Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
How to Make a Delicious Pizza for the Family
Come on. Everyone likes pizza! Wait, let me rephrase that; Everyone LOVES pizza. Can you name one other food that is so immensely popular all over the world and yet remains relatively unchanged for hundreds of years? No matter which continent you may find yourself standing on there is a good chance you can get your hands on a slice of pizza if you wanted to.
Well, I have great news for you. I am going to share pizza’s success and popularity to you. There are two main reasons why people go crazy for pizza. The first and most obvious one is that it’s delicious. The second is that it is not difficult to make on your own and it takes very little time. To prove this, we have a really quick and easy guide for you on how to make a pizza.
Panning your pizza dough
* To "pan" pizza dough, first rub or brush the inner cooking surface of a 12" round pizza pan with a thin layer, (about 1 tbsp.), of olive oil, then set it aside. Lightly dust your tabletop or a large cutting board with a little flour.
* Place your 15 oz. prepared dough ball in the center of tabletop. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and begin flattening out the ball with your hands until it is about 1" thick, forming as circular a shape as possible. With a rolling pin, begin rolling out a circular sheet of dough, about 1/4" to 3/8" thick, about 14" to 15" in diameter.
* Continue to dust the dough sheet with a sprinkling of flour, as necessary, to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin or tabletop. Roll from the center outward, press the pin to the top, the bottom, to the left and to the right. Repeat this process several time as the dough begins to stretch outward. You will find that its elasticity tends to want to draw it back into its original shape. This is normal.
* Place the "sheeted" circle of dough down in the center of the baking pan. The edges of the dough will droop over the edge of the pan. Starting from the center of the dough, draw the dough evenly out to the edge or wall of the pan, letting out any air trapped between the dough and the pan. The dough will conform to the shape of the baking pan.
* Trim the excess dough away from the outer edge of the pan with a dough knife, or, curl the excess inward to form a fatter crust edge.
Topping the pizza
* Ladle about 7 to 8 oz. of pizza sauce into the middle, bottom of the dough shell. Spread the sauce evenly over the surface of the dough. Spoon the sauce out to the edge of the dough sheet, leaving "un-sauced" about 3/4" to 1" of the dough crust.
* This exposed dough around the circumference of the pizza will allow the crust to rise and crisp more quickly than the covered dough; creating the classic, puffed up edge of the pizza. The sauce, melted cheese and toppings will be better retained on top of the pizza, not over its edge, seeping under the pan causing burning or over the pan edge into the oven.
* Next, layer the shredded cheese, about two cups, over the sauce, creating an evenly distributed bed of cheese on which to arrange your toppings.
Baking the Pizza
* Start by placing an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Turn on the oven, setting the temperature at 450° F and completely pre-heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
* After the oven is warmed up, place a prepped pizza in the center of the middle rack to allow for maximum air circulation around the pan. A simple cheese and pepperoni pizza prepared in a 12" diameter pizza pan will bake evenly and thoroughly in a 450° F oven on the middle rack in only 12 minutes.
* Adding more toppings to the pizza adds more moisture and mass to cook through. For example, a deluxe pizza with four or five different toppings generally requires a longer baking time at a lower temperature.
Signs to look for that the pizza is ready are:
* The cheese has melted on top and is beginning to brown.
* The crust edge has browned, from a medium to a golden brown.
* Carefully lift the edge of the pizza to inspect its bottom. The bottom dough should be evenly browned.
Well, I have great news for you. I am going to share pizza’s success and popularity to you. There are two main reasons why people go crazy for pizza. The first and most obvious one is that it’s delicious. The second is that it is not difficult to make on your own and it takes very little time. To prove this, we have a really quick and easy guide for you on how to make a pizza.
Panning your pizza dough
* To "pan" pizza dough, first rub or brush the inner cooking surface of a 12" round pizza pan with a thin layer, (about 1 tbsp.), of olive oil, then set it aside. Lightly dust your tabletop or a large cutting board with a little flour.
* Place your 15 oz. prepared dough ball in the center of tabletop. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and begin flattening out the ball with your hands until it is about 1" thick, forming as circular a shape as possible. With a rolling pin, begin rolling out a circular sheet of dough, about 1/4" to 3/8" thick, about 14" to 15" in diameter.
* Continue to dust the dough sheet with a sprinkling of flour, as necessary, to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin or tabletop. Roll from the center outward, press the pin to the top, the bottom, to the left and to the right. Repeat this process several time as the dough begins to stretch outward. You will find that its elasticity tends to want to draw it back into its original shape. This is normal.
* Place the "sheeted" circle of dough down in the center of the baking pan. The edges of the dough will droop over the edge of the pan. Starting from the center of the dough, draw the dough evenly out to the edge or wall of the pan, letting out any air trapped between the dough and the pan. The dough will conform to the shape of the baking pan.
* Trim the excess dough away from the outer edge of the pan with a dough knife, or, curl the excess inward to form a fatter crust edge.
Topping the pizza
* Ladle about 7 to 8 oz. of pizza sauce into the middle, bottom of the dough shell. Spread the sauce evenly over the surface of the dough. Spoon the sauce out to the edge of the dough sheet, leaving "un-sauced" about 3/4" to 1" of the dough crust.
* This exposed dough around the circumference of the pizza will allow the crust to rise and crisp more quickly than the covered dough; creating the classic, puffed up edge of the pizza. The sauce, melted cheese and toppings will be better retained on top of the pizza, not over its edge, seeping under the pan causing burning or over the pan edge into the oven.
* Next, layer the shredded cheese, about two cups, over the sauce, creating an evenly distributed bed of cheese on which to arrange your toppings.
Baking the Pizza
* Start by placing an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Turn on the oven, setting the temperature at 450° F and completely pre-heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
* After the oven is warmed up, place a prepped pizza in the center of the middle rack to allow for maximum air circulation around the pan. A simple cheese and pepperoni pizza prepared in a 12" diameter pizza pan will bake evenly and thoroughly in a 450° F oven on the middle rack in only 12 minutes.
* Adding more toppings to the pizza adds more moisture and mass to cook through. For example, a deluxe pizza with four or five different toppings generally requires a longer baking time at a lower temperature.
Signs to look for that the pizza is ready are:
* The cheese has melted on top and is beginning to brown.
* The crust edge has browned, from a medium to a golden brown.
* Carefully lift the edge of the pizza to inspect its bottom. The bottom dough should be evenly browned.
The Art of Pizza Making
Best selling novels and tell-alls stay on the bestseller list for weeks if they are really good or topical. Most new books disappear from the public eye in days. The exceptions are cookbooks. A good cookbook can keep its buzz for years. Some cookbooks are treated like family heirlooms and get passed from generation to generation.
The Art of Pizza Making by Dominick A. Deangelis has been around since 1991 and it shows no signs of slowing down. People who bought it, or were lucky enough to get it as a gift, a month or so ago have tried the methods and the recipes and now cannot wait to write their review on Amazon. Maybe the Art of Pizza Making is working its way into heirloom status.
Almost everybody likes pizza. Anybody who has had an exceptionally good pizza loves it, and the sensation of taste of that one pizza slice has been permanently implanted into the nether regions of their brain. Pizza ingredients are salty, sweet and acidic, so maybe a good pizza is like red wine that unlocks every taste receptor in your body and keeps you wanting more.
The Art of Pizza Making is the real deal. The author covers every step of the pizza making process and tells you exactly what you have to do to make exceptional tasting pizza with just the right crispness and texture. The news may be disappointing to the home chef because some of the ingredients are available only in large quantities from restaurant supply houses. For example, Deangelis wants you to use a particular kind of flour with a very specific proportion of gluten. Neither grocery store all-purpose flour nor bread making flour fit the parameters he is look for.
You will need a stand mixer with a bread hook. The author recommends a Kitchenaid but says that any 250W stand mixer will probably do the trick. If you get serious about pizza making forget the Kitchenaid and look for a DeLhongi stand mixer. When you are not making pizza you can power a small boat with it.
This book not only tells you what type of flour,cheese,and tomato base to use, but how to kneed the dough, how long to let it rise, and what preparation temperature you need the dough at to make the perfect crust. If you follow the directions in the book and use the same ingredients, or as close as you can get to the right ingredients, you will make a pizza as good as or better than any franchise pizza store. If you love pizza you need this book.
Beyond the book but essential information for pizza making success nonetheless is your oven. The very best pizza is made in brick ovens fired by open flames at temperatures far greater than most home ovens can achieve. One way around this limitation is a nifty gadget created by Villaware. You put their pizza maker on top of your gas or charcoal grill which can produce a very high temperature. The permeable clay stone on the Villaware pizza maker will allow the flames to cook the pizza evenly, making a crisp crust each and every time. The built in thermometer will help you hit the correct temperature.
The Art of Pizza Making by Dominick A. Deangelis has been around since 1991 and it shows no signs of slowing down. People who bought it, or were lucky enough to get it as a gift, a month or so ago have tried the methods and the recipes and now cannot wait to write their review on Amazon. Maybe the Art of Pizza Making is working its way into heirloom status.
Almost everybody likes pizza. Anybody who has had an exceptionally good pizza loves it, and the sensation of taste of that one pizza slice has been permanently implanted into the nether regions of their brain. Pizza ingredients are salty, sweet and acidic, so maybe a good pizza is like red wine that unlocks every taste receptor in your body and keeps you wanting more.
The Art of Pizza Making is the real deal. The author covers every step of the pizza making process and tells you exactly what you have to do to make exceptional tasting pizza with just the right crispness and texture. The news may be disappointing to the home chef because some of the ingredients are available only in large quantities from restaurant supply houses. For example, Deangelis wants you to use a particular kind of flour with a very specific proportion of gluten. Neither grocery store all-purpose flour nor bread making flour fit the parameters he is look for.
You will need a stand mixer with a bread hook. The author recommends a Kitchenaid but says that any 250W stand mixer will probably do the trick. If you get serious about pizza making forget the Kitchenaid and look for a DeLhongi stand mixer. When you are not making pizza you can power a small boat with it.
This book not only tells you what type of flour,cheese,and tomato base to use, but how to kneed the dough, how long to let it rise, and what preparation temperature you need the dough at to make the perfect crust. If you follow the directions in the book and use the same ingredients, or as close as you can get to the right ingredients, you will make a pizza as good as or better than any franchise pizza store. If you love pizza you need this book.
Beyond the book but essential information for pizza making success nonetheless is your oven. The very best pizza is made in brick ovens fired by open flames at temperatures far greater than most home ovens can achieve. One way around this limitation is a nifty gadget created by Villaware. You put their pizza maker on top of your gas or charcoal grill which can produce a very high temperature. The permeable clay stone on the Villaware pizza maker will allow the flames to cook the pizza evenly, making a crisp crust each and every time. The built in thermometer will help you hit the correct temperature.
How To Make Pizza - A Step By Step Guide To Show You How To Make Pizza
So you want to learn how to make pizza yourself? Making pizzas is quite easy when you know the steps involved. Follow this step by step guide to making your own pizzas at home, and delight everyone with the flavor of your hands.
Step 1. Preparing your tomato pizza sauce
Melt the butter with the olive oil and slowly but completely sauté the garlic and onion in a skillet.
Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and puree. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for two hours. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes with a potato masher.
Continue to mash, stir, and simmer partially covered until the sauce reaches the consistency of a rich soup.
Step 2 Making Pizza Dough
Making your own pizza dough by hand is both challenging and satisfying. Home made pizza dough, "from scratch," is without a doubt the single most defining factor that differentiates a great pizza from any other pizza that you will ever have. And, the personal gratification that comes of successfully making pizza at home for yourself, your loved-ones and your friends makes it all the more worthwhile.
Step 3 Panning the Prepared Pizza Dough
Panning the dough is the step where you use a rolling pin or machines to create the pizza base with your dough. There are machines that help you sheet and pan the pizza dough, or you can use the hand tossing method or the rolling pin if you want to do it yourself.
Depending on the style, size, composition and number of pizzas you choose to make, the methods of sizing, shaping, trimming, and ultimately, panning the pizza dough, will vary.
step 4 Topping the Pizza
First, spread the pizza sauce evenly over the surface of the dough. Spoon the sauce out to the edge of the dough sheet, leaving "un-sauced" about 3/4" to 1" of the dough crust.
Next, layer the shredded cheese creating an evenly distributed bed of cheese on which to arrange your toppings. (You will use another cup of cheese for finishing off the top of the pizza.)
From this point on, let your eyes, nose, creativity and taste buds take over to add other toppings to your pizza.
Some toppings, (fresh vegetables, certain cheeses and fatty meats), are higher in moisture and fat content and you have to take this into account when you use them, to ensure your pizza doesn't turn out soggy.
Step 5 Baking the Pizza
The final step is to bake to pizza. When you oven is at the right temperature place a prepped pizza in the center of the middle rack to allow for maximum air circulation around the pan.
Make adjustments to your baking process one at a time until you've found the perfect balance of rack position, temperature and baking time to suit your oven.
Signs to look for that the pizza is ready are:
- The cheese has melted on top and is beginning to brown,
- The crust edge has browned, from a medium to a golden brown, and,
- Carefully lift the edge of the pizza to inspect its bottom. The bottom dough should be evenly browned.
If these signs are evident, your pizza is done!
Step 1. Preparing your tomato pizza sauce
Melt the butter with the olive oil and slowly but completely sauté the garlic and onion in a skillet.
Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and puree. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for two hours. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes with a potato masher.
Continue to mash, stir, and simmer partially covered until the sauce reaches the consistency of a rich soup.
Step 2 Making Pizza Dough
Making your own pizza dough by hand is both challenging and satisfying. Home made pizza dough, "from scratch," is without a doubt the single most defining factor that differentiates a great pizza from any other pizza that you will ever have. And, the personal gratification that comes of successfully making pizza at home for yourself, your loved-ones and your friends makes it all the more worthwhile.
Step 3 Panning the Prepared Pizza Dough
Panning the dough is the step where you use a rolling pin or machines to create the pizza base with your dough. There are machines that help you sheet and pan the pizza dough, or you can use the hand tossing method or the rolling pin if you want to do it yourself.
Depending on the style, size, composition and number of pizzas you choose to make, the methods of sizing, shaping, trimming, and ultimately, panning the pizza dough, will vary.
step 4 Topping the Pizza
First, spread the pizza sauce evenly over the surface of the dough. Spoon the sauce out to the edge of the dough sheet, leaving "un-sauced" about 3/4" to 1" of the dough crust.
Next, layer the shredded cheese creating an evenly distributed bed of cheese on which to arrange your toppings. (You will use another cup of cheese for finishing off the top of the pizza.)
From this point on, let your eyes, nose, creativity and taste buds take over to add other toppings to your pizza.
Some toppings, (fresh vegetables, certain cheeses and fatty meats), are higher in moisture and fat content and you have to take this into account when you use them, to ensure your pizza doesn't turn out soggy.
Step 5 Baking the Pizza
The final step is to bake to pizza. When you oven is at the right temperature place a prepped pizza in the center of the middle rack to allow for maximum air circulation around the pan.
Make adjustments to your baking process one at a time until you've found the perfect balance of rack position, temperature and baking time to suit your oven.
Signs to look for that the pizza is ready are:
- The cheese has melted on top and is beginning to brown,
- The crust edge has browned, from a medium to a golden brown, and,
- Carefully lift the edge of the pizza to inspect its bottom. The bottom dough should be evenly browned.
If these signs are evident, your pizza is done!
left over pizza
Make left over pizza taste as good as if it just came out of the oven at your favorite pizza place.
After eating your pizza you will need to refrigerate any leftovers.
When ready to eat leftover pizza take out of the refrigerator and place in a skillet that has a lid. Depending on how many pieces you have left will depend on the size of skillet you will need.
Either use a Teflon skillet or spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
Place skillet on stove top and turn burner on to medium-low heat or to number 4 and cover. Let cook covered for fifteen to twenty minutes if it’s the deep dish and if it’s the regular crust about ten to fifteen minutes should do it and last but not least the thin crust about seven minutes. Be sure and check it after about ten minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn since all pizzas aren’t equal; depending on if you have it loaded up and where you bought it or maybe you made it.
Once it’s done serve warm and enjoy.
Before I learned to fix my pizza this way I use to heat my leftover pizza up in the oven or worse put it in the microwave and it just wasn’t as good, so I decided to give this way a try and my family and I couldn’t believe how much better it was. Fixing your leftover pizza this way is like having fresh pizza two nights in a row. Of course you don’t have to fix your leftover pizza the next night, but it’s better the sooner you eat it of course.
After eating your pizza you will need to refrigerate any leftovers.
When ready to eat leftover pizza take out of the refrigerator and place in a skillet that has a lid. Depending on how many pieces you have left will depend on the size of skillet you will need.
Either use a Teflon skillet or spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
Place skillet on stove top and turn burner on to medium-low heat or to number 4 and cover. Let cook covered for fifteen to twenty minutes if it’s the deep dish and if it’s the regular crust about ten to fifteen minutes should do it and last but not least the thin crust about seven minutes. Be sure and check it after about ten minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn since all pizzas aren’t equal; depending on if you have it loaded up and where you bought it or maybe you made it.
Once it’s done serve warm and enjoy.
Before I learned to fix my pizza this way I use to heat my leftover pizza up in the oven or worse put it in the microwave and it just wasn’t as good, so I decided to give this way a try and my family and I couldn’t believe how much better it was. Fixing your leftover pizza this way is like having fresh pizza two nights in a row. Of course you don’t have to fix your leftover pizza the next night, but it’s better the sooner you eat it of course.
Healthy Pizza Tips
The pizza has been voted America’s favorite food for countless years, and is consumed by most Americans each year. The pizza in its first generation as a food in Rome was a healthy tomato filled food that was not only great tasting, but actually good for your body. Fast forward a few thousand years and we’ve got the fat loaded kitchen sink style pizza. Everything from bacon, to cheddar cheese top pizzas around the world every day. To make matters worse delivery chains have started to use inexpensive processed food products to help make the pizza as cheaply as humanly possible. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. That pizza the chain company delivers to your door with a smile, could land you in the doctor's office with a frown in no time.
The first step in eating a healthy pizza is making it yourself. There are any number of restaurants that will boast healthy pizzas on their menus, but to be sure it truly is a healthy pizza, it's better to play it safe and make it yourself. There are some places that will truly make a healthy pizza, but in order to understand what is most healthy for you to eat it's easier to cook it.
Once you’ve come to the realization that you will be cooking this culinary masterpiece, it's time to decide on ingredients. The healthiest pizzas include fresh tomatoes, garlic, and small amounts of fresh mozzarella cheese. The pizza can be topped with spinach, broccoli, or any number of fresh vegetables.
Bake the pizza for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, and dab off the grease from the cheese as it starts to settle on top of your pizza. After you have finished cooking the pizza, let it cool, and enjoy. The pizza should taste better then ever knowing that it's one full of healthy ingredients.
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
