Pizza base recipes

Tree

So i made a scone style base in school, not a good base for a pizza in my mind.

my friend made a farl style base using brown rice flour
(450g flour, 188ml water, 1 tsp bread soda, handful of chopped basil, pinch of salt.
mix dry ingredients
make well and add liquid
should form a stiff dough
form into two balls and flatten
heat a large pan and sprinkle w/ flour
when flour starts to brown pop on the dough
cook for about four mins each side
hey presto)


I tried a variation on the theme with selfraising flour, thyme and water. similar method but four balls instead. couldnt get them to go thin enough for me but nice anyway. nice basic base to make when time is pressing on.


Anyone have any other style of base? id like to try a ciabatta style one some time

Blub2k4

I tend to use a traditional base with yeast and let it prove and knock it back and prove etc.
I find the yeast is essential as it gives it a lightness it does not otherwise have.
I dont know the recipe details now, I have them in a book at home, I tend to use my breadmaker to do the mixing and proving and it is great.

Shabadu

The way we used to do it when I shared a flat with my kitchen-aid owning best friend, was to add the fresh yeast & warm water, (1 litre to 2 litres depending on how many we were feeding) into the mixing bowl with a pinch of sugar. We'd then start the paddle and slowly add strong flour until it was just coming away from the sides, followed by a glug of olive oil & good pinch of salt. Then put on the dough hook & knead for 10 mins, cover with oiled clingfilm & leave in the hot press, knock it back, turn it out and roll it, pop on baking sheet scattered w/ polenta. We never really measured it. I think the crucial part is to have a decent glass of wine while making it.

We'd also use this base for foccacia. We'd leave it a bit thicker, press our fingers into it to make hollows for the olive oil. We'd then stuff it with slivers of garlic, and cover it in sliced tomato, onion and peppers or courgettes. Maybe pop some parmesan over for the last 10 mins, or some asparagus.

Mo-Mo

4oz of self-raising fkour
pinch of salt
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp oil
more water if needed

flour a tray and kneed the flour, salt and water until a dough, roll out into tin circles.

Heat the oil on a pan and place the dough base on it, cover and fry until cooked.

put ingredients on top and pop into the over on a lowish temperature.

I will admit that I have not tried this yet but someone who swears by it gave me the recipe.

rubadub

If anybody confirms that no-yeast recipe let me know. I never realised yeast costed so much these days. It was cheaper for me to just buy a cheap pizza and stick my own toppings on rather than make a base.

Blub2k4

Quick yeast is not all that expensive is it?

Tree

mo-mo's and my farl/variation on a farl dont use yeast

brianthebard

Blub2k4 wrote:

Quick yeast is not all that expensive is it?

It's about three quid for a wee box that has 8 satchets in it. That makes four loaves of bread for me. In the end it works out slightly cheaper than just buying a loaf/pizza. And of course you get a better taste.

rubadub

It is not extremely expensive but your €3 for 4 loaves is 75cent for each loaf on yeast alone. It is overpriced if supermarkets can sell loaves for 35cent (albeit horrible stuff!)

noby

brianthebard wrote:

It's about three quid for a wee box that has 8 satchets in it. That makes four loaves of bread for me. In the end it works out slightly cheaper than just buying a loaf/pizza. And of course you get a better taste.

Why use two sachets per loaf?
There are billions (roughly) of yeast cells, that multiply when added to warm water/sugar. I just use one sachet for two small loafs, or about half a dozen large pizza bases.

brianthebard

noby wrote:

Why use two sachets per loaf?
There are billions (roughly) of yeast cells, that multiply when added to warm water/sugar. I just use one sachet for two small loafs, or about half a dozen large pizza bases.

Because that's what the recipe I've been using lately says? I've used recipes where less is needed too.

mel123

while on the subject of pizza, ive tried many times to make a base but have failed miserably. the dough just never seems to stick together. what am i doing wrong? i thought u would be able to buy pizza dough in the supermarket but couldnt find any?!?

Shabadu

mel123 wrote:

while on the subject of pizza, ive tried many times to make a base but have failed miserably. the dough just never seems to stick together. what am i doing wrong? i thought u would be able to buy pizza dough in the supermarket but couldnt find any?!?

I'm guessing that your problem is that you haven't been kneading it enough. You simply have to knead it for at leat 10 minutes to activate the gluten, so the dough sticks together. When the dough has been kneaded enough it becomes elasticy and springy to the touch. Give it a go again.

mel123

Shabadu, after i have added all the ingredients into the bowl and mixed it around, its not like a mixture all stuck together, is this right? then i have to take it out and knead it together??

Tree

keep mixing for a bit longer than you want to, then a dribble more liquid and try again, if it gets too wet its soooo annoying

dudara

The best recipe I've ever used comes from Tim Allen's Bread Book. It works a charm and freezes really well. You do have to knead it like mad however for about 10 mins.

dras

Quick and easy but needs yeast - from nigella's first book. Worked well for me the other day (first time).

150ml warm water
2 tblsp olive oil
good pinch salt
250g plain flour
1 heaped teasp dried yeast

Mix all together, add more or less water as required. Turn out and knead for 5 mins (thats all I did and it was grand). Put into sl oiled bowl and turn over to get bit oily. Cling film on top and put warm place for 1 hour. knock out air (slapped it about a bit so i did) and knead for another few seconds. Put onto baking tray (i oiled it slightly) with tomato sauce on top. hottest oven you can get for 20 mins until mostly cooked (solid not spongy) then bring out and put on toppings.

Thick and doughy type pizza. Smashing.

Quball15

I don't think anyone has mentioned but if you like cooking pizza, you should definately go out and buy a pizza stone. I believe they have them in Arnotts, only cost around a tenner but will make a big difference to your pizzas. Trust me and try it out...

Tree

what'll that do for me then?

Quball15

Pizza Stones
Home-made pizza tastes infinitely better when baked on a pizza stone. These terra cotta tiles help keep the bottom crust crisp rather than the soggy crust one gets from a pizza pan. They're available at better cookware stores in a variety of price ranges. The cheap ones work just as well as the more expensive ones, so save your money.

Hint:
With the stone you will also need a paddle to get the pizza to the hot stone and back. Long handled paddles are much easier to use then the more common short handled paddles.

Use:
Place stone in middle of oven and heat to 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle stone with corn meal. Sprinkle paddle generously with corn meal and place pizza dough on paddle before adding toppings. Add pizza toppings. Use quick jerking motions to transport pizza from paddle to stone. If you are not careful at this point or you can end up with your pizza at bottom of the oven or on the floor. Use paddle to remove pizza when crust is browned and cheese is bubbly. do not try to remove stone from oven until cool.

Stone Care:

* Never use soap on the stone
* Never move to a hot surface when stone is cold and vise versa.
* Season the stone with olive oil after each cleaning


I personally always managed without a paddle but had a few accidents. And i heated my stone up for about an hour before putting the pizza in. Really fantastic pizzza...seriously try it out!

Shabadu

Corn meal = polenta basically, for anyone looking for it. Available in most supermarkets.

rsta

brianthebard wrote:

It's about three quid for a wee box that has 8 satchets in it. That makes four loaves of bread for me. In the end it works out slightly cheaper than just buying a loaf/pizza. And of course you get a better taste.

supervalu does a pack of 8 7gram yeast sachets for €2.38

Supercell

Does anyone know if freezing a yeast based base will ruin the dough?

noby

Not if you ask me. I always make up extra bases and freeze them.

rockbeer

Sachets are a ruinously expensive way to buy yeast. Most wholefood shops sell little 125g tins or vac-pacs: much better value. In Dublin try Nourish or Down to Earth.

I make a sourdough pizza base - mix the sourdough starter with flour and warm water, knead till it all comes together, and leave to prove in the hot press for ages (8 hours +). Another quick knead then roll it out, let it rise for a while, add the toppings and bake in the hottest oven on a pre-heated terracotta tile. Fantastic.

If anybody needs a sourdough starter, pm me or you can get an excellent one for $1 from http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/

Feed your starter regularly and you'll never need to buy yeast again.

Cheers,
Bruce

Asiaprod

Longfield wrote:

Does anyone know if freezing a yeast based base will ruin the dough?

No problem, do it all the time.

gonker

* Never move to a hot surface when stone is cold and vise versa.

Eh yes I can vouch for that. Had a lovely pizza stone for years and put it down on the hot hob when it was cold and broke it into a million pieces:(

I miss it thanks for letting me know they have them in Arnotts

rockbeer

Those pizza stones are hard to find and cost a fortune. An unglazed terracotta tile treated with olive oil does the job just as well.

Supercell

rockbeer wrote:

Those pizza stones are hard to find and cost a fortune. An unglazed terracotta tile treated with olive oil does the job just as well.

I searched all around Dublin for one and could only find a large round one in Arnotts that was too big for my oven (and I don't think it was the proper type of stone either).
In the end ordered one on ebay from 3-2-1-pizza.eu which wasnt too expensive, hopefully it it won't be smashed to bits when I receive it.