Home Made Pizzas..Again.

[Creek_George]

Now this is a bachelor experience..on my trials with accomplishing a home-made pizza...It's easier..than going through the thought/ordeal mastering one...reading my wisdom for you first timers.....(giggle).

Go buy a box of Jiffy Pizza Crust Mix...You'll find it in any grocery store..no matter how far in the sticks you may be....It's 51 cents a box..makes one crust for nice sized medium pizza..You could even do a stuffed crust..It's enough for just that..if you're looking for a big bang.

Anyways...

Odds are it'll be near other pizza crap..in the grocery....Maybe be near the Contadina pizza sauce in the can.

Grab a can of that...It's a can the same size of your average can of soup...but enough sauce for 2-3 pizzas...depending on your like for sauce.

A crust only goes so far..on the amount of sauce ya can put on it..(within reason)

A can of this goes for a 1.20 up here..Maybe bigger groceries it's a buck a can..but this is not the topic...

So grab that Jiffy Pizza Crust Mix..and a can of that Contadina...They have the regular,a four cheese..and a pepperoni mix...All of them are good.

So we're up to 1.71 cents..for a medium sized pizza...crust & sauce only.

Now keep in mind...if one is just average with the sauce application from the can...it can extend to 3 pizzas easily.

So if one bought 3 boxes of Jiffy Pizza Crust Mix..and 1 bought one 15 ounce can of Contadina...That's 2.71 cents for 3 pizzas.....crust & sauce only.


When it comes to the cheese...mozzarella..That's where ya have to shop around...Buy bulk...(save maybe)?...That's if your a die hard pizza eater....You'll save..more filling..tastes better..and better for ya too.

I have no tips & tricks for the toppings you chose...They cost...but they go along ass ways...One of those carton of freshed sliced mushrooms is good for 3-4 pizzas...onions are cheep..and always use roma tomatos for pizza..less juice..more firm..and best for pizza..A green pepper diced fine..adds a flavor I like also....Toppings go a long ways....

If you're a good shopper...watch for deals...

For 3-4 bucks a pizza...better than any medium..or what some places would claim as a large..Ya can't beat the price..flavor..let alone 1000% less the calories.

Don't shop in any grocery...having in mind to make one home-made pizza...If you keep that in mind..and could fit eating a home-made pizza into your life..every 4-5 days..buy in bulk then...These babies are affordable.


Now...Back to making this bad boy....

Prep it like it says..on the Jiffy Box..(crust)...Grab a glass bowl...hot water..the mix..and whip it up...Grab a big spoon..and work the water/dough into eachother...When it looks mixed..almost like a pancake batter..but thick & hunky...(1 minute tops working it)..Put a thing of wax paper on the bowl..(cover it for 5 minutes)...put it in the warmest spot ya can find...even if need be outside.

Bring it back in...fuck the flour board routine....Have your greased pan/tray ready...Have the flour bag next to the bowl...Work your fingers into the flour...like no tomorow...Grab a pinch..or two also..and sprinkle on the mound of blob...Constantly keep diping your fingers into the flour..If not..that shit will stick....Take your time...don't worry...you wont over flour it...You won't ruin it playing it safe with flour....Just don't dump the bag into it...The flour is only to prevent it sticking to you..(look at it that way..and you wont abuse it)

Take your time...After a few pizzas..there is no mess when ya master this...Use a piece of wax paper..and do the flour thing if it works better for you....

The thing is...home made pizzas that we..well are never satisfied with...Is serious shit.

The directions to this crap..call for greasing the pan....

Spray it with Butter Pam...one extra shot if ya wana feel safe....Vegetable Oil...and your Crisco is nasty stuff.

It also says "proof" the crust....Put it in the oven for 3 minutes.

Now get your crust made out on the pan......

THEN give it a gentle sprinkle of Garlic Bread Spread Sprinkle...I know McKormik?..Mcormic..McCormicks..Makes it..Its in the seasoning section...

I use that for my Garlic bread...just toast whatever white bread ya got on hand...or wana buy for the side with a spaghetti dinner..or do in the oven...Get a bottle of this stuff...and it will show you how crappy buying store bought garlic loafs..really are..To buy the small bottle...It's in the seasonings..MCCormick..."Garlic Bread Sprinkle"...BUY IT...Toast some white bread..oven some thick loaf crap..whatever...Top it with I can't believe it's not butter...and sprinkle this stuff on....That small bottle is like 40 loafs at a grocery....goes a long ass ways.

BACK to the pizza...

After ya got the crust made out on your pan...Proof it for 6 minutes...Not 3 minutes...The crust..cooks..and gets cooked...take it out..Put your sauce on...light sprinkles of cheese then..mix your topping in..more sprinkles of cheese...Put it back in for 5-6 minutes..at the temps recommended on the box.

The most crucial thing..in doing any kind of pizza...Even if it's a Tony's..(smile)..If the toppings go to hell...you are screwed...

Even if you've failed...ya have to master the crust to your liking....before ya put your stuff on from the getco....Learn when your crust is ready for your toppings.

Master the pizza crust..and one knows dam well when the topping are hot & the cheese melted...it's ready to chow..Go simple..a 3.00 thing of pizza sauce..and a premade crust in the bakery is not the memory..any should have when it comes to home-made pizza.

If anybody wants to add a sauce they believe is the best..or a crust we should take a tackle at..lets here it...

Recipe included please..

 

[Gunny]

I used to spin pizzas for a living before I joined the Marines. You can actually get a better recipe than Jiffy. You might want to try making your own dough from scratch ... it really isn't that hard ..even for a batchelor.

 

[Creek_George]

I used to spin pizzas for a living before I joined the Marines. You can actually get a better recipe than Jiffy. You might want to try making your own dough from scratch ... it really isn't that hard ..even for a batchelor.

I'll give it a shot..and track down the goods I need to get at the store..I'll do a search at google for a good dough recipe...I would sure LOVE to master making my own dough from scratch for these babys....

I remember this pizza joint where I use to live...They had a dam good sour dough crust...Dam it was good!!

I was starting to look 8 months pregnant...till I moved away from that place..Oooh man..

I know there are better sauces out there too...

Believe it,or not...It took me about 20 pizzas before one tasted good...Hahahaha...

Now I'm craving a pineapple & ham....Kinda low on the cheese at the moment though...auuugh...

 

[Annie]

I kinda make up as I go, this is close though. I use the Joy of Cooking as the 'beginning' of many of my experiments. :

http://transfatty.blogs.com/index/2005/03/pizza_dough.html

Pizza Dough

Whenever I've made pizza dough in the past, I've always followed whatever recipe was on hand. So I set out to develop "my" pizza dough recipe, meaning one I can make automatically, without even thinking. (That doesn't mean it has to be original, just that it works for me.)

I wanted a recipe that could work with fresh or dry active yeast, whichever I happen to have on hand. (As much as I like making focaccia with sourdough starter, this recipe has to be quick enough to compete with a frozen pizza or commercially-made crust.) I also want to be able to make the dough ahead and freeze it in ball-shaped portions that I can pull out one at a time when I'm ready to bake.

I started with a basic recipe from Joy of Cooking:

1 packet dry active yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water (110 °F)
3 1/2 - 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

First I converted the 3 1/2 cups of flour to 18 ounces, which is roughly the same, but a lot easier to measure consistently. (If you don't have a kitchen scale, buy one. They aren't expensive, and believe me, it's easier than counting and leveling cup after cup of flour.) For the optional sugar, I compromised on 2 teaspoons. Thus we have the first draft of "my" recipe:

1 packet dry active yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water (110 °F)
18 ounces all-purpose flour (roughly 3 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar (still optional)

I combined the yeast and water in the steel bowl that comes with my stand mixer, gave it a quick stir, and let it sit for about five minutes until the yeast was dissolved. Then I added the other dry ingredients and mixed on low speed using a dough hook attachment for about 10 minutes until the dough was smooth, uniform, and elastic (not my words, but that's how I've been told dough is supposed to feel).

The dough was still a bit moist, so I pulled it out of the bowl, added a handful of flour, and kneaded it by hand a minute or two more. Then I rounded it into a ball, set it back in the bowl, covered it with plastic, and set it in on a window sill in direct sunlight. (This being March in Chicago, I need all the warmth I can get. In the summer, or in the south, this wouldn't be an issue.)

An hour later the dough had roughly doubled in size, so I punched it flat, rolled it into the shape of a french loaf, and sliced it into three small portions and two larger ones, which I rounded into balls, popped into a freezer bag, and set in the freezer. (Rolling it into a loaf shape isn't necessary, but makes it easier to slice it into consistent portions. The smaller ones are roughly golf ball sized, intended for appetizer pizzas; the larger ones are baseball sized.)
​

To bake, I'll set out however many I need to defrost for an hour or so, roll them flat, and go from there. For the appetizer pizzas, I put them through a pasta machine to yield a very thin crust. The others I do with a rolling pin. I haven't learned to spin the dough in the air yet, but that could be a future posting.

Of course this is only a first step. Next time I'll try switching from all-purpose flour to bread flour, which has a higher protein content. I'll also try skipping the sugar and compare the result, and experiment with different proofing times (how long to let it rise before or after freezing). And over time, I will develop "my" recipe, which will make it's way to this blog.

Update: I tried baking with the dough the other day and it worked fine, even though I rushed the defrosting. I pulled two of the smaller balls (golf ball sized, approx 3 oz) from the freezer and set them in a warm oven (175°F) for a few minutes. This is the wrong way to do it because the outside begins to rise while the inside is still frozen, but I needed to get dinner on the table. Then I kneaded it for a minute or two, rolled it flat in a pasta machine -- this makes long, narrow pizzas with very thin crust -- and topped it with a bit of tomato paste (mixed with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper), carmelized onions, and Mexican crumbling cheese. Baked it up at 425 and it tasted great.

 

[Creek_George]

I kinda make up as I go, this is close though. I use the Joy of Cooking as the 'beginning' of many of my experiments. :

http://transfatty.blogs.com/index/2005/03/pizza_dough.html

I'm gona give this a shot....I wish I could watch somebody do this..Hahahahaha..

I'll learn..because I believe trying multiple time...will pay off..Hopefuly not after a dozen attempts...

I really thought I was onto something with my Jiffy Crust Mix...(smile)..I should be greatful that I'm at least 1 step ahead of a Dominos..or those cheep Tony's Pizza..that taste artifical..Not to mention just awful.

I'm glad you pointed out how the dough should be...when making it ready for the crust..How it should feel...Because I wouldn't know....Oooh man...(laughing)

So far every pizza I've made...the dough has been a little different everytime..I have not been consistant in mastering it yet...

Oh..one quick question...The olive oil you use...Is it that extra virgin stuff...used more for toping bread,with noodles etc....Or just the regular cheeper stuff people use for frying?

Thanks...Gona try this sometime this week..

Creek

 

[Annie]

I'm gona give this a shot....I wish I could watch somebody do this..Hahahahaha..

I'll learn..because I believe trying multiple time...will pay off..Hopefuly not after a dozen attempts...

I really thought I was onto something with my Jiffy Crust Mix...(smile)..I should be greatful that I'm at least 1 step ahead of a Dominos..or those cheep Tony's Pizza..that taste artifical..Not to mention just awful.

I'm glad you pointed out how the dough should be...when making it ready for the crust..How it should feel...Because I wouldn't know....Oooh man...(laughing)

So far every pizza I've made...the dough has been a little different everytime..I have not been consistant in mastering it yet...

Oh..one quick question...The olive oil you use...Is it that extra virgin stuff...used more for toping bread,with noodles etc....Or just the regular cheeper stuff people use for frying?

Thanks...Gona try this sometime this week..

Creek

Let's just put it this way, Joy of Sex was a play on the font of Joy of Cooking that came before, (no pun intended).

 

[Creek_George]

Let's just put it this way, Joy of Sex was a play on the font of Joy of Cooking that came before, (no pun intended).

No need for the heads up..or to apologize for a good giggle...(smile).

Olive oil is meant to be used for cooking...(smile)...and those sticky dough balls are suppose to be meant for making a pizza crust with...Hahahaha..

They say the quickest way to a man's heart..is his stomach..Some women like to be wined & dined as well...

I see what ya mean...good cooking..is good forplay...

I guess when it comes to love..and when a couple is together for a long period of time...It is a sexual cook-book between two people...That's a nice thought & memory...We've all been there...

Boy..I can just imagine if we were talking about Breadsticks here.....(smile).

Thanks for the recipe...will most definate put it into action.

Hahaha..