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Any tips on making pizza dough? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 3,239
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Any tips on making pizza dough?
I just can't seem to get it to rise, my crusts are always hard and crispy, not light.
1.I have tried both the sachet of quick action yeast and the normal yeast. I use a thermometer to get the correct temperature. 2. I leave it in a large bowl, covered in celophane to rise. 3. I use a metal pizza tray and put it in a pre-heated oven. Any tips please. Its in the detail where i think i'm going wrong. |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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I use this method
1tsp of Allinsons Dried Active Yeast 1tsp sugar 100ml of tepid water. Add the sugar and yeast to the water, stir and leave for 15 minutes. Add 1cup of Allinsons Very Strong Bread Flour to a mixing bowl and add the water with 1tsp of salt and 1tbsp of olive oil. Mix and knead for 10 minutes (I use a hand mixer with dough hook attachments). Add extra water if required (i've found the Very Strong flour takes more water). Dough should be slightly sticky but be able to removed from the bowl without too much trouble. Turn the dough into a ball and rub all over with a little oil then put in a bowl covered with a towel or film and leave to double in size. This could take 2 hours and not the 45-60mins often mentioned. When it is risen punch it down and remove from the bowl. Stretch or roll out the dough carefully so not to knock out all the air. I transfer the base to a sheet of baking paper before adding the toppings. Cook on the highest temp in a preheated oven. I cook the pizza on a cast iron flat skillet to get a crispy base and cooked through pizza with only a short cooking time. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 3,239
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Quote:
I use this method
1tsp of Allinsons Dried Active Yeast 1tsp sugar 100ml of tepid water. Add the sugar and yeast to the water, stir and leave for 15 minutes. Add 1cup of Allinsons Very Strong Bread Flour to a mixing bowl and add the water with 1tsp of salt and 1tbsp of olive oil. Mix and knead for 10 minutes (I use a hand mixer with dough hook attachments). Add extra water if required (i've found the Very Strong flour takes more water). Dough should be slightly sticky but be able to removed from the bowl without too much trouble. Turn the dough into a ball and rub all over with a little oil then put in a bowl covered with a towel or film and leave to double in size. This could take 2 hours and not the 45-60mins often mentioned. When it is risen punch it down and remove from the bowl. Stretch or roll out the dough carefully so not to knock out all the air. I transfer the base to a sheet of baking paper before adding the toppings. Cook on the highest temp in a preheated oven. I cook the pizza on a cast iron flat skillet to get a crispy base and cooked through pizza with only a short cooking time. Do you preheat the cast iron skillet. Finally once risen i roll with a rolling pin which flattens it. Could that be where i'm going wrong. |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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I've tried several ratios and i've found that 1tsp of that yeast, 1tsp sugar and 100ml of water stood for 15 minutes works well. You can knock down the sugar, it will just take longer for the yeast to activate and obviously you can tweak the levels of sugar and salt to taste.
I put the skillet in the oven and put it on the higest temp (250c in my case) for 30 mins to get it pre-heated. I use a rolling pin to roll out the dough but am gentle with it. |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 3,239
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Quote:
I've tried several ratios and i've found that 1tsp of that yeast, 1tsp sugar and 100ml of water stood for 15 minutes works well. You can knock down the sugar, it will just take longer for the yeast to activate and obviously you can tweak the levels of sugar and salt to taste.
I put the skillet in the oven and put it on the higest temp (250c in my case) for 30 mins to get it pre-heated. I use a rolling pin to roll out the dough but am gentle with it. |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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Yes, but it would also happen naturally over a longer period with just the yeast, flour and water.
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#7 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 3,239
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Thanks. Trying it now.
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#8 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Lincolnshire
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Tried it last night following your tips. An improvement, but still not light and crispy.
Its once i've rolled it out, its then thin,and stays thin. More experimenting needed. |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 30,072
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Quote:
Tried it last night following your tips. An improvement, but still not light and crispy.
Its once i've rolled it out, its then thin,and stays thin. More experimenting needed. |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,228
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My wife makes scone based pizzas and it is the best as home made more often is so we only get the shop bought ones to save time such as when on holiday.
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#11 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
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Quote:
Tried it last night following your tips. An improvement, but still not light and crispy.
Its once i've rolled it out, its then thin,and stays thin. More experimenting needed. Also, if there is no base heat then it will be harder to get that initial burst of heat to puff up the dough. That's why I bought a cast iron skillet. It's worked way better than the cheap pizza stone that I previously used (which cracked). |
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#12 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
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what sort of cast iron skillet would you recommend for pizza? does yours have a rimmed edge like a frying pan?
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#13 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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Quote:
what sort of cast iron skillet would you recommend for pizza? does yours have a rimmed edge like a frying pan?
Mine was also pre-seasoned http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_trkpa...&_sop=15&_sc=1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/re...pan&sort=price I was considering a Tawa but didn't know if it had a flat base or was oven suitable. http://home-garden.shop.ebay.co.uk/H...=p3286.c0.m282 |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Also just seen this one that wasn't listed when I was searching for mine
Cast Iron Baking Stone - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CAST-IRON-...item4cf875caa7 I do like my pan though as it has the handle which makes it a little easier to transfer and have also seen Simon Hopkinson using a similar product for many different things on his program The Good Cook |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 30,072
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Thanks, i'll just need to work out how big i can get one that will still fit in my oven. I like the idea of a handle too but will mean it cant be too big and still fit in my oven.
I do make a good pizza, but know i'll get better results if i can preheat the skillet too. I just use a cheapo tesco pizza tray atm. How do you transfer your pizza to the skillet? The pros have a wooden board they slide the pizza into the oven on. I'm certainly not going that far. My kitchen isn't big enough. |
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#16 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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When i've rolled out the dough I transfer it to a sheet of baking paper. It's then easy to transfet that to the skillet either by using a sheet tray or just grabbing each side of the paper with your hands.
Here is a pic of an attempt on an upside down cast iron frying pan. It gave me the push to splash out on the crepe pan. http://www.degs.co.uk/wordpress/archives/147 Get a good quality oven glove to handle the pan though. Thin gloves/towels don't work to well. |
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,106
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hugh fw recipe is great
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#18 |
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: España
Posts: 6,848
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This is the method I use and it always seems to produce the same results, a light but crispy base.
2 and a quarter teaspoons of dry active yeast Half a teaspoon of dark, brown sugar 350ml warm water One teaspoon olive oil Pinch of salt 425g type 00 flour Dissolve the yeast & sugar in the warm water in a bowl big enough to mix he entire dough in. The yeast should begin to make a froth on the surface of the water mixture Add the salt & oil to this mixture Add half of the flour & stir Add the rest of the flour gradually, not all of it is needed or sometimes you may need to add more but it's best to add it gradually so you know how much you will need. You can't take away any flour once you've added it. Once the dough had been formed, leave it in a ball in the middle of your bowl and cover with a clean, damp cloth & leave to rise (about an hour if you have the time) preferably at room temperature, not where there's a draft. Punch the air out of the dough and roll out into whatever shape pizza you want. |
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#19 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 3,239
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Quote:
what sort of cast iron skillet would you recommend for pizza? does yours have a rimmed edge like a frying pan?
I also use a cheap Tesco pizza tray, but the underneath of the pizza is never cooked. |
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#20 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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Quote:
Whats the difference between that and a pizza stone.
I also use a cheap Tesco pizza tray, but the underneath of the pizza is never cooked. It gets the base cooking immediately and gives a nice crust. |
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 3,239
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Quote:
My cheap pizza stone cracked but even before that it didn't get super hot. The bonus of a cast iron pan is that you can also heat it on the hob to get it super hot.
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Lytham St Annes, England
Posts: 4
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Quote:
Whats the difference between that and a pizza stone.
I also use a cheap Tesco pizza tray, but the underneath of the pizza is never cooked. A thoroughly-heated stone may very well halve the cooking time. A 30cm floor tile (about £2 from Topps Tiles) works just as well, although I like somebody's suggestion of heating a cast iron skillet on the stove top, which sounds a lot more efficient. [1] You also need a flat baking sheet so you can slide the pizza onto your hot stone. |
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