but has anyone had a good result with a Detroit style pizza, a la Via 313?

Yes, get the right pans from Amazon and it comes out terrific.

[CycleTex87 2991]

Damn straight.

[Post Oak 20349]

4 hours ago, Mac8111 said:

We had friends over Sat night and made pizzas and drank 9 bottles of Italian red wine.   Total failure on my part of no pics but I was running around too much trying to keep the pizzas rolling.   They turned out pretty good despite my Green Egg not getting up to the temperature I wanted (guessing I just didn't put enough charcoal in it).  I bought four of the 12" pizza screens off Amazon and those were a life saver.  Made it so much easier and we still got a nice crispy crust on the bottom.  I just didn't get that little char on top like 52-80's last pic. (That pizza looks legit).  

 

Homemade sauce (no cook) 

Pizza dough from a local bakery.  

Boars Head Low Moisture Mozz from the HEB deli

 

 

I've never had much luck on my BGE.  Trying to convince my wife we need an ooni.

[C-Man 27388]

1 minute ago, Post Oak said:

I've never had much luck on my BGE.  Trying to convince my wife we need an ooni.

Nor did I. Mine came out terrible. The Ooni is amazing. Get one.

[Sam Lin 3566]

What didn't work out for you guys on BGE/kamado? It's certainly more involved than an Ooni and also costs quite a bit more in fuel, but it's not supposed to be "difficult."

But I recommend Ooni all the time to kamado guys if they plan to do more than the occasional pizza - the speed of heatup and the savings in fuel pay for itself pretty quick if you're doing a lot of pizza.

[Mac8111 2118]

*** I do have a Pizza Porta attachment for my Green Egg that helps keep the heat in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Landomatic 3813]

23 hours ago, C-Man said:

Nor did I. Mine came out terrible. The Ooni is amazing. Get one.

Listen to this man, he’s pre med.

23 hours ago, Post Oak said:

I've never had much luck on my BGE.  Trying to convince my wife we need an ooni.

Been covered at length in this thread, but the BGE (without a conversion kit) is actually one of the WORST devices for making pizza. All the heat comes from below with none of the necessary heat from the top, because you have to open it and pizzas are meant to be cooked very hot and fast. Only thing worse that I can think of would be an open flame.

[C-Man 27388]

36 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

Listen to this man, he’s pre med.

Been covered at length in this thread, but the BGE (without a conversion kit) is actually one of the WORST devices for making pizza. All the heat comes from below with none of the necessary heat from the top, because you have to open it and pizzas are meant to be cooked very hot and fast. Only thing worse that I can think of would be an open flame.

What Lando says. I couldn't get the top of the BGE hot enough to cook from the top down while the bottom was being cooked. What came out was nowhere close to restaurant quality. If I'm going to the time and effort to make something at home, I'm going to do my best to at a bare minimum come close to what I can get when I go out to eat. When I nail an Ooni pizza -- or Detroit style in my oven -- it's as good or better than what I can get when we go out.