Preview: Pizza 4 Ways

In the Pizza variations, one of the recipes calls for pesto; what is your recommended pesto recipe? Other than basil, please provide an arugula pesto, and other suggestions as well. Thanks.

You use grams and milliliters, then you use cups in the recipe. Can you please use a consistent measuring system and not switch? Also, providing the recipe in metric units and also in the American units would be very nice---for all recipes. Do you know how hard it is to find a measuring cup in milliliters in the states? Right now I have to print out the recipe and then do all the conversions and write them down by hand on the printed recipe. I guess I also have to buy a scale so I can do the weight measurements...is it possible to measure the flour by volume instead weight?

Keep up the good work and fantastic cooking school! I realize it's more about cooking than recipes, but this dual measuring system is a real problem.

Just wanted to let you know that this recipe is coming. You can buy great pesto pre made at most local markets. But we will post our recipe for you in the next couple of weeks. Sorry for the confusion. Joe

Very high heat is they key for wood fired style pizza. Since most ovens don't go higher than 500 your pretty much stuck with that. Ultimately targeting 700-900 degrees works well. A 3 min cook time is usually pretty good. Some folks have had luck with the Big Green Egg BBQ as an effective poor mans woodfired oven.

I found when your making multiple pizzas your stone will cool down quite a bit from your original preheat. After making about 3 pizza's on a stone I would recommend adding a 5-10-min cycle of it heating up again without anything on it.

I like the bubbles and slight char on the edges.

Personally not a fan of Cornmeal, the recipe works great without it.

Also on the Tomato side of things, I really like the San Marzano Valley or Cento brand of Italian Tomatoes

Buffala or Smoked Mozzarella is also a nice addition.

Thanks for the Stretching and Storage ideas. :)

We have updated this recipe to include Imperial measurements. It is recommended, however, to use a scale whenever you are making dough or pastry. It is better to weigh flour, rather than to measure it by volume. If you pack the flour into the measuring cup, you may use way more than the recipe calls for, and you'll alter the formula in the recipe. Even the humidity in the environment can affect whether or not the flour will be lighter or heavier.

A scale, preferably digital, will give you precise measurements and will help to ensure a successful recipe. Great baking is all about having the correct formula, so the more accurate you can be, the more consistent your result will be.

We are busy working on launching the cooking school, but a conversion tool will soon be added - we promise! Happy baking!

By the way it is also quite hard to find measuring cups that measure, ah, cups in Europe :) But I managed. I second the metric / imperial proposal. Ideally I could switch it in my settings, at least for the printed recipe.

I wonder how one could handle measuring by weight vs by volume, though.

Generally, liquids should be measured by volume and solids should be measured by weight. Here's a link describing the many reasons why one would invest in a kitchen scale: http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/82/Kitchen-Scales

I'm just curious, but I was surprised that the use of a stand mixer wasn't addressed in making the dough. Are there reasons when to use one and when not to use one? It sure seems like it'd save quite a bit of time, but perhaps there is the danger of over-mixing the dough. Hmm... I just don't know... but that's why I'm here. :)

What about using a food processor with a dough blade to make the pizza dough. Any suggestions?

"Generally, liquids should be measured by volume and solids should be measured by weight."

I agree, but many North American recipes (including this pizza dough recipe) measure flour by volume.

We had published the flour by weigth but had a number of user comments today asking us to indicate both "by weight" and "by volume", so we adjusted the recipe as requested. Now you will find both measurements. Although we strongly recommend the use of a scale as Kimberley suggested above.

Thanks Joe!

As a Canadian (living half time in New Zealand) who completely supports our metric system of measurement, I also would like to see a bit more consistency in the volume and temperature measurements of your recipes. I realize that the poor Americans are the last country in the world to let go of the antiquated Imperial system, but we must do our best to help enlighten them.

Otherwise, I love Rouxbe!

Metric Marilyn

Thanks Rouxbe for changing the measurements. Also, thanks for the info on the use of a scale; I now have one on order.

Oh, and I just wanted to add that as an American, I became enlightened about the metric system when I was a teenager. Clearly it IS the better system, but why we don't use it, I have no idea. Perhaps tonight I'll go to McDonalds and get myself a quarter-pounder to pay homage to our antiquated ways.

You can certainly use a stand mixer with a dough hook or a food processor to mix the dough. However, if you haven’t worked with a lot of dough, it’s great to get your hands dirty and do it by hand. This way, you’ll learn how the dough feels during each of the stages it goes through. You’ll also begin to understand how gluten develops in the dough, and how it becomes smooth and elastic. Once you’ve done it by hand a few times and know what it should look and feel like, you could, if you really wanted to, move on to a mixer.

Using a stand mixer, in my opinion, doesn’t save you that much time. Either way, the dough needs to be kneaded well – the mixer will just save you energy. If you do choose to use a mixer for the dough, put it at a setting that would match the speed of you kneading it by hand. Faster isn’t always better. It’s difficult to over knead dough by hand, but in a mixer, it may start to become wet again if really overworked.

Just try making it by hand. It’s quite therapeutic and satisfying!

Would it work to use all purpose flour instead of semolina flour and bread flour?
Would this work ok?

It's absolutely fine to substitute the entire amount of bread flour and semolina flour with all-purpose flour. You'll still get fantastic results.

I've been making pizza dough w/ semolina for years. Although I've never used bread flour (BTW, what is bread flour?) but I've used all-purpose and unbleached.
I find the unbleached gives the dough a softer texture once cooked. If anything, try it with the semolina, its easy to find and makes a much tastier crust!

Would whole wheat bread flour and all-purpose flour work? Here in the UK, semolina flour does not seem to be readily available but I have found whole wheat bread flour. How would it be using this? I'm assuming slightly healthier!

Bread flour contains higher protein content than all-purpose flour and is preferred by some when making yeast breads. The higher the protein content in flour, the more gluten can be developed when kneading, which is what gives strength and chewy textures to dough. All-purpose flour works just fine.

A combination of whole-wheat bread flour and all-purpose flour will work in this recipe. However, when substituting whole-wheat flour in place of white flour, it can result in a heavier and denser texture. The total amount of flour used in this recipe is 500 grams. Start by trying 200 grams of whole wheat flour and 300 grams of all-purpose flour and see how you like it. Bump it up to 250 grams of each, but don’t use any more whole-wheat flour than that. The texture just won't be the same.

(Just fyi…You can find the protein content of flour in the nutritional section on the package. Bread flour is often around 13.5% protein content (great for breads), while all-purpose flours range between 9-11% (a good general flour for most baking). This is why bakers often use cake flour when making lighter products. Cake flour contains around 8.5% protein content and is a good choice when you want the end result to have a delicate texture.)

I have tried numerous dough recipe's and this one is now my favorite! I bought a digital scale and have to admit that it turned out exceptional! So it made me a believer of using a scale and will continute in the future. Thank you so much for the perfect dough recipe!

I tried a different recipe with cake flour on the weekend (after meaning to buy bread and grabbed the wrong pkge) and my dough is still sitting there looking flat and pathetic. I'm steering clear and going right to bread and/or semolina.
Thanks for the many comments on flour, I'm trying it again and this time, counting on Rouxbe to get me the great results.

I don't have a pizza stone but have a large heavy duty non stick pizza pan with lots of holes in it so the crust can brown. I made one large pizza and made half with the prosciutto recipe and the other side with the pesto, caramalized onion and bocconcini (instead of the goat cheese). It was delicious - 2 of us ate the whole pizza for lunch! The dough was extremely easy to work with and I weighed the ingredients as suggested. I found that my half cup measurement had to be really pressed down several times to weigh 100 grams of semolina. I have made pizza dough before using my bread machine but this dough was 100% better and so easy to stretch. Delicious!

I made pizza last night for dinner. This dough was so easy to make. We stretched the dough quite thin and kept it simple - crushed tomatoes, fresh basil and bocconcini cheese. The crust was incredible. Won't be going out for pizza any time soon.

I found this great video of a guy working at a pizzaria on a Friday night. He's amazing at it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTCCynybQc4. I just to love watching the guys throw pizzas at the Colonnade in Ottawa when I was a kid.

Sorry, the URL is wrong above. It should be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTCCynybQc4

Thanks for that Mary...I love to see people that are really good at what they do. Here is another one that is quite good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mBi077QL6k&e

Thanks for sharing...wish I was having pizza now!

I love goat cheese with the onions!
Do you know a gluten free pizza dough recipe?

I made this last night and forgot to heat up the stone. The bottom of the pizza was underdone and gooey despite cooking it on the highest setting of my electric fan oven and cooking for 15 minutes. Won't forget to heat up the stone again. Ended up taking the pizza (on parchment- great tip) and baking it the rest of the time without the stone.

I tried many pizzas recipes and this is the best one ever
(Perhaps its because i just boughtthe stone- this make the difference).

I tried it but the result was stuck to the pizza stone! and now i don't know how to wash it off! i soaked it in the water and all the bits and pieces were gone and all but the stone is now slightly discolored! help?!

Unfortunately once you use a pizza stone it will never look the same again. They will always have oil and or darker spots on them...it's just the life of a well-used pizza stone.

As for the sticking, perhaps you didn't use enough flour or cornmeal under the dough before you transferred it to the stone...or maybe there were holes in your dough and the cheese leaked out and stuck. This has happened to me, it is frustrating yes, but the pizza was still delicious.

Don't give up though, because homemade pizza is the best!

Hi....

Since I can't find a pizza stone in my area I heard that you can use floor tiles which is much cheaper and does the same work, but I don't know which kind to use ?? can anyone help me with this please ??

Here is a pretty good link to another forum on this subject. While "unglazed quarry tiles" seem to work for some people. there are some questions about being food safe The Fresh Loaf

Here is another forum from Chowhound that might be helpful

There is also some great info and pictures here at Sourdough Home

Hope this helps!

Thanks Dawn ...

can't seem to find the semolina flour. can I make the dough without it and or replace it with something else?

You don't have to use semolina flour in this recipe. You can easily use all bread flour (500 grams or 3 3/4 cups) and obtain excellent results. Happy pizza making!

THANKS KIMBERLEY S. i will write it down. imma get right to it.

whoaa ooohhh playdough i mean pizza dough ....lol

In the margarita recipe, you brush the dough with olive oil prior to saucing, but this step is omitted for the similarly-sauced serrano ham recipe. Just curious what adding the initial coating of olive oil does (so I know when to do it in the future)?

Brushing the crust with oil is used just to add a bit of crispiness and color to the crust, but it is an optional step. Hope this helps!

You can clean a pizza stone using kosher salt. I did it with mine and was amazed at the results. Not brand new, but a huge improvement. Coat the stone with a thick layer of kosher salt and rub it in vigorously. Let it sit for a day or two and you should see the moisture come out gradually.

If you have a gas grill, you can put the stone on the grill with kosher salt and crank it up. I put mine on high (~700F) for a couple of hours and it was really clean when finished. Obviously use caution with the high heat not to get burned or shock the stone which could break it.

I have tried this dough recipe a number of times. The first try was fantastic, but I am having trouble duplicating the results. It seems most of the time, before kneading the dough, it is extremely dry - lots of flour left in the bowl. As I try to knead it, it dries out and breaks apart. I have 2 questions - does semolina flour weigh more than bread flour? The call for 1/2 cup of semolina weighing 100g does not match up with 3 1/4 cups of bread flour weighing 400g. I am measuring by volume instead of weight because I don't have a scale (yet!). Also, how much would the result be effected by humidity and other environmental factors? I am going to buy a good scale and retry tonight, as I am obsessed with duplicating my original result!

The dough should definitely not have been as dry as you describe. Different flours have different weights (yes, semolina weighs more than bread flour) and you may have packed more flour into the measuring cups when measuring by volume.

For the most consistent results, it is best to invest in a kitchen scale. Flours can definitely be impacted by the humidity - this is why it is best to weigh ingredients (especially when you start to make dough and bread,etc.). This will help you obtain consistent results and understand how the dough should feel. Once you become comfortable and know what to feel and look for, scales can become less important with certain recipes.

You don't have to spend a lot on a scale. A good feature to have though (if you are buying a digital one) is that it measures in one gram increments. This becomes more important the further you get into baking. Hope this helps!

I have found that I love the combination of cilantro and pecans in my pesto. It has a great flavor and texture!

My Italian wife wasn't happy I didn't use her dough and was even more insulted that I declined her sauce but when it came time to eat there was nothing but smiles. Easy and delicious for this first time pizza-from-scratch maker. Thanks Rouxbe!

Well,,,, I am a confirmed pizza addict and I've made all the pizzas here. My favorite is the Marguerita pizza. The dough is divine. I use a kitchen scale for 'measuring' and the dough is always perfect. We've impressed many friends with our pizza making skills! The other night, I tried my own variation and it was so good I thought it was worth sharing. It's a sun-dried tomato pizza with sliced black olives and chopped red onion. Roll out the crust and instead of brushing it with olive oil, use the oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes. Then add a bit of the crushed tomato sauce but less than you would usually use. Also use some broken up Marzano tomatoes. Then add the sun dried tomatoes here and there, the olives and the onions, then some sliced boccocini cheese. Cover the pizza with a thin coating of Fontina cheese. Bake in 450 oven for about 8 minutes. Add Fleur de Sel salt when you are ready to eat. It's amazing, IMO!!

What time is dinner? It sounds delicious :-) Thanks for sharing.

is this enough dough to make two rectangular pizza (size of baking stone is close to 1/2" sheet)

As mentioned in the chef notes, this dough is enough for 8 small pizzas, so I think it should be enough for 2 larger pizzas. Cheers!

drizzle dough with olive oil, place tomato slices in circlular pattern starting in middle, top with fresh mozzarell sprinkle with chiffonade basil and add a h a touch of olive oil. salt pepper to taste or not. this is delious and you do not have to make tomato sauce first if you don't have it on hand, what do you think?

The best pizza crust I've ever made! Everyone had fun creating their own pizza and I really love the flavor of the sauce. The texture of this crust was perfect. I can't say enough how much we enjoyed this. I can't wait to experiment again...probably tomorrow.

Hi,
I tried the pizza dough today but it was a failure :(

I measured everything according to the recipe. However, the dough was a bit dry when I kneaded it. It didn't come as smooth as what's showed in the video. I put some to the freezer and left one piece of dough enough for a 12 inches pizza. I put peeled tomato with sliced garlic, salt and basil, pineapple, pepperoni and cheese. However the base was a bit soggy when it came out. The side is too dry. i just wonder why. I follow the instruction by putting the pizza in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes at 450F (approx 275 C). As I couldn't find semolina flour, I just used coarse semolina. Was that the reason why the dough is dry and didn't look smooth even I kneaded for 15 mins?

How did you measure the ingredients? Using a scale or using measuring cups? With measuring cups, sometimes there is a tendency to pack in the flour too much, which throws off the dry:liquid ratio. This is where you learn how to adjust the dough by adding a bit more liquid (see the lessons in the Bread section for in depth information). Next time, use fine semolina as opposed to coarse (or just omit it and substitute bread flour).

In regards to the sogginess, the ingredients you used were quite high in water content. As these cook, they will release their water and make the dough soggy. Be sure to really drain the pineapple and perhaps garnish with fresh tomato after cooking.

You can also brush the crust with olive oil before adding the toppings and placing it on the pizza stone to bake. It will be helpful to review the lessons in the cooking school on making bread. These pizzas are delicious so don't give up - it just takes practice. Hope this helps. Cheers!

Thanks Kimberley. I will definitely give it another go. I did drain the pineapple before putting on the pizza and I also used a pizza stone to bake the pizza. Next time after I drain the pineapples, perhaps I should use some paper towels to absorb any excess water from the pineapples. I will also revisit the lessons re making bread to see what I had missed. I will also omit the coarse semolina next time as I couldn't find fine semolina. I will let you know how I go after my second attempt. :)

Cheers
May May