First Pizza Cook with First Pic Posting

Kitarkus

Thanks all for the great help today. Here are my first pics of my first pizzas. Great fun and really really tasty. Buy the SuperPeel...it is fantastic. Pizza on the peel direct from my marble slab...directly on the stone...no cornmeal no parchment no nothing. Naked pizza on naked stone = crispy crispy crispy. I crunched through those za's. I'd like to get a bit better at handling the dough..and go for a bit thinner next time. If I make it thinner....should I reduce temps a bit so that the dough will not burn up before the toppings are done/melted?

I made the dough ala Cooks Illustrated recipe. Store bought sauce with garlic and italian seasonings added. Sauted the onion, yellow pepper, and mushroom in the hamburger skillet after removing the burger. Tomato dabbed with paper towels to reduce moisture on top. They were really fantastic. Also..per cooks illustrated...after your dough rises and you split them into individual balls.....you can spray with a little olive oil...ball it up...saran wrap it....and freeze. When you want fresh dough...just remove to room temp.....and make your pizza. Brilliant. I made two pizzas...and saved enough dough to make one more. I'll tell you what....the crust was FANTASTIC...but cleaning up was a pain in the rear.

Thanks again folks.

WADoug

I'm still waiting and watching to do my first pizza. Thanks, both the pizza and pics look great. It's giving me confidence.

Mike in Abita

What are you waiting for. It is a really easy cook, just lots of prep time. Follow this recipe for your dough. http://www.pizzamaking.com/newyorkstyle.php then get creativ with your toppings. I like it simple, a little fresh Mozz, some basil, a little italian seasoning and some good pepperoni. Good stuff.

TBQue

That gasket looks new!! I have had my Egg since April and my Gsket is blak and greasy. Cook 4 times a week on that thing!! That pizza loks awesome. I have never cooked so many different things as I have on the BGE!!! Try enchiladas, both homemade and the Old El Paso kit are fantastic. Look up the Food Network receipe if you want to do them from scratch (easy).

JLOCKHART29

That crust looks great!! What temp you end up cooking it at?

Zippylip

Kitarkus, that looks fantastic for a first pie, you nailed it (Looks like my fiftieth). If you are looking for thinner crust, this is how I do it. Put it on the counter, work it out in a circle with your finger tips until the ball is big enough to cover both fists, then lift it up & slowly stretch outwards moving in a circle. You can make it as thin as paper like this & don't worry about tearing the dough, you can always pinch it back together when you put it down. I would not change the temp either, but I would recommend not putting cold sauce, cheese & toppings on your room temp dough, warm them all to room temp & they will cook a lot faster with your dough

[Deleted User]

WADoug- It can be a very easy cook and easy cleanup.

I just did a pizza last night because it was easy and fun (for the kids). I use a cheapo wooden peel that came as part of a kit we received as a gift. and a BGE stone.

Buy ready to use pizza dough from a local pizza parlor. Costs about $2.00. If you like a thicker crust, use it as-is. If you want thinner, remove a golfball-size (or slightly larger) chunk of dough from the middle before you start working the dough.

If you're cooking with parchment under the pie, you can just roll some out on the counter and begin working the dough to your desired size.

Hunts tomato sauce (small, 8 oz can is enough for at least two pizzas)I usually get the kind that has oregano, garlic and something else that eludes me at the moment:


Shredded mozzarella (from the grocery store, in the re-sealable bag)

Add any toppings you want. For your first time you can keep it plain cheese or add something simple like sliced pepperoni (again from the grocery store).

I set it at 600-650 before I put the pizza in. Last night's crust was a little thinner than I'm used to so it was done in less than 10 minutes (probably 8).

have fun!

Kitarkus

JLock..>I ended up cooking it at 500-550 degrees...and it was done in 12-14 minutes.

Kitarkus

Thanks Zippy...>I did a bit of that with my fists....but I was getting thin spots in the middle and thick outer crust. I just need some practice. I wonder why a lot of recipes say NOT to roll your dough but rather to stretch my hand?

bitslammer

If you go super thin crust just be careful not to pile on too many toppings or do what I do and give the toppings a "head start" by sautéing or baking them a little bit before.

I had some really good, but very greasy sausage one time, and I actually blanched it for 1-2 minutes in boiling water. This helped pull out some of the fat as well as help get it done. It helped get rid of the "pools of grease" I was getting on the pizza before doing that.

I also try and sauté bell peppers and other such veggies that have high water content because I like to really pile my toppings on heavy.

Eggtucky

Looking good Kitarkus..thx for the pix..hard to beat 'zas on the egg!! :woohoo:

Zippylip

they say that because rolling flattens the dough pressing out the air pockets created by the yeast, leading to a heavier, denser, crunchier crust, but more like a cracker sometimes. It's good both ways as far as I can tell, just depends on what you like