#20
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After almost 20 years of trying, I finally perfected home-made NY-style pizza. The secret turned out to be simplicity. But anyhow, my 14" diameter pizza stone cracked after subjecting it to the high heat on the bottom of the oven which is where the gas flame heats the oven. No harm; no foul. I got a new stone. It's called Fibrament (http://www.bakingstone.com) . 15" X 18" and 3/4 thick. Shiped from the manufacturer it's on $60 which includes UPS shipping. Unlike my last stones, this one has a 10 year warranty not to crack. It took 5 hours to warm up it up gradually to 500 degrees and then hold it there for two hours to fully cure it. I was thinking about simply getting tiles from Home Depot or Lowes, but this stone can be left on the lowest rack of the oven & will help the oven 'perform' better.
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#21
  Pizza Cooking Stones Backhertz After almost 20 year...
I haven't made a pizza in years but have been thinking about trying it again. They just don't come out like I want them too! Why doesn't the cheese at the grocery store taste like the stuff I get on my pizza?

I heard that the Fibrament baking stones were great. If mine ever breaks, I'll be getting one of those. Mine has lasted for 15 years now (I feel old!). I have no idea what brand it is, but I sure do love it.

So, do we get to find out what your perfected pizza recipe is or are you going to keep us hanging?
Tammy
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#22
  Re: Pizza Cooking Stones TwilightKitten I haven't made a piz...
In one word: simplicity. A simple dough, sauce & cheese.
I've been trying for 20 years to make a NY-style pizza. One with a thin, hard crust. The key is the flour. You can read about Caputo 00 or King Arthur Sir LAncelot with high gluten being the best, but most likely any simple bread flour will do. Not All Purpose flour. Anyhow, I had a bread machine down in the appliance graveyard and found it has a dough making mode. The recipe calls for 1 cup of water, 1 Tbspn of olive oil, 2 teaspns of salt, 2 3/4 cups of bread flour and a package or 2 teaspoons of yeast. Mix it up in the machine & you'll get a great dough. I had never used enough water when i had tried doing it by hand. So once it's done, cover the outside with some olive oil, throw it in a ziplock bag & refrigerate for a day. The sauce is made from San Marzano whole-peeled tomatoes I buy in a large 106 oz can from Costco's for $2.79. I simply empty into a pot & crush them. I add a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of sugar, and a 1/4 vup of virgin olive oil per 28 oz of sauce. Bring it to a boil & simmer 30 minutes. These tomatoes are out of this world. THe next day, pull the dough out a couple of hours ahead of time & bring to room temp. Preheat a pizza stone to 505 degrees. Divide the dough in half. Then on a floured surface, start pushing it down & streching it out till you get a 14-15" diameter pie or whatever shape you want. Add flour, as needed, when you're doing this. Then sprinkle corn meal on a pizza peel and lay the dough on top. The corn meal acts like ball bearings. I then take a ladel of the sauce with the small pieces of tomato and spread it out. Then sprinke with oreganzo & lightly drizzle olive oil on top of the sauce. Still with me? The cheese. This where I always had problems. I use 2 types of mozzarella, both whole milk. Using just ball mozzarella usually ended up buring the cheese. One is Polly-O shreadded mozzarella, the other is fresh white ball mozzarella. I chop up a ball and sprinkle it all over the pie. Not too much. Then I go over & cover the gaps with the shreadded so combined the top is almost totally covered, but you can still see the sauce. Then throw this rascal on the stone & cook it to where you like it, pull it out & enjoy. That's all there is. I've read on the pizza making forum about using the special 00 flour, the Grande brand mozzarella; both of which are hard to get in small quantities. I found out by accident, a Shop Rite supermarket by me gets large tubs of the Grande mozzarella & repackages the balls with a Shop Rite label & sells em for $8 a lb. I found essentially the same thing in Costco for $3 a lb. Then just practice till you get what you want. It's really very simple. My family & friends qwant me to open a pizza place, but pizza is not my life. If you want to use pepperoni, then nuke it between paper towels in the microwave to remove some to the grease so you don't wear it.
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#23
  Re: Pizza Cooking Stones Backhertz In one word: simplic...
Thank you for sharing! I am totally on board with the simplicity thing. My favorite pizza in the whole world has what I think is a very simple sauce and not a whole lot of cheese. I always thought I was an extra-cheese person, but I guess I'm not. I knew I wanted crushed tomatoes as my sauce, but wasn't sure about seasonings. Thank you again! This will be the next pizza I make.
Tammy
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#24
  Re: Pizza Cooking Stones TwilightKitten Thank you for sharin...
There was an issue---many moons ago--that had a GREAT recipe for pizza dough and simple sauces with toppings---The dough is our all time favorite--we do not have pizza out anymore!!! I also have a great sauce recipe from Cooks Illustrated. Anyone interested in either, I will be happy to post!! I have a Miele oven and the stone is custom made for it----WOW!!!
"Never eat more than you can lift" Miss Piggy
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#25
  Re: Pizza Cooking Stones Roxanne 21 There was an issue--...
I'm always open to new recipes. I'm not familiar with Miele products, but they look to be the cat's meow. I also subcribe to Cooks Illustrated; go figure. Please post your recipe. Coming from an Italian family, tomato sauce has been a staple on my life. My mother always used the Red Pack brand which like the Nina San Marzanzo whole peeled tomates I recently found, almost have a sweet taste right from the can. How do you make your dough? Thanx.
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#26
  Re: Pizza Cooking Stones Backhertz I'm always open to n...
Hi Backhertz, Miele products here in South Africa are the Ferraris of the motor cars--if you like that sort of vehicle for a Sunday spin---YEAH!!! I know that there are a few products in the US and very well critiqued. Anyway--not to be long winded but I thought I would share my favorite pizza dough recipe with you and any one else who may be interested.

Neapolitan Dough Issue 32 Page 32 Cuisine at Home

This dough takes 6-8 hours but it's the real deal!!
Makes four 8-inch pizzas

Combine:
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 t. active dry yeast (half of a 1/4 oz. pkg)
Mix with:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 T. sea salt
Add yeast mixture; knead. Cover and let rise. Shape into pizza crusts.

Combine water and yeast. Proof until foamy, 5-8 minutes. (I am using the instant yeast so that step is not necessary).
Mix flours and salt in bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Add yeast mixture to flour and knead at low speed for 30 minutes (NOT a typo!!!). Shape dough into a round, place in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let dough rise 4 hours in a warm place. Punch down, divide into four pieces, shape into balls. Brush lightly with oil, cover completely with plastic wrap, and let rise another 2-4 hours.
Shape by pressing fingertips into dough, leaving edge puffy to create a rim. Grasp rim with hands, working your way around the circle. As dough dangles, it stretches while edge stays plump---I have even spun this in the air like a real pizza guy!!!

Side note---Baker's Catalogue has a pizza dough flavor ingredient that is really great!! Inexpensive but adds that extra bit of difference--.

This recipe takes time but well worth it!!!


Quick Tomato Sauce for Pizza---Cook's Illustrated

2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes or tomatoes packed in puree, chopped coarsely
Salt and ground black pepper

Heat garlic with oil in saucepan over medium heat. When garlic starts to sizzle, add tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered until sauce is thick enough to mound on a spoon, about 15 minutes, Season to taste with salt and pepper (BUT remember your toppings!!)

This is the simplest recipe ---sooo easy but perfect as a base. Hope you all enjoy as much as we do!!!
"Never eat more than you can lift" Miss Piggy
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#27
  Re: Pizza Cooking Stones Roxanne 21 Hi Backhertz, Miel...
Quote:


Side note---Baker's Catalogue has a pizza dough flavor ingredient that is really great!! Inexpensive but adds that extra bit of difference--.




Oooh, I just used the pizza flavoring tonight (for the first time) in some garlic knots. lol...I confused it with potato flour and used way too much...had to scoop out as much as I could! Duh!

Thanks for the tip about using it in the pizza dough which I probably wouldn't have thought to do...even though it's meant for pizza dough. Duh, again!
Tammy
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#28
  Re: Pizza Cooking Stones Roxanne 21 Hi Backhertz, Miel...
Quote:

knead at low speed for 30 minutes (NOT a typo!!!)




I was just going over this recipe and saw the 30 minute knead time which was recommended to do in a mixer. Do you use a Kitchen Aid mixer? I talked to Kitchen Aid yesterday about kneading bread doughs, and they said not to exceed a 6-8 minute knead time. They said kneading any longer than that can cause damage to the motor. Of course, there is a picture of a Kitchen Aid mixer in the pizza article! I'm so confused! Anybody have any thoughts on this? Thanks!
Tammy
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#29
  Re: Pizza Cooking Stones TwilightKitten [blockquote]Quote:[h...
I use my Kitchen Aide for this recipe and have done so many, many times. NO PROBLEM!!! You are using the low speed. The trick is to get all of the ingredients incorporated with a large spoon or spatula and then let the mixer do its thing---you will not be disappointed.
"Never eat more than you can lift" Miss Piggy
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