Wednesday, June 19, 2013

HomePizzaChef

Homemade Pizza Parlor – They'll Beg You To Make Another!

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The infamous pizza pie continues to be one of the most beloved foods in the world, especially in the United States. As the baby boomer generation continues to dictate a wide variety of trends inside and outside of the food and beverage sectors, new and alternative ideas are beginning to emerge to move pizza closer to healthier and more exciting recipes that this sector of society craves.

The way pizza is served, cooked and eaten is also evolving. Many people are experimenting with new ways of enjoying their favorite pizza pies without the gluten content found in traditional pizza crusts. Some examples of these types of gluten free products include tapioca flour, corn flour, white rice flour and corn meal.
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Peperonata and Sausage Pizza Recipe

Posted by Lock On June - 15 - 2013 2 COMMENTS

mushroompizza
So exactly what is Peperonata?
[pehp-uh-roh-NAH-tah]
An Italian mixture of sweet peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic cooked in olive oil. It’s served hot as a condiment with meats or cold as an antipasto.

Ingredients:

* Cornmeal for dusting
* 12 ounces Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough or other prepared dough
* 1 link Italian turkey sausage, casing removed

Peperonata
* 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 1 cup slivered onion
* 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 3/4 cup diced tomato
* 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground pepper to taste
* 1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting.

Coat a 12 1/2-inch pizza pan with cooking spray and dust with cornmeal. Cook sausage in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, turning from time to time, until browned and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and cut into 1/4-inchthick slices.

Meanwhile, prepare peperonata: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add tomato and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in vinegar, salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and let cool. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 13-inch circle.
Transfer to the prepared pan. Turn edges under to make a slight rim. Brush the rim with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil.

Enjoy!

Tomato Tips

Posted by Lock On June - 13 - 2013 4 COMMENTS

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

tomatoes09Dip 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.
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Favorite World-Wide Pizza Toppings

Posted by Lock On June - 11 - 2013 1 COMMENT

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Around the world, pizza toppings vary greatly; reflecting regional tastes, indigenous foods and cultural preferences. Pizza remains a favorite dish regardless of geographical location.
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My Favorite Assorted Pizza Making Tips

Posted by Lock On June - 7 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS

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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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I’m On A Diet, But Please Order The Pizza!

Posted by Lock On June - 5 - 2013 4 COMMENTS

 diet

In today’s world of never ending diets and numerous angles for reducing calories and fat content there is one thing that seems to stand out in spite of all of our “good diet” intentions. We want to lose weight but we do NOT want to give up one of our most  beloved and favorite foods… “The Pizza Pie”.

Yes, that’s right…we want a great diet plan but the thought of giving up our unquenchable desire for the infamous pizza pie is simply out of the question. We’ll try “whole wheat pizza”, “sun dried tomato pizza”, “grilled chicken pizza” you name it, just don’t leave out that last descriptive word “pizza.”

A “watered down” form of pizza is better than no pizza at all! Any form of pizza that suggests we’re cutting corners with calories and making headway on reducing fat but still enjoying the taste of one of our favorite foods and past times, well that’s an idea worth addressing.

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Gluten Free Rice Crust Pizza Recipe

Posted by Lock On June - 3 - 2013 13 COMMENTS

Today I’ll be sharing a gluten free crust recipe that you can use for your favorite homemade pizza. The crust is made with rice flour. Before I share the pizza recipe I would like to tell you a little about gluten free ingredients and diet sources. You can find several products and resources that are considered gluten free in The HPC Pizza Supply Outlet.

There are several grains and starch sources that are considered acceptable for a what’s termed “gluten-free diets”. The most frequently used are maize, potatoes, rice, and tapioca (derived from cassava).

Other grains and starch sources generally considered suitable for gluten-free diets include but are not limited to amaranth, arrowroot, millet, montina, lupine, quinoa, sorghum (jowar), sweet potato, taro, teff, chia seed, and yam.

In some cases, various types of bean, soybean, and nut flours are used in gluten-free products to add protein and dietary fiber. In spite of its all to familiar name, buckwheat is not related to wheat at all. Buckwheat in it’s purest form, is considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet, although many commercial buckwheat products are actually mixtures of wheat and buckwheat flours. those that are restricted to toal gluten free diets must be cognizant of this. Typically it not accepted in these forms of diets. Gram flour, derived from chickpeas, is also gluten-free.

Hemp seed is a gluten free source of energy with digestible edestin protein. It’s a good balance of essential fatty acids, dietary fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin E, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Magnesium.

Gluten is also used in foods in some unexpected ways, for example as a stabilizing agent or thickener in products like ice-cream and ketchup.

People wishing to follow a completely gluten free diet must also consideration the ingredients of any over-the-counter or prescription medications and vitamins as some of these products contain gluten derivatives.

I hope you enjoy the recipe…

Gluten Free Rice Crust Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:

Crust
2 1/2 cups cooked white rice

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Topping

1 cup tomato sauce or pizza sauce

1/2 teaspoon oregano or basil, dried

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1/4 cup Parmesan or asiago cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix the first four ingredients thoroughly. Spread evenly on the bottom of a
12-inch pizza pan or pie pan. Bake 15 minutes or until surface is lightly brown.

Sauté onion and garlic in the olive oil. Spread over the crust. Spread on the pizza sauce; add dry herbs if the sauce is bland. Sprinkle on the two kinds of cheese.

Return to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted.

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Crazy Crunchy-Crust Pizza Recipe

Posted by Lock On June - 1 - 2013 6 COMMENTS

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You’ll like this quick pizza recipe! Great unique crust with a savory flare… you may even want to add your own touch to the toppings.

Ingredients:

Batter Mix
* 1 cup flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* 2 eggs
* 2/3 cup milk

Toppings
* 1 pound ground beef
* 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
* or
* 1 cup pepperoni
* 1/4 cup chopped onion
* 1 cup pizza sauce
* or
* 8 ounces tomato sauce mixed with oregano and pepper
* 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
* 1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms

Directions:

In medium skillet brown ground meat, seasoning to taste.
(No need to brown pepperoni). Drain well, set aside.

Lightly grease and dust 12 or 14 inch pizza pan or 10X15 jelly roll pan with flour
or corn meal. Prepare batter by mixing to flour, salt, Italian seasoning, pepper,
eggs and milk in a small mixing bowl. Pour batter in pan, tilting pan so batter
covers bottom.

Arrange topping of meat and onions over batter. Bake on bottom
rack in 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until pizza is deep golden brown.
Remove from oven; drizzle with pizza sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Top with
mushrooms or other toppings.

Return to oven for 10-15 minutes til cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

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Truffle Pizza Recipe

Posted by Lock On June - 1 - 2013 2 COMMENTS

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Today we’re going o try something a little different. A unique pizza recipe that sure to tinglr your taste buds and delight your pizza loving friends and family.

We’ll be using truffle opil in the recipe. This is an ingredient that adds unique flavor and aroma to the traditional pizza taste.

Truffle oil is a modern culinary ingredient added to many foods, which is intended to impart the flavor and aroma of truffles to a wide variety of dishes. Most people are unaware that truffle oils are not, in fact, made from actual truffles, but are instead a synthetic product that combines a thioether (2,4-dithiapentane), one of numerous organic aromatics odorants found in real truffles, with an olive oil base. A few more expensive oils are alleged to be made from truffles or the by-products of truffle harvesting and production, though the flavor of truffles is difficult to capture in an oil.

Truffle Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:
* 1 tablespoon Yeast
* 1 cup Warm water (110 degrees)
* 1/4 cup Olive oil
* 3 1/2 cups Flour
* 2 teaspoons Salt
* 1 pound New potatoes; thinly sliced, blanched
* 1 cup Julienned red onions
* 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
* Salt; to taste
* Freshly ground white pepper; to taste
* 1/2 cup Grated Parmigiano-Regginao cheese
* 1 Drizzle truffle oil
* 2 tablespoons Chopped chives

Directions:

Preheat the oven 400 degrees. In an electric mixer, whisk the yeast, water, and oil, together, to form a taste. Using a dough hook, add the flour and salt to the paste, mix the dough until the dough comes away from the sides and crawls up the sides of the hook. Remove the dough from the bowl and turn the dough into a greased bowl, cover. Let the dough rise until double in size, about 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into four 4-ounce balls, cover. Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Press each dough out into a 10-inch circle about 1/2 – to 1-inch thick. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil.

Divide the potatoes into four portions and season with salt and pepper. Cover each dough with the potatoes, leaving a 1-inch border. In a small mixing bowl, toss the red onions with the extra-virgin olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper. Place a layer of the red onions on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle each pizza with the grated cheese. Drizzle each pizza with the truffle oil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is crispy and golden-brown. Garnish the pizza with chives.

Bread Machine Cornmeal Pizza Crust Recipe

Posted by Lock On May - 30 - 2013 2 COMMENTS

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Bread Machine Cornmeal Pizza Crust Recipe


Ingredients:* 1-cup warm water
* 1/4 teaspoon salt — optional
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour — divided
* 1-cup cornmeal — plus
* 1-tablespoon cornmeal — divided
* 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
* 2 teaspoons active dry yeast


Directions:

Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except 1-tablespoon cornmeal in bread machine pan in order specified by owner’s manual. Program basic dough cycle setting; press start. Remove dough from bread machine pan; let rest 2 to 3 minutes
 

Pat and gently stretch dough into 14- to 15-inch circle. Spray a 14-inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1-tablespoon cornmeal.Press dough into pan.Follow topping and baking directions for individual recipes. 1 14-inch crust makes 8 servings.

Amazing Whole Wheat Thin Dream Pie

Posted by Lock On May - 28 - 2013 3 COMMENTS

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The Amazing HPC Whole Wheat Thin Crust Dream Pie

I’ve recently been asked to post the recipe for the HPC Dream Pizza Pie on the blog. This recipe has been around for over 4 years now and is available for FREE download however I thought I would re-post it on the blog as well. If you want the downloadable version simply grab it from the links resources to the right of this post.

If you’ve never tried this pizza give it a try as it’s a favorite for our readers here at HomePizzaChef.

Suggestion – Make your dough the night before you plan to bake your pizza, this will allow plenty of time for the dough to rise and also adds to the flavor of your crust) OK… here we go!

Ingredients:
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* 1 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C- No need to boil the water)
* 2 packages of Active Dry Yeast (AYD) – Easily obtained form any grocery store
* 1 small bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1-teaspoon salt
* 1 ¼ cups of Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour
* 1 ¾ cups of Enriched Unbleached Bread Flour
Accessories
1- Roller Pin (Or a rollable surface to flatten the dough)
1- 14” Perforated Pizza Pan (The kind with the holes punched into the bottom of the pan)
2- Large Bowls for Mixing
2- Kitchen towels or equivalent

Making The Pizza Dough
Pour 1-½ cups of warm water in a bowl (Approx 105 –115 degrees)
Empty the 2 packages of Active Dry Yeast into the bowl and stir until fully dissolved. Set to the side for approximately 20 minutes.

In a separate bowl mix the remaining dry ingredients (Whole wheat flour, enriched unbleached bread flour, salt, and the sugar).

Check the yeast mixture to ensure that the yeast has become active. It will appear to have increased in volume.

Slowly began to pour small amounts of the dry ingredients into the yeast and water mixture, stirring as you add the mixture. Continue to add the dry mixture until the mixture becomes solid and somewhat “clumpy”. Once you have added all of the dry ingredients to the yeast and water mixture, add approximately 1-½ teaspoons of olive oil to the mixture and continue to knead by hand. If needed, add a little more water to insure the dough is manageable. The kneading process can take 15 -25 minutes to make sure the dough is well blended.

Once the dough is well blended, cut the dough in half and roll (by hand) into (2) small dough balls. Roll the dough balls around in any leftover flour (plain white) that is available. Finally, with a small amount of olive oil, brush the dough balls lightly to moisten and place in separate bowls that you will cover with a wet kitchen cloth and place in the refrigerator overnight. For best results I suggest at least 8-12 hours… however you can use the dough if needed after 2-3 hours.

Preparing The Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:
1 –15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1- 6 ounce can of tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of ground oregano (Mediterranean preferred)
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of Basil Leaves (Mediterranean preferred)

Pour the tomato paste and tomato sauce into a bowl. Add all seasonings including the olive oil. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. This should result in a smooth tomato sauce… if more smoothness is desired add just a touch more olive oil. Set aside for 3-5 minutes.

Creating the pizza pie….

Once you’re ready to assemble the pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for approximately 15 minutes. The goal is to raise the temperature of the dough to room temperature…

Grab one of the dough balls and begin to shape the dough… refrigerate the leftover dough ball for future use.

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it is “paper thin”… this can take 15-20 minutes… make the dough as thin as possible without tearing the dough.

Oil your pizza pan with olive oil by placing a fair amount of olive oil on a brush or a kitchen cloth. Spread evenly across the perforated pizza pan. Using a perforated pan will help create the quick baking effect that produces a crispier pizza crust. At this point we’re going to try something a little different. Pre-heat your oven to 300-325 degrees.

Once the oven is hot and BEFORE you dress your pizza… slide your pizza dough that you’ve stretched across your perforated pizza pan into the oven for NO MORE THAN 2 ½ minutes.

Remove the dough from the oven.

Now place your pizza stone in the oven. The dough has now been pre-heated and should be fairly warm. Crank your oven up to 425-450 degrees to make sue it is plenty hot prior to resuming the pizza bake.

Now we’re ready to add our pizza sauce. With a large spoon, spread your pizza sauce evenly across the pizza dough. Make sure the sauce is spread evenly across the entire pie.

Adding your pizza toppings…

OK… now we’re ready for the good stuff… here are the toppings that I use for this pizza…

Ingredients:
½ cup white or red onions (I prefer the red onions for the bold flavor…)
½ cup green pepper all seeds removed
½ cup small mushrooms
½ cup uncooked Italian Sausage – Usually found packaged in a plastic roll at any grocer
10- 15 small round slices of Canadian bacon
10- 15 small round slices of pepperoni
2 cup s finely shredded mozzarella cheese (you may use less or more depending on your taste)
1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (measure to taste)

A sprinkle of freshly ground pepper

If you have a small automatic chopping machine use it… It’s perfect for this recipe. Place the onions,  peppers and mushrooms into the chopping machine and chop until very fine and small…

You should actually have to remove these ingredients from the chopping cup with a spoon. That’s how fine these ingredients should be… If no automatic machine is used, make sure you chop the onions, peppers and mushrooms into very small and fine portions…

Now evenly spread your cheeses across the warm pizza crust. Once your pizza sauce layer and cheese layer have been added, sprinkle the finely chopped mixture of onions, peppers and mushrooms evenly across the pizza.

Using very small pinches of Italian sausage, strategically place the Italian sausage across your pie. Once completed, add your slices of Canadian bacon and pepperoni evenly across the pizza. For better cooking, try not to overlap the meats. Once this is completed we’ll sprinkle the fresh ground pepper lightly across the entire pie.

We’re ready to slide the pizza back into the HOT oven for 6-8 minutes or until the edges of the crust are golden brown.

What’s left? Pull up a chair in the kitchen and anxiously wait for your masterpiece to complete the baking process. Once baked, carefully remove the hot pie and cut with a pizza cutter. WARNING – By this time family members and friend are probably gathering around your kitchen waiting to dig in…

Hide this secret recipe in a safe place so you can refer to it later…
ENJOY!

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How To Grill Your Favorite Pizza!

Posted by Lock On May - 26 - 2013 2 COMMENTS

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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    Rice Crusted Pizza Recipe

    Posted by Lock On May - 24 - 2013 2 COMMENTS

     

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    Ingredients:

    * Safflower oil; to coat baking sheet

    * 2 cups Cooked short-grain brown rice

    * 2 Eggs

    * 1 cup Grated low fat mozzarella cheese* 2 cups Basic Pizza Sauce

    * 1/2 teaspoon Dried oregano

    * 1/2 teaspoon Dried basil

    * 1/2 teaspoon Minced garlic

    * 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese

    * 1/4 cup Sliced marinated artichoke hearts

    * 1/4 cup Sliced pitted black olives
    Read the rest of this entry »

    Great Mediterranean Pita Pizza Recipe

    Posted by Lock On May - 18 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS

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    Ingredients:
    * 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    * 1 medium onion, finely minced
    * 1/2 green bell pepper, small dice
    * 1 pound ground lamb (or turkey or chicken)
    * 1 teaspoon cumin
    * 1 teaspoon coriander
    * 4 sprigs fresh oregano
    * OR
    * 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    * Salt and pepper
    * 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    * Water (optional)
    * 4 large fresh pita
    * 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
    * 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
    * 2 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed, small dice
    * 1/4 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
    * Olive oil (optional)
    * Fresh torn basil (optional)

     

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 500F. (Note: If pita is fairly sturdy, place assembled pizzas
    directly on rack. If not, preheat a baking sheet with the oven.)
    In a large sauté pan, preheat oil and pan over medium flame. Add onions and
    peppers and sweet for about five minutes to soften.
    Add ground meat and more oil if necessary to prevent sticking. As meat browns,
    break up with a wooden spoon to combine with veggies and brown evenly

    Secrets Of Making Great Pizza At Home

    Posted by Lock On May - 16 - 2013 5 COMMENTS

    secretsOccasionally 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)
    Get the Full Report Here:
    http://www.homepizzachef.com/pizza-bonanza/index.html

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    The Potato Pizza Bake Recipe

    Posted by Lock On May - 12 - 2013 1 COMMENT

    Today we’re going to introduce you to something a bit different. We’re going to incorporate the beloved potato into a pizza recipe. I’m sure you’re going to love this.

    Before we get started, first a few words about the beloved potato.

    The history of the potato has its roots in the beautiful Andes Mountains of South America. It is an austere region that is marked by fluctuating temperatures and relatively poor soil conditions.

    It’s quite amazing that the tough and durable potato evolved in the thin air (elevations up to 15,000 feet) of this region. The potato is tough, just like like the people who first settled the region.

    The tough pre-Columbian farmers first discovered and cultivated the potato some 7,000 years ago. They were impressed by the ruggedness, storage quality and its nutritional value of the potato.

    Western man did not come in contact with the potato until as late as 1537 when the Conquistadors tramped through Peru. And it was even later, about 1570, that the first potato made its way across the Atlantic to make a start in the soil of Europe.

    Though the tuber was productive and hardy, the Spanish didn’t initially recognize these qualitites and put it to very limited use. In the Spanish Colonies potatoes were considered food for the underclasses; when brought to the Old World they would be used primarily to feed hospital inmates. Wow…the potato has surely evolved since those days.

    It would take three decades for the potato to spread to the rest of Europe. Even so the potato was cultivated primarily as a curiosity by amateur botanists. Resistance was due to ingrained eating habits. The potato’s popularity was somewhat hampered by it’s reputation as a food for the underprivileged and perhaps most importantly its relationship to poisonous plants.

    That was then, but this is now and I’m going to show you how we’re going to incorporate the beloved potato into a pizza dish that you can enjoy whenever you like.

    Let’s get started shall we…

    What you’re going to need…

    Ingredients:

    * 1 pound ground beef
    * 4 cups thinly sliced potatoes (or you can use potato halves)
    * 1 med. onion (sliced thin)
    * 1 can Cheddar cheese soup
    * 1 soup can milk
    * 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
    * Salt and pepper to taste
    * 1/2 teaspoon oregano
    * 1/2 teaspoon sugar
    * 1 tablespoon butter
    * 6 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
    * 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

    Easy Directions:

    Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook ground beef in skillet until it loses redness. Place potatoes and onions in buttered 9×13″ pan. Add meat to mixture. Mix cheese soup and milk until smooth and add to meat and potatoes; mix together.

    Combine tomato sauce, salt, pepper, oregano and sugar. Pour sauce over the top, but do not mix. Dot with butter. Cover pan with foil. Bake at 375 F for 1 hour.

    Remove cover and arrange sliced cheese on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Return to oven, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

    There you have it, ni9ce and easy and more importantly super deliciuos. I hope you enjoy adding a pizza twist to one of our favorite foods… the potato.

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