PIZZA

Delicious (we hope!) recipes from you the reader!

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Westi
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Hi

We have a local Bistro which has the most amazing
pizza bases - but despite my best efforts no tips are
forthcoming on how they make it.
I like Pizza's with my asparagus,toms and other bits
on them and I know with these bases they would be
even better.

1. They taste really yeasty.
2. They are thin.
3. They have lots of big bubbles when cooked and these
go crispier still and the filling falls in when you crack it.

Anyone got a recipe that is similar - nothing tried from googling
recipes comes close.

Thanks Westi
Westi
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Tigger
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I'll ask the OH - we've got a pizza oven in the garden and he likes to think he's a bit of a pizza master. I think it's a variation on Jamie Oliver's recipe that he uses but they are definitely thin and crispy 'cos that's how we like them too.
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John
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Hello Westi
My bread machine (Panasonic) has a setting for producing pizza dough. The result is really excellent - giving enough dough for one 10" base. I invested in a pizza plate for cooking - this is a heavy aluminium circular baking sheet - and this gives a very even crispy result.

The machine takes 45 mins to produce the dough. If you don't have a bread machine I imagine you could get a similar result by hand or with a food mixer fitted with a dough hook. The cycle the machine follows is 10-15 min kneading, 10-15 min rising, then 10 min kneading and then a final 10 min rise.
I take the dough out of the machine and knock it down then roll it out to approx a 10" circle to go on the greased pizza plate. This is then left a short while to rise before spreading on whatever pizza topping we're going to have.

The recipe is:

½ tsp yeast (quick yeast)
300g (11 oz) strong bread flour
½ tbsp sugar
15 g (½ oz) butter
1 tbsp milk powder
1 tsp salt
210 ml water

Final baking is at 220°C / 425°F / Gas Mark 7 for 15-20 minutes or until brown.

Hope this is of some use.

John

PS When the dough is on the plate I push down on it with a flat saucepan base a bit smaller than the plate so as to create a slight raised rim so that the topping doesn't run off the plate during cooking.

PPS Make sure the oven is up to required temperature before cooking - pizza must go into a hot oven.
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Westi
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Thanks John

That sounds different - I will give it a try. Haven't a
bread maker but have dough hook with my mixer.

Westi
Westi
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Hi Westi,
I gave my bread maker away last year as I felt I got better results using my food mixer and a dough hook.

Here's my favourite pizza dough recipe, which either makes one lovely big foccaccia (great with olives or garlic and rosemary on top, and some sea salt crystals), or does about 3 very thin 12" pizza bases. I usually halve the recipe for 1 large medium crust pizza.

450g strong white flour
1 tspn salt
2 tbsp olive oil
300ml warm water
1/2 tspn sugar
15g fresh yeast (bakery section of Tesco/Sainsbury)

Mix yeast with warm water and sugar
Sieve flour and salt into a bowl
Add liquid, including olive oil
Mix to a soft, slightly sticky dough and knead well for 10 minutes until smooth and silky. Note - don't be tempted to add much more flour as the dough goes tough if it's too dry!
Shape the dough into a ball and put into a clean oiled bowl to prove.
Leave till doubled in size.
Knock back the dough and knead lightly to remove any big bubbles.
Divide into how ever many things you're making.

For pizza base - I roll it out a little with a rolling pin and then get my hands underneath the dough to stretch out the rest of the way.

Pre-heat your oven to as hot as it will get!

Sprinkle a little semolina or polenta (they're the same thing) on the pizza tray before putting the dough on top. No need to let prove again.

Note - if you're going for a really thin base, don't overload the topping as it makes the dough too soggy. Only use about 1/2 ball mozzarella per pizza.
For that lovely crispy edge, don't take the topping all the way out, but leave a border of about 1 1/2 inches and brush this with olive oil before putting in the oven.
Should be done in about 10 minutes.

My favourite topping at the moment is tomato sauce, parma ham and basil, then when out of the oven chuck on a load of rocket and parmesan shavings. Very yum. You can do a veggie version by missing out the parma ham and using mushrooms instead. Equally good.
pongeroon
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Mmmmmmm....the best pizza I ever had was in a bar in a village near Mugello. We didn't have tickets for the Italian round of the motorbike GP, so we watched it on TV in the bar while eating their freshly made pizza with tomatoes, cheese and fresh porcini mushrooms. Heaven! And though we didn't speak any Italian, and their English was very limited, we all enjoyed the bike racing and got on very well. Happy days.... :D
Westi
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Hi Vivienz

Tried your recipe last night - got the taste I was after
just need to get it a bit thinner and I'm on my way.
Was going to have it sooner but showing off twirling it
around, dropped it and dog got it! Lesson learnt -
I am not an Italian Pizza Maker, I am inherently clumsy,
the dogs are very fast! :)

Westi
Westi
vivienz
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Excellent - practice makes perfect, so you'll just have to make lots more pizza, Westi. Adding as little extra flour as possible to the dough keeps it softer and easier to make it thinner. If you want it thin right up to the edge, drape the dough over the edge of the pizza tray and then just run a sharpe knife around the edge to trim off the excess in the same way that you would with pastry.
Best wishes,
Vivien
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