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Making pizzas


Georgina

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I feel awful that I made my poor husband trail a bread maker back on the ferry some time ago, as they are in abundance here now and cheap! I now make my own pizzas and they are far better than anything I have tried here (unless you know better?). Miss the old takeaways still though. Agood old million calories Pizza Hut special please.

However, I do have trouble rolling them as they are like pieces of elastic.  Any tips anyone - all you cooks out there?

Georgina[blink]

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I made some pizza dough in my bread maker last week for the first time.  I agree rolling was difficult so I pushed the dough into shape with fingers and (copying what I saw in Pizza Express many moons ago) flung the round between my floured hands.  Best homemade pizza dough  I've made.

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When all our offspring were still at home I used to make a huge pizza once a week. Using a large baking tin, roll and stretch the dough (proper bread dough) as much as possible to fit the tin. Then leave to rise for an hour - hopefully it will have spread to fill the tin. Then cover with a large tin of tomatoes mixed with some chopped onion and mixed herbs, then lots of grated cheese and some olives.Bake in a hot oven until dough edges are golden.If there's time, leave to rise again between adding the topping and baking. Pat.

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The secret is in the kneading and stretching process.

If the dough is kneaded really well, rested and then kneaded again, it should not shrink back as much. You have to be very firm with it ![:D]

I use just  a thickish layer of tomato puree and sprinkled herbs,as I find tinned toms can make the base go soggy, then add the meat, veg and cheese.

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Thanks for the tips.  I will try a different technique now.

I find that if I bake it for 3 minutes before I put the toppings on, it is not soggy, so maybe you can try that if you have lots of toppings.

I keep trying to fling it around like you see them doing in pizza places, but it just shrinks again!! Never mind, I'll keep trying.

Georgina

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I find my dough is always best if I have a very good dose of olive oil in it. I must say that sometimes in spite of giving it some welly it seems to take some eshing before it will go where I want.

My tomatoe sauce base is just that. I fry garlic and onions and then add chopped tomatoes or passata to it with basil and oregano and let it reduce.

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I remember watching pizzas being made in Venice many years ago and the dough wasn't rolled at all but stretched (dough will stretch by its own weight) and turned.  I do a mixture of the two - rolling and stretching.

Btw - I agree - home made pizza is waay better than the shop bought ones.  My kids won't eat ready made pizza.

Kathie

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we are in South Africa.. for the next 2 weeks, then i'm afraid we have to come back because we still haven't sold... so will be in dordogne for at least another season.

From November we will open the pizza club here in Cape Town, but for now we are reopening in France, for Easter..

 

the secret for a good pizza?  the woodburning oven...

for the dough preparation, i will have to ask Tracy, she's the expert, i just do the glamorous work of cooking them...

 

au revoir

massimo

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We have made pizzas with the help of the breadmaker, let it rise, etc.  But every time the dough under the filling is far too thick for my taste.

I like a thin and crispy pizza, but wife insists that the dough has to rise after rolling, ending up with a thick base.

Any tips anyone please?

David

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I never let the dough rise as my lot like thin pizzas, I use a large round plate and push the dough out until it covers the plate evenly, then you have a perfect round, I then add toppings,I always set a side  a little chili con carne,or bollognese sauce and freeze them in small cartons so you have them to create different toppings for different people as it is a pain making them when you are making the pizza.I always preheat the baking tray so the pizza does not end up soggy.A good cheat for the topping is tomato sauce in a jar, just makes them a bit expensive,if you find tin tomatoes a bit watery, give them a whiz in a processor and reduce them down by boiling them in a pan keep stiring so they don,t catch and you will have a more concentrated result.I often use fresh tomatoes when there are plenty in the summer,skin,cook down to a concentrate.One thing I cannot stand is an egg in the middle, quite common in France.
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[quote user="5-element"]

[quote user="verviale"]

One thing I cannot stand is an egg in the middle, quite common in France.[/quote]

One egg in the middle of a pizza? Never seen that anywhere in France, it must be a Limousin specialty[:D]

 

[/quote]

Perhaps someone on here will know the name they give to the pizza with the egg in the middle, I have seen them in lots of places, even in the flunch I think,dare I mention that place !!!!!

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