Help with my Pizza

Mark D said:

Hi Folks, I'd like some help, and suggestions with my home made Pizzas.

I make an outstanding Pizza, and i make it totally from scratch,
including my own Italian Sausage. My fav is generally a
Sausage+Mushroom Pizza.

What I've noticed many times whem making my Pizzas, is that the crust
comes out nice and crisp arounf the outer 2/3rds of the Pizza, but the
center 1/3 is usually a bit limp, and soggy.

I am cooking for an ample time, in that the Mozzerella Cheese is nice an
brown on top, and the Crust is also a nice golden brown.

Perhaps some will recommend par baking the Dough before topping with the
goodies, but honestly, I prefer to perhaps try something other than this
method if there is another, better alternative. Most, if not all
Pizzerias don't do this, but I also do understand thatthey use a much
higher heat, and also place the Pizza directly on the Oven with no pans,
or stones.

Would brushing my dough first with a bit of Olive Oil help? Or? Less
ingredients in the center, or? Thanks, Mark D.

Sealing with olive oil is important, or you can use a buttering of
pesto. I put less in the center, yes, and if you have veggies, make sure
they are "dry". I used to nuke the onion slices first and wring them out
in a cloth. Although it sounds counterintuative, a single layer of raw ,
fresh spinach between sauce and dough is essentially flavourless and
works a charm, also. Make sure your sauce is "concentrated" and put less
of it in the cneter, as well.
HTH
blacksalt
who used to make pizza three times a week

Mark D said:

What I've noticed many times whem making my Pizzas, is that the crust
comes out nice and crisp arounf the outer 2/3rds of the Pizza, but the
center 1/3 is usually a bit limp, and soggy.

....

Quoted message said:

Would brushing my dough first with a bit of Olive Oil help? Or? Less
ingredients in the center, or? Thanks, Mark D.

I brush mine with olive oil before putting on the sauce and toppings. I've
always done it that way, as I saw it recommended to keep the crust from
getting soggy in some recipes I originally used. My crust is about the same
crispness-wise edge to edge. I bake my pizza almost directly on a stone...
on parchment on the stone... as I never mastered sliding the pizza off the
peel onto the stone without it.

Make the pizza smaller?
Just a guess.

"Mark D" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Folks, I'd like some help, and suggestions with my home made Pizzas.

I make an outstanding Pizza, and i make it totally from scratch,
including my own Italian Sausage. My fav is generally a
Sausage+Mushroom Pizza.

What I've noticed many times whem making my Pizzas, is that the crust
comes out nice and crisp arounf the outer 2/3rds of the Pizza, but the
center 1/3 is usually a bit limp, and soggy.

I am cooking for an ample time, in that the Mozzerella Cheese is nice an
brown on top, and the Crust is also a nice golden brown.

Perhaps some will recommend par baking the Dough before topping with the
goodies, but honestly, I prefer to perhaps try something other than this
method if there is another, better alternative. Most, if not all
Pizzerias don't do this, but I also do understand thatthey use a much
higher heat, and also place the Pizza directly on the Oven with no pans,
or stones.

Would brushing my dough first with a bit of Olive Oil help? Or? Less
ingredients in the center, or? Thanks, Mark D.

Thank you folks for the advice. I will try using a bit of Olive Oil
brushed on the dough before topping, but I must see if I can find myself
a softer bristle basting brush.

The Nylon brushes that I have, and what you typically find at places
like Wal Mart, are tough enough to scrub White Wall Tires with! These
I've found make brushing the dough with oil very hard to do.

I'll also keep in mid the other suggestions about not diluting the
sauce, and using a bit less ingredients toward the center of the Pizza.
Thanks again! Mark

"Mark D" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Folks, I'd like some help, and suggestions with my home made Pizzas.

I make an outstanding Pizza, and i make it totally from scratch,
including my own Italian Sausage. My fav is generally a
Sausage+Mushroom Pizza.

What I've noticed many times whem making my Pizzas, is that the crust
comes out nice and crisp arounf the outer 2/3rds of the Pizza, but the
center 1/3 is usually a bit limp, and soggy.

I am cooking for an ample time, in that the Mozzerella Cheese is nice an
brown on top, and the Crust is also a nice golden brown.

Perhaps some will recommend par baking the Dough before topping with the
goodies, but honestly, I prefer to perhaps try something other than this
method if there is another, better alternative. Most, if not all
Pizzerias don't do this, but I also do understand thatthey use a much
higher heat, and also place the Pizza directly on the Oven with no pans,
or stones.

Would brushing my dough first with a bit of Olive Oil help? Or? Less
ingredients in the center, or? Thanks, Mark D.

There's no substitute for a pizza stone and high temp. When you use a stone
you must let the oven continue to heat for at least 15 minutes after the
"reach temp" beep because it takes the stone a while to absorb heat. The
stone not only exposes the bottom of the crust to concentrated heat, it is
porous and lets some water vapor escape.

--
Peter Aitken

There's no substitute for a pizza stone and high temp. When you use a
stone you must let the oven continue to heat for at least 15 minutes
after the "reach temp" beep because it takes the stone a while to absorb
heat. The stone not only exposes the bottom of the crust to concentrated
heat, it is porous and lets some water vapor escape.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Hello Peter,
Yes this last time I made a Pizza, it was a thin crust, and I was using
for the first time, my Pampered Chef Large Round Stone. The outer
portion of the pizza was quite crisp, but yet the inner part was sort of
limp.

I've been typically baking Pizza in the past with an aluminum pan baking
at 400 degrees, and usually do give ample time to preheat the oven.

So what heat temp do you recommend? Higher than 400? If so, what time
do you typically find your pIzzas are cooked at this higher temp?

Do you move your Pizzas around to different height racks in the oven, or
do you typically just leave it in one spot? Thanks, Mark

Mark D said:

Thank you folks for the advice. I will try using a bit of Olive Oil
brushed on the dough before topping, but I must see if I can find myself
a softer bristle basting brush.

The Nylon brushes that I have, and what you typically find at places
like Wal Mart, are tough enough to scrub White Wall Tires with! These
I've found make brushing the dough with oil very hard to do.

Why do you need any brush, you have fingers, or are you an amputee?

I really don't see the point in oiling dough you're going to cover with
sauce... pizzerias typically drizzle oil over all toppings just prior
to popping it into the oven, for flavor and mouth feel, not to crisp
anything. In fact oiling dough directly results in a softer crust...
next you make pizza dough form into rolls and coat some with oil... the
uncoated ones will be far crisper. To produce a crisp crackly bread
crust brush dough with water. If your pizza crust is turning out too
tender you're probably adding too much oil to your dough recipe... you
really need no oil in pizza dough.

The best kitchen tools are at the ends of your arms... and naturally
between your ears.

Sheldon

Mark D said:

Thank you folks for the advice. I will try using a bit of Olive Oil
brushed on the dough before topping, but I must see if I can find myself
a softer bristle basting brush.

The Nylon brushes that I have, and what you typically find at places
like Wal Mart, are tough enough to scrub White Wall Tires with! These
I've found make brushing the dough with oil very hard to do.

I'll also keep in mid the other suggestions about not diluting the
sauce, and using a bit less ingredients toward the center of the Pizza.
Thanks again! Mark

Why do you need any brush, you have fingers, no... or are you an
amputee... it's not like you're planning on hundreds of pizzas, you're
probabaly making just one. You don't need any stinkin' brush, it's
easier to wash fingers. The best kitchen tools are at the ends of your
arms... and naturally between your ears.

This doesn't mean I'm endorsing oiling pizza crust, I'm not... it's
totally stupid to oil crust you are going to top with sauce... the
crust under the sauce will become a sticky gloppy mess. Pizza sauce
should contain no oil... oil is typically drizzled over the toppings,
never place under.

If your pizza crust is too tender then among other things (like too
soft flour, over kneading, etc.) you are probably also using too much
oil in your recipe.. use no more than one scant Tbls per pound of
flour, in fact if you're a crispy crust person use no oil... to make
the edges crackly, just prior to baking brush edges with plain water.

Sheldon

"Mark D" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

There's no substitute for a pizza stone and high temp. When you use a
stone you must let the oven continue to heat for at least 15 minutes
after the "reach temp" beep because it takes the stone a while to absorb
heat. The stone not only exposes the bottom of the crust to concentrated
heat, it is porous and lets some water vapor escape.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Hello Peter,
Yes this last time I made a Pizza, it was a thin crust, and I was using
for the first time, my Pampered Chef Large Round Stone. The outer
portion of the pizza was quite crisp, but yet the inner part was sort of
limp.

I've been typically baking Pizza in the past with an aluminum pan baking
at 400 degrees, and usually do give ample time to preheat the oven.

So what heat temp do you recommend? Higher than 400? If so, what time
do you typically find your pIzzas are cooked at this higher temp?

Do you move your Pizzas around to different height racks in the oven, or
do you typically just leave it in one spot? Thanks, Mark

I preheat to 475 for at least 30 minutes. I have the stone about 1/3 from
the bottom of the oven. Higher up and the toppings cook too fast. Takes
maybe 15 minutes - it's hard to say exactly because each pizza is different.
I do not move the pizza during cooking.

A nice technique I learned from Cooks Illustrated is to roll your dough out
on parchment paper. Then you can slide the pizza/paper together onto the
stone.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Mark D said:

I've been typically baking Pizza in the past with an aluminum pan baking
at 400 degrees, and usually do give ample time to preheat the oven.

So what heat temp do you recommend? Higher than 400? If so, what time
do you typically find your pIzzas are cooked at this higher temp?

Do you move your Pizzas around to different height racks in the oven, or
do you typically just leave it in one spot? Thanks, Mark

I heat my oven up to 500 degrees, then when the pizza goes in on the stone,
it is about an hour from when I turned it on. My oven (a 32 year old gas
one) takes a long time to preheat, though certainly not an hour. The extra
time is to preheat the stone. I've also got an old cast iron frying pan full
of ceramic briquettes meant for a gas grill in the bottom of the oven, to
give it more thermal mass. Not that I'd go out and buy the pan and
briquettes specifically for this purpose... I just had them laying around
from other projects, and decided they might be more useful in the oven than
sitting in a closet.

When the pizza goes in, I drop the thermostat down to 400 degrees, and it
takes 20-23 minutes from there.I tried leaving the temperature up there at
500, but some of the cheeses I've been using, the cheese got overly browned
before the rolled edge of the crust was done to my satisfaction.

The pizza doesn't move once it goes in. The stone is too big to move hot and
the pizza is right on it (on parchment).

I originally got the stone for bread baking, and continue to use it for that
and pizza. I can get three reasonably large free form bread loaves on the
stone at once... or one pizza. The stone stays in the oven more or less
permanently, unless I am roasting something that tends to spatter grease, in
which case I take it out.

Thank you Sheldon/All. Naw, I ain't an amputee. :-) I'll try your
suggestions, as you all mention, cut back on the oil (Yes, I was using
Olive Oil in my dough) and I'll try the trick preheating the stone
first, and then sliding in the Pizza on top of it with the parchment
paper.
Makes sense! Thanks all, Mark

In article <[email hidden]>,

Peter Aitken said:

I preheat to 475 for at least 30 minutes. I have the stone about 1/3 from
the bottom of the oven. Higher up and the toppings cook too fast. Takes
maybe 15 minutes - it's hard to say exactly because each pizza is different.
I do not move the pizza during cooking.

Do you still use the stone if you make pan pizza? When I make stuffed
pizza I need to bake the bottom layers first, for about 20 minutes, then
remove and add the top layer of crust and toppings, otherwise the top
layer cooks too long and burns.

"Bill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Peter Aitken said:

I preheat to 475 for at least 30 minutes. I have the stone about 1/3 from
the bottom of the oven. Higher up and the toppings cook too fast. Takes
maybe 15 minutes - it's hard to say exactly because each pizza is
different.
I do not move the pizza during cooking.

Do you still use the stone if you make pan pizza? When I make stuffed
pizza I need to bake the bottom layers first, for about 20 minutes, then
remove and add the top layer of crust and toppings, otherwise the top
layer cooks too long and burns.

I never made pan pizza - do not care for it. Give me thin, crispy, and
simple!

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

"Bill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Peter Aitken said:

I preheat to 475 for at least 30 minutes. I have the stone about 1/3 from
the bottom of the oven. Higher up and the toppings cook too fast. Takes
maybe 15 minutes - it's hard to say exactly because each pizza is
different.
I do not move the pizza during cooking.

Do you still use the stone if you make pan pizza? When I make stuffed
pizza I need to bake the bottom layers first, for about 20 minutes, then
remove and add the top layer of crust and toppings, otherwise the top
layer cooks too long and burns.

I never made pan pizza - do not care for it. Give me thin, crispy, and
simple!

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Bill said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Peter Aitken said:

I preheat to 475 for at least 30 minutes. I have the stone about 1/3 from
the bottom of the oven. Higher up and the toppings cook too fast. Takes
maybe 15 minutes - it's hard to say exactly because each pizza is different.
I do not move the pizza during cooking.

Do you still use the stone if you make pan pizza? When I make stuffed
pizza I need to bake the bottom layers first, for about 20 minutes, then
remove and add the top layer of crust and toppings, otherwise the top
layer cooks too long and burns.

Put some oil in the pan before laying in the crust - be generous, it'll
be absorbed. It will effectively fry the bottom crust (like the pizza
shops do it) and cook it in the same time as the top - wonderful
Maillard reaction flavors that way. Yes, use the stone.

Pastorio

Peter Aitken said:

"Bill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Peter Aitken said:

I preheat to 475 for at least 30 minutes. I have the stone about 1/3 from
the bottom of the oven. Higher up and the toppings cook too fast. Takes
maybe 15 minutes - it's hard to say exactly because each pizza is
different.
I do not move the pizza during cooking.

Do you still use the stone if you make pan pizza? When I make stuffed
pizza I need to bake the bottom layers first, for about 20 minutes, then
remove and add the top layer of crust and toppings, otherwise the top
layer cooks too long and burns.

I never made pan pizza - do not care for it. Give me thin, crispy,

You don't know what you're missing... a properly made Sicilian pie is
superb... crispy and delicious:
http://www.spumonigardens.com/photos.asp

Quoted message said:

and simple!

Simple is what you're accustomed to from the Pizza Rut and its ilk....
which of course is pizza like hot dogs is Oscar Mayer.

Don't ever go to Brooklyn and mention the abortions many of yoose call
pizza ... yoose gonna get fitted for c-menta shooze.

Sheldon

I've also found that putting some cheese on the crust before addign all
the other stuff also helps keep it crisper.

Peter Aitken said:

"Mark D" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Folks, I'd like some help, and suggestions with my home made Pizzas.

I make an outstanding Pizza, and i make it totally from scratch,
including my own Italian Sausage. My fav is generally a
Sausage+Mushroom Pizza.

What I've noticed many times whem making my Pizzas, is that the crust
comes out nice and crisp arounf the outer 2/3rds of the Pizza, but the
center 1/3 is usually a bit limp, and soggy.

I am cooking for an ample time, in that the Mozzerella Cheese is nice an
brown on top, and the Crust is also a nice golden brown.

Perhaps some will recommend par baking the Dough before topping with the
goodies, but honestly, I prefer to perhaps try something other than this
method if there is another, better alternative. Most, if not all
Pizzerias don't do this, but I also do understand thatthey use a much
higher heat, and also place the Pizza directly on the Oven with no pans,
or stones.

Would brushing my dough first with a bit of Olive Oil help? Or? Less
ingredients in the center, or? Thanks, Mark D.

There's no substitute for a pizza stone and high temp. When you use a stone
you must let the oven continue to heat for at least 15 minutes after the
"reach temp" beep because it takes the stone a while to absorb heat. The
stone not only exposes the bottom of the crust to concentrated heat, it is
porous and lets some water vapor escape.

Mark D said:

So what heat temp do you recommend? Higher than 400? If so, what time
do you typically find your pIzzas are cooked at this higher temp?

Do you move your Pizzas around to different height racks in the oven, or
do you typically just leave it in one spot? Thanks, Mark

I use 375, and bake for about 30 minutes. I usually have to cover the
pizza with foil so that the cheese doesn't brown too much - and bake
until the bottom is golden brown. Have tried the olive oil trick and
have ended up with soggy dough. Also, if your sauce is hot it will
cause the dough to become soggy in the center.

-L.

Mark D said:

Yes this last time I made a Pizza, it was a thin crust, and I was using
for the first time, my Pampered Chef Large Round Stone. The outer
portion of the pizza was quite crisp, but yet the inner part was sort of
limp.

You have to preheat them quite a while... 20 minutes-ish.