HomePizzaChef

Occasionally aspiring “pizza chefs” decide to create their favorite pizza pies at home. Firstly, the home pizza maker proceeds to gather all necessary ingredients for the highly anticipate pie. Once all ingredients are carefully arranged on the kitchen counter, the pizza maker prepares to commence the master pizza creation process.

Emphasis is placed on selecting the “perfect” blend of cheese and toppings. Also the precise blend of ingredients for the savory pizza sauce is selected. Typically, all eyes are on the pizza pie as it evolves in the kitchen. Once the pie has been carefully crafted, it is placed on a “pizza pan” and the master pizza baker slides the pie into the oven. Yes, into the oven it goes!

Some 7-12 minutes later, the pizza pie is removed from the oven. The master home pizza maker grabs the pizza cutter…. only to find that the crust is “doughy”, soggy, somewhat soft and certainly not representative of the great tasting pizza crust that you hoped to create. This is not the mouth watering pizza crust that you remember from the pizza parlor. What happened? Where did you go wrong?

If this sounds familiar, today is your lucky day because we’re going to take a look at the factors associated with this type of pizza phenomenon.  There are 3 main factors that we need to examine with respect to making great pizza at home with respect to the pizza crust you desire…

1-    Dough Selection & Proofing
2-    Oven Temperature
3-    Moisture content

Let’s take a closer look at the factors that contribute to these critical elements of creating the perfect pizza crust.
Selection of Dough:

Background:

Back in Italy when pizza makers select dough classification system. Flour is classified b way of numbers. 1, 0, or 00, this refers to how finely ground the flour is and how much of the bran and germ have been removed from the final flour product.

To give you a better understanding of this, 00 flour is the most highly refined flour available and is comparable to talcum-powder. Most Italian 00 flour is made from Italian grains and sometimes blends of Italian and imported grains to achieve a range of protein somewhere in the 10–12.5% range.

Lucky for us, common brands of 00 flour can be found at the retail level in standard U.S. grocery stores. One such flour is a brand called King Arthur Flour, the company produces a “clone” of the 00 flour (some call it Italian-Style flour) with a protein level of approximately 8.5% which is somewhat lower than the imported Italian 00 flours. Though it’s not exactly an authentic Italian flour and can produce varied behavioral characteristics, it’s a good flour for baking pizza at home.

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR:
This type of flour refers to flour with a protein level between 10-12%. All purpose flour is ideal for general baking purposes.

It’s important to note that higher protein flours make firmer, stronger doughs while lower protein flours produce softer, weaker doughs. Protein values differ as a cake flour is somewhere around 7-9% protein, whereas pastry, or cookies tend to hover around 9-10%. Bread typically yields 12.5-13.5% protein, whereas clear and high-gluten yield 14-15% protein and gluten “flour” (actually refined gluten) yields somewhere around 45%.

So why are we making such a “fuss” about flour type. Glad you asked! That leads me to another important factor with respect to making pizza crispy at home.

ABSORPTION:
As defined by many baking experts, absorption is simply a measurement that was established by flour producers to describe the capacity of a particular flour to absorb water and achieve a specific and desired dough consistency. The value is often times expressed in terms of percent of water absorbed by a flour sample during the measurement test. The measurement is a laboratory measurement. This is important to keep in mind because this value is not identical to what’s called the hydration ratio actually achieved in commercial applications at pizza parlors, though it is usually quite close.

(Excerpt from The Secrets Of Making Home Pizza)
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http://www.homepizzachef.com/pizza-bonanza/index.html

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My Favorite Pizza Making Tips!

Less Sugar allows longer baking time

Speeding up the dough Process – More Yeast equals less preparation time…

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450-465 degrees- normal crust

Thicker crust – 400-450 degrees…

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Pizza bone – Edges of crust are over cooked….
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Different methods of forming brings about different characteristics of the pizza crust.

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Hand Tossing / Hand Stretching – Good volume and randam distribution of the gases in the dough will create a more cake type dough.

Sheeting – Will degas the dough (air makes the dough rise) This will create a thiner more cracker type crust…

Pressing – Heated roller pins will help redistribute the gases in the dough.
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Crispier doughs are made by adding more water to the dough. Experiment with various amounts without lloosing h\the ability to handle the dough.

The extra moisture in the dough will allow heat to rise into the dough and create a heat barrier and cannot be passed into the sauce therefore the crust collects in the bottom of the dough thus making thedough bake crispier.
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The softer your dough the crispier your crust will be however the more firm your dough the thicker your crust.
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Line ingredients on the counter in the order of use.
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Tomatoes – The Worlds Most Popular Fruit

Surprisingly, the tomato is the world’s most popular fruit. And yes, just like the brinjal and the pumpkin, botanically speaking it is a fruit, not a vegetable. More than 60 million tons of tomatoes are produced per year, 16 million tons more than the second most popular fruit, the banana. Apples are the third most popular (36 million tons), then oranges (34 million tons) and watermelons (22 million tons).

Tomatoes were first cultivated in 700 AD by Aztecs and Incas. Explorers returning from Mexico introduced the tomato into Europe, where it was first mentioned in 1556. The French called it “the apple of love,” the Germans “the apple of paradise.”

Tomatoes are rich in vitamins A and C and fiber, and are cholesterol free. An average size tomato (148 gram, or 5 oz) boasts only 35 calories. Furthermore, new medical research suggests that the consumption of lycopene – the stuff that makes tomatoes red – may prevent cancer. Lycopene is part of the family of pigments called carotenoids, which are natural compounds that create the colours of fruits and vegetables. For example, beta carotene is the orange pigment in carrots. As with essential amino acids, they are not produced by the human body. Lycopene us the most powerful antioxidant in the carotenoid family and, with vitamins C and E, protect us from the free radicals that degrade many parts of the body.

The scientific term for the common tomato is lycopersicon lycopersicum, which mean “wolf peach.” It is a cousin of the eggplant, red pepper, ground cherry, potato, and the highly toxic belladonna, also known as the nightshade or solanaccae. There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes.

Tomatoes are used in many food product, including, of course, tomato sauce (ketchup), pasta and pizza. According to a Steel Packing Council survey of 1997, 68% of chefs use canned tomatoes for convenience, quality and flavouring. It hasn’t changed much since.

While California is far and away the world’s largest producer of processed tomatoes, accounting for nearly half of the world’s total production, the “love apple” is also an international hit, being grown in such diverse nations as Italy, Argentina, Algeria, Taiwan, Australia and Chile.

California grows nine out of every 10 tomatoes processed in the U.S., with a crop value exceeding $547 million.

As hard as other states work to catch up, California’s prolific canners process more tomatoes in a few days than Ohio, the second largest producing state, processes during the entire season.

With California’s processed tomato tonnage skyrocketing from 3.3 million tons in 1970 to 10.75 million tons in 1994, California tomato acreage has more than doubled from 141,300 acres in 1970 to 311,000 in 1994.

Moist, dry, salty or sandy, the tomato can be grown in a surprising range of climates and in almost any soil. In California, tomatoes seem to grow EVERYWHERE–from the far northern portions of the state in Butte County clear to the Mexican border.

A virtual tomato seed smorgasbord, the Tomato Genetics Stock Center at the University of California, Davis has more than 2,750 genetic varieties of tomatoes.

California’s tomato season is in it’s peak from July through September when harvesters run 24 hours a day. The season, however, actually runs a full six months, beginning in June and running all the way through November.

The largest tomato on record is a 7-pound monster grown in Oklahoma.

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Peeling: There are several ways to peel a tomato: Cut an X at the blossom end (opposite the stem).

Dip in boiling water for 10 to 30 seconds, depending on ripeness, then into ice water. The skin will pull off easily. Spear a tomato with a fork and hold it over the flame of a gas burner, turning often until the skin is blistered. Remove skin.

Pierce the top of the tomato with a fork, then microwave on high for 15 seconds. Let stand 2 minutes and pull the skin off.

Use a serrated-edge peeler.

Seeding Tomato seeds can be bitter in cooked sauces, and the liquid that surrounds them can make some dishes watery. Seeding is simple:

Core the tomato if needed, then cut in half horizontally (across the “equator”).

Place a sieve over a bowl. Squeeze the tomato half to force out the seeds. For a plum tomato, you may need to stick your finger into the pockets to get out the seeds.

Catch the seeds in the sieve. If desired, save the juice that collects in the bowl for soups and sauces.

Slicing To get better shapes and lose less juice: Instead of slicing horizontally, cut vertically, from the stem to the blossom end.

LR FROM NOTTINGHAM ENGLAND

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The Gourmet Pizza Club invites you to join with other pizza lovers to enjoy mouth watering and taste-tempting specialty pizzas. Explore succulent selections such as the rich and spicy flavor of our Italian Beef Pizza to the bold and exotic taste of our shrimp Teriyaki Pizza.

With each Pizza of the Month Club shipment you’ll receive one (1) deep dish and two (2) thin crust specialty pizzas. That’s three big 12″ Italian works of art every month. We’ll deliver them frozen fresh to your home or office in a reusable Styrofoam cooler. For more information visit:
http://www.homepizzachef.com/pizzaplus.htm

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Few American foods are loved more than the infamous “pizza pie”. It doesn’t matter if you’re young, old or somewhere in between, almost everyone has a favorite when it comes to pizza. It would be rare to find someone that has never tried a slice of pizza.

It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what you look like or how much money you make. If you’ve got a few extra bucks and a hearty appetite, sooner or later the perfect combination of cheese, sauce, crust and toppings are going to find their way into your mouth.

Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza a day. (Yes…that’s ACRES) That’s a whopping 350 slices per second! This gives real meaning to the term “pizza lover”. Did you know that there are approximately 69,000 pizzerias in the United States? Approximately 3 BILLION pizzas are sold in the U.S. each year. (Source: Blumenfeld and Associates)

You probably would have guessed it – the biggest day of the year for pizza in the United States is none other than Super Bowl Sunday! There’s nothing like watching the big game with a few friends while you wait anxiously for the pizza guy to show up.

Pizza has become a very personal subject for most people. Everyone knows exactly how they want their pizza made. They can tell you exactly what type of crust they like, what size they prefer, how much sauce is “enough” sauce, and what toppings are the absolute best. Some can even tell you how long they prefer their pizza to cook in the pizza oven. There’s no doubt about it, when asked, they’ll talk about their favorite pizza with a big smile on their face.

People learn about many new cheeses and new ingredients through pizza. They love to experiment ordering pizza with unique toppings and fancy crust. Pizza crust alone has evolved through the years giving pizza lovers yet another reason to adore their favorite pies. Stuffed crust, cheesy crust, whole-wheat crust … you name it.

Pizza is loved so much that it has its own month. October is officially pizza month. Allow me to help put this into perspective for you… “Presidents” have “days”… pizza has it’s own “Month”. Oh how we love our dear pizza pies.

The thought of watching a pizza maker throw pizza dough into the air as it is being perfectly shaped brings a smile and wide eyes to most kids’ faces. The only smile that’s bigger is the smile after the first slice has been quickly consumed. According to a recent Gallup Poll, 82 percent of children ages 3 and 11 prefer pizza over chicken nuggets, hot dogs, macaroni & cheese, and hamburgers.

Pizza is here to stay. Even as many people continue to pursue weight loss programs and try to engage in healthy eating practices, pizza seems to be one of those foods that we just must have from time to time and simply don’t want to give up completely. We don’t mind diets and we surely want to become more educated about healthy eating practices but whatever you do…

Don’t take away our pizza!

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America’s favorite food has long been the pizza cooked in a traditional oven but is that about to change? While most Americans have probably never indulged in a grilled pizza, the origins of pizza are making a big comeback. There is no denying that we love our traditional backyard barbeque but rarely, if ever has the barbeque included grilling a pizza. Despite the seemingly odd combination of grill and pizza, the grill is the ideal tool for cooking pizza and in fact is deep in the origin of pizza making. The high, dry heat is ideal for a nice crisp crust and the flavor provided from your grill will on a whole new world of backyard grilling.Before the word pizza was ever used, Greeks and Romans used wood-fired brick ovens to prepare the original version of pizza – flatbread. In ancient times each diner was given a piece of flat bread along with a piece of meat on the bread. This food was eaten with the fingers with an occasional knife to cut the meat. Little did they know that this would eventually spark the creation one of the America’s favorite foods.

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Occasionally aspiring “pizza chefs” decide to create their favorite pizza pies at home. Firstly, the home pizza maker proceeds to gather all necessary ingredients for the highly anticipate pie. Once all ingredients are carefully arranged on the kitchen counter, the pizza maker prepares to commence the master pizza creation process.

Emphasis is placed on selecting the “perfect” blend of cheese and toppings. Also the precise blend of ingredients for the savory pizza sauce is selected. Typically, all eyes are on the pizza pie as it evolves in the kitchen. Once the pie has been carefully crafted, it is placed on a “pizza pan” and the master pizza baker slides the pie into the oven. Yes, into the oven it goes!

Some 7-12 minutes later, the pizza pie is removed from the oven. The master home pizza maker grabs the pizza cutter…. only to find that the crust is “doughy”, soggy, somewhat soft and certainly not representative of the crispy crust that you hoped to create. This is not the crunchy crust that you remember from the pizza parlor. What happened? Where did I go wrong?

If this sounds familiar, today is your lucky day because I’m going to solve this problem for you with two simple words.

“Pizza Stone”

A pizza stone is a flat stone or piece of ceramic or earthenware used to evenly distribute oven heat to pizzas or other baked goods. Pizza stones more or less mimic the effects of cooking a pizza in a masonry oven. The thermal mass and porous nature of the stone used also helps absorbs moisture, resulting in a crisp pizza crust.

Distribution of heat is important when baking pizza, especially when using conventional ovens found in most homes. If heat can be evenly distributed across the bottom of the pizza, moisture from the dough can be absorbed and the crust begins to take on that well loved crispy characteristic that most pizza lovers crave.

Small pizza stones can be purchased to fit in just about any conventional cooking oven. High-end ovens sometimes offer optional pizza stones that are specifically designed for specific oven models. These sometimes include a specialized heating element.

To prevent cracking of the stone due to thermal shock, the pizza stone should be placed in a cold oven and heated over at least 45 minutes, and it should be allowed to cool down slowly inside the oven after switching it off. Proper use of a pizza stone is critical Due to the possibility of rapid temperature change, pizza stones should not be left in an oven while it is in self-cleaning mode.

Sprinkling cornmeal, semolina or breadcrumbs on the pizza stone to prevent the crust from sticking is also a great idea when using a pizza stone. Never oil your pizza stone as the surface of the stone needs to remain dry. Place the pizza directly on the stone. When using a pizza stone do not leave the pizza in a pan. I suggest that you make the pizza directly on a pizza peel that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. This will allow for an easy transition from the pizza peel to the pizza stone when you’re ready to bake the pie.

The porous nature of pizza stones does have a downside — the stone will absorb just about anything, including soap. Use a clean, dry brush or plain water to clean the stone. Avoid using soap or submerging you stone into water. Generally this is not a good idea due to the absorption factor as it relate to a pizza stone.

Cure your soggy pizza crust blues. Learn how to use a pizza stone correctly and enjoy your favorite pizza creations, especially those that require and deserve the crispy pizza crust that many pizza lovers crave. Invest in a pizza stone, you’ll be glad you did.

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Yeast-Free Pizza Dough

1 1/2 C each all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour
1/4 C cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 C water (sometimes takes a little more–I don’t know why)

Combine the dry ingredients first, add the water, then mix together with your hands. When it’s at the right consistency, the dough will easily come away from the side of the bowl and form a ball. Press onto a non-stick cookie sheet or pizza pan. Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Add the toppings of your choice and bake for another 15 minutes. I spread on a tomato sauce with Italian spices first. Then I pile on slices of onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and zucchini (I put the zucchini on top). I don’t have a pizza pan, so I actually use the back of my cookie sheet. That way I can slide the pizza onto the oven rack for the last few minutes of baking in order to get a crispier crust.

kwvegan vegan – Coutesy – www.fatfree.com

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