17||0|2112|0| 0|0|0|||1||La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Gryphon||22:33:56|09/25/2020|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Sep-30-20 AT 02:15 AM (EDT)]In the thread about %5Bi%5DGallian Gothic%5B%2Fi%5D Book 2 Act II%2C there was a brief digression about cooking pizza in a cast-iron frying pan. Here is some more information about that%2C featuring some photos of a pizza I prepared earlier.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe way I do pizza is pretty basic and low-rent. I make no pretentions to gourmet skill here. I think it%27s pretty darn good%2C but I have the palate of a man who grew up in the whitest part of the whitest state in the Union with parents whose idea of daring exotica is the kind of Chinese food you can get in such a place%2C so take that for what it%27s worth. Anyway%2C disclaimers out of the way%2C here%27s my take.%0D%0A%0D%0AFor this particular one we%27re talking about today%2C I used a frozen pizza dough that was available the last time I made a supply run to the nearest supermarket that does curbside pick-up. I think the brand was %22Pepe%27s%22 or some such generic Italian-ness. In practice%2C it doesn%27t really seem to matter as long as it%27s a reasonably conventional pizza dough. I get similar results with the Chef Boyardee bags-of-flour-in-a-box mix%2C or a scratchmade dough made to the following dirt-simple recipe%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bdiv style%3D%22border-style%3Asolid%3Bborder-color%3Ablack%3Bpadding%3A5px%22%5D%5Bfont color%3D%22black%22%5DDIGRESSION SIDEBAR%3A Q%26D PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE%0D%0A%0D%0ACombine%3A%0D%0A - 2%C2%BD cups all-purpose or bread flour%0D%0A - 1 cup hot water mixed with a packet of active dry yeast %28or the equivalent dosage of same out of the jar%2C which I believe is 2%C2%BD teaspoons%29%0D%0A - 1 tablespoon olive oil%0D%0A%0D%0AMix with the dough hook on your KitchenAid for 10 minutes. What do you mean you don%27t have a dough hook for your KitchenAid%3F Once that%27s done%2C throw in a little more olive oil and roll the dough ball around in the mixer bowl to coat it%2C then cover the bowl with a tea towel%2C put the bowl in your cast iron pan%2C and set the pan with the bowl in it on top of your oven while you preheat said oven to 425%C2%B0 F. If your oven has a top vent like mine%2C that will warm the dough while the oven heats up and make it rise a little faster%21 Efficiency%21 Let it rise while the oven heats up and go set up your %5Bi%5Dmise en place%5B%2Fi%5D%2A for assembling the pizza.%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Fdiv%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AFor my particular old cast-iron pan%2C which I believe is a 15-incher%2C half of most commercial dough balls %28or half of the yield from the recipe above%29 is the right amount to make a pizza that goes to the edges. Stretch it as much as you like with whatever technique you can manage%2C spray the pan with some cooking spray or rub some oil in it %28don%27t forget the sides%29%2C flop the dough disk in there%2C and then use your fingers to kinda concrete-float it to the edges.%0D%0A%0D%0AMy topping choices are equally low-rent%3A shredded low-moisture mozzarella%2C that sliced pepperoni that comes in the plastic pillow pack%2C and pizza sauce out of a can. Chef Boyardee%2C Don Pepino%2C whatever floats your boat. %28I once punted and used spaghetti sauce instead and it was terrible. Spaghetti sauce is too wet to use on a pizza.%29 I%27ll also throw on some shredded cheddar and%2For bacon if I have them%2C but I was out of both today. Sometimes I also put on a bunch of dried oregano. I don%27t really like oregano that much%3F But my late grandmother always used tons of it on pizza%2C so it makes me nostalgic. I don%27t expect that to make sense to anyone but me%2C but anyway.%0D%0A%0D%0AOnce it%27s all in the pan%2C it looks like this.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FG-GFX%2Fpizza%2Fpizza%2520raw.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0ANote that you could easily do a deep-dish pizza in this pan%2C I just haven%27t here. Also%2C you can take the cheese all the way to the edge with a little prep %28got to make sure the sides are well-oiled or it%27ll stick like hell when you try to take it out afterward%29%2C but I like a little bit of a thumb rest.%0D%0A%0D%0ABake at 425%C2%B0 F for 22 minutes. For convection ovens%2C I dunno. My current oven does %5Bi%5Dhave%5B%2Fi%5D a convection mode%2C but I developed this method before I bought that oven%2C and I%27ve never gotten around to figuring out the time differential for cooking this in that mode. Maybe 15 minutes%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AWhen you take the pizza out of the oven%2C let it sit in the pan until the cheese stops bubbling%2C then go around it with a spatula to get the lovely maillarded cheese bits free from the pan sides %28if you oiled it right they should come right off%29 before you decant it onto a cutting board. When it%27s done%2C it should look something like this.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FG-GFX%2Fpizza%2Fpizza%2520cooked.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0AHere%27s a view with a slice cut out so you can see how thick it is.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FG-GFX%2Fpizza%2Fpizza%2520cut.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0ANote that this was a second-pass crust%E2%80%94that is%2C the second half of a dough ball%2C which had been in a ziploc bag in the fridge for a couple of days after the first half of it got used. They tend to be a little flatter than the first-pass ones%2C in my experience.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd here%27s a view of what it looks like underneath.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FG-GFX%2Fpizza%2Fpizza%2520underside.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0ACrunchy at the edges%2C chewy in the middle. Does not flop over when picked up and dump hot cheese onto your hand.%0D%0A%0D%0ACleanup%3A Once the pan is cool%2C grab a paper towel and scoop out the pepperoni grease%2C then grab another one and give the whole thing a polish pass. You%27re done%21%0D%0A%0D%0ABon app%C3%A9tit%21%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%222%22%5D%2A by which I basically mean %22get the stuff out of the fridge%22%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 1|1|0|||1||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Peter Eng||23:04:25|09/25/2020|%3EWhat do you mean you don%27t have a dough hook for your KitchenAid%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AThis dough sounds interesting%2C and I%27ll experiment with it to get some practical experience from the %22Stand mixer%3F What%27s a stand mixer%3F%22 department.%0D%0A%0D%0APeter Eng%0D%0A--%0D%0Aoff to see if proofing pizza dough is a thing 4|2|1|||1||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Gryphon||00:40:30|09/26/2020|%3E%3EWhat do you mean you don%27t have a dough hook for your KitchenAid%3F%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThis dough sounds interesting%2C and I%27ll experiment with it to get some %0D%0A%3Epractical experience from the %22Stand mixer%3F What%27s a stand mixer%3F%22 %0D%0A%3Edepartment. %0D%0A%0D%0AI think it%27ll be fine%2C you%27ll just have to knead it by hand for a few minutes instead of letting the dough hook do the work.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 6|3|4|||||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|MuninsFire||20:16:50|09/26/2020|%3E%3E%3EWhat do you mean you don%27t have a dough hook for your KitchenAid%3F%0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EThis dough sounds interesting%2C and I%27ll experiment with it to get some %0D%0A%3E%3Epractical experience from the %22Stand mixer%3F What%27s a stand mixer%3F%22 %0D%0A%3E%3Edepartment. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI think it%27ll be fine%2C you%27ll just have to knead it by hand for a few %0D%0A%3Eminutes instead of letting the dough hook do the work. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s going to be on the order of ten minutes%2C depending on just how angry you are - angry kneading tends to be more forceful%2C and that means you%27ll work the glutens out to where they need to be faster %3B-%29%0D%0A%0D%0AYou may also want to experiment with different flours%2C or flour mixtures. The amount of protein in the thing matters w%2Fr%2Ft its baking characteristics. 8|3|4|||||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Star Ranger4||00:37:16|09/29/2020|%3E%0D%0A%3EI think it%27ll be fine%2C you%27ll just have to knead it by hand for a few %0D%0A%3Eminutes instead of letting the dough hook do the work. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E--G. %0D%0A%0D%0AFor the record%2C Hand kneeding and tossing%2C regardless of if it is for bread or Pizza crusts%3B is a GREAT way to vent one%27s frustrations at whatever the day has thrown at one........ 10|4|8|||||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|BlackAeronaut||00:42:13|09/29/2020|%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EI think it%27ll be fine%2C you%27ll just have to knead it by hand for a few %0D%0A%3E%3Eminutes instead of letting the dough hook do the work. %0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3E--G. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EFor the record%2C Hand kneeding and tossing%2C regardless of if it is for %0D%0A%3Ebread or Pizza crusts%3B is a GREAT way to vent one%27s frustrations at %0D%0A%3Ewhatever the day has thrown at one........ %0D%0A%0D%0AWhy do you think the guy tossing the pizza dough in the pizzaria is always so cheerful%3F %3B%29 2|1|0|||1||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Astynax||23:17:41|09/25/2020|Well%2C this was an unexpected result from a digression into pizza-land%2C but it%27s appreciated. And has corrected what was apparently a bad assumption on my part%2C that home ovens %28well%2C more or less standard home ovens%29 couldn%27t produce the heat needed to get the cheese right. Or the crust really%2C but I place more importance on the cheese for my personal tastes.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%222%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FuTUdbCE.png%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd%5D%5BFONT SIZE%3D%222%22 COLOR%3D%22%23000000%22%5D%5Bb%5D-%3D%7B%28Astynax%29%7D%3D-%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%5Bi%5D%22I%27m not surprised to find the EPU forums to be educational%2C but I am surprised by the topics that education sometimes covers.%22%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%222%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D%5B%2Fp%5D 3|2|2|||1||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Gryphon||00:39:39|09/26/2020|%3EWell%2C this was an unexpected result from a digression into pizza-land%2C %0D%0A%3Ebut it%27s appreciated. And has corrected what was apparently a bad %0D%0A%3Eassumption on my part%2C that home ovens %28well%2C more or less standard %0D%0A%3Ehome ovens%29 couldn%27t produce the heat needed to get the cheese right. %0D%0A%0D%0AI think the thing most people do wrong there is not leave it in the oven long enough. %28Which is something the iron pan helps with%2C since it%27s a very efficient heat sink and keeps the crust from burning before the cheese is done.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 5|3|3|||||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|BlackAeronaut||09:41:18|09/26/2020|%3E%3EWell%2C this was an unexpected result from a digression into pizza-land%2C %0D%0A%3E%3Ebut it%27s appreciated. And has corrected what was apparently a bad %0D%0A%3E%3Eassumption on my part%2C that home ovens %28well%2C more or less standard %0D%0A%3E%3Ehome ovens%29 couldn%27t produce the heat needed to get the cheese right. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI think the thing most people do wrong there is not leave it in the %0D%0A%3Eoven long enough. %28Which is something the iron pan helps with%2C since %0D%0A%3Eit%27s a very efficient heat sink and keeps the crust from burning %0D%0A%3Ebefore the cheese is done.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AI think it has a bit more to do with heat distribution. Ordinary electric and gas ovens can have %22hot spots%22 that are hotter than the rest of the oven. In fact%2C the professional slab-style pizza ovens are intentionally built this way - it%27s up to the oven tender to check the pizza frequently and make sure that it%27s baking evenly. It also makes it much easier to deal with thicker and thinner pizzas%2C or make a well-done pizza for a particularly discerning customer. %28I like myself a well-done pizza now and then - lightly crispy crust%2C soft and chewy on the inside%2C and that lightly toasted cheese on top... YUM.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AA cast iron pan%2C though... Like G said%2C it acts like a heat sink. And what do heat sinks do%3F Well%2C they don%27t just absorb heat - they do at first - but once it%27s taken in all the heat it can %28given ambient temperatures%2C of course%29%3F They %5Bi%5Ddistribute%5B%2Fi%5D that heat%2C all nice and even-like.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis is why convection ovens are such effective pizza-making machines. The convection action ensures the heat is evenly distributed throughout the oven. In fact%2C most any pizza place that has a conveyor-style oven is essentially just a really big convection oven on steroids - the one where I work cranks out a perfectly done pizza in five minutes. %28Which is why many pizza delivery chains can make good on the promise of having your pizza to you in 35 minutes or less.%29 11|4|5|||||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|StClair||02:02:13|09/30/2020|I have%2C from time to time%2C wondered how my local shop of choice manages to produce their delicious discs so speedily compared to the home model. Thanks for the insider%27s tip. 7|3|3|||1||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Sofaspud||14:00:17|09/28/2020|I missed the pizza party by a couple days%2C but you%27ve kind of hit the nail on the side of the head here. You%27re right in that most people don%27t leave the pizza in long enough%2C because most people are used to heating frozen pizzas and those go from bleh to burned in about twelve seconds once they%27ve reached target temp.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut it%27s really the cast-iron that does the heavy lifting%2C and depending on oven temp and convection-ness and dough thickness you can do a good pizza anywhere between 12 to 30 minutes -- %2Aif%2A you have a proper surface to work with in the oven. That%27s where cast-iron does really well.%0D%0A%0D%0APizza stones can do wonders too and you can get away with less grease. I%27m a big fan of homemade pizza but I like my crust to soak up the grease up top and be clean on the bottom%2C and still be crunchy-yet-chewy%2C so a pizza stone is perfect for that.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C if you are lacking cast iron or pizza stoneage%2C you can use a good heavy Pyrex-or-similar glass dish%2C or really any sort of heavy ceramic baking pan. Thin-walled aluminum is Right Out%2C however.%0D%0A%0D%0A--sofaspud%0D%0A--dangit now I want pizza for lunch 9|4|7|||||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Star Ranger4||00:41:11|09/29/2020|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Sep-29-20 AT 00:42 AM (EDT)]%3E%0D%0A%3EPizza stones can do wonders too and you can get away with less grease. %0D%0A%3E I%27m a big fan of homemade pizza but I like my crust to soak up the %0D%0A%3Egrease up top and be clean on the bottom%2C and still be %0D%0A%3Ecrunchy-yet-chewy%2C so a pizza stone is perfect for that. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0AConcur%2C Spudster. best home purchase I ever made%2C and the one I regret misplacing along the way was my own Pizza Stone.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow%2C I just need to find a good %28or Emma grade sexy%29 Peel 12|1|0|||1||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Gryphon||02:17:23|09/30/2020|Apologies if anyone tried to make the pizza dough described in the original post before right now%3B I just noticed there was a typo in it. It takes 2%26half%3B cups of flour%2C not 1%26half%3B. I can only imagine with a 1%26half%3B to 1 flour to water ratio%2C it makes a sort of slurry%2C not dough.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 13|1|0|||1||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|BobSchroeck||22:47:45|10/14/2020|I know I%27m a couple weeks behind the curve here%2C but damn that looks like good pizza%2C Gryph. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27ve got a pizza stone which I use in both our outdoor grill and our oven inside%2C and it does a really good job of holding and spreading heat%2C like your iron pan. %28I really should get one of those%2C btw. I mean%2C I have a Kitchenaid %5Bi%5Dand%5B%2Fi%5D a dough hook%2C you would think I%27d have a cast iron frying pan...%29 I also have a couple baker%27s peels%2C which make it easy to move a raw dough pizza onto and off the stone %28onto being much harder%2C especially if you%27ve forgotten to prep your working surface properly%2C he says from unfortunate experience%29.%0D%0A%0D%0AI know it%27s probably heresy in a thread like this one%2C but I%27ve experimented with premade crusts. Most are not worth the time saved and the money spent. That said%2C Boboli makes an acceptable product%2C but recently our preferred crust has come from a local outfit called %5Blink%3Abrooklynbred.com%2Fpizza-crusts%2F%7CBrooklyn Bread%5D%2C baked in %28you guessed it%29 Brooklyn. The tops tend to be a bit more... textured %28bubbly and uneven%29 than is convenient for keeping your toppings on%2C but they crisp up nicely and have a certain something flavorwise that definitely makes for a good pizza.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Bob%0D%0A-------------------%0D%0AMy race is pacifist and does not believe in war. We kill only out of personal spite. 14|2|13|||||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Croaker||19:20:41|11/13/2020|I continue to be tempted by cast iron but have yet to seriously move forward with it. Ah well.%0D%0A%0D%0ARight now I have two big obstacles to pizza. One%2C nowhere convenient to knead%2Frollout the dough... and two%2C my front teeth don%27t work all that well right now so taking bites out of anything is an Issue. 16|3|14|||1||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Peter Eng||21:01:52|11/14/2020|%3Etwo%2C my front teeth...%0D%0A%0D%0AA table knife and fork are acceptable options for pizza consumption.%0D%0A%0D%0APeter Eng%0D%0A--%0D%0AInsert humorous comment here. 17|2|13|||||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|Star Ranger4||15:24:14|11/17/2020|%3EI know it%27s probably heresy in a thread like this one%2C but I%27ve %0D%0A%3Eexperimented with premade crusts. Most are not worth the time saved %0D%0A%3Eand the money spent.%0D%0A%0D%0APretty much matches my own personal experience. Interestingly%2C around chez ranger the frozen pizza liked the best is Red Baron. Somehow it just feels right to everyone else.%0D%0A%0D%0ACome to think of it%2C my dad used to alternate between buying pizza dough from the local deli and or making it himself. His recipe%2C from what I recall%2C is the same as Gryph%27s 15|1|0|||1||RE%3A La Vie Culinaire%3A Pizza %C3%A0 la Po%C3%AAle en Fonte|MoonEyes||17:37:31|11/14/2020|%3EBake at 425%C2%B0 F for 22 minutes. For convection ovens%2C I dunno. My %0D%0A%3Ecurrent oven does %5Bi%5Dhave%5B%2Fi%5D a convection mode%2C but I developed this %0D%0A%3Emethod before I bought that oven%2C and I%27ve never gotten around to %0D%0A%3Efiguring out the time differential for cooking this in that mode. %0D%0A%3EMaybe 15 minutes%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AFor those of us that don%27t do F%2C it%27s be 225%C2%B0 C %28actually%2C about 220%2C but my own oven for instance has digits in 25-increments%29.%0D%0AThis has been a Public Service Announcement.%0D%0A%0D%0AHoping to try this soon-ish.%0D%0A%0D%0A...%21%0D%0AStoke Mandeville%2C Esq %26 The Victorian Ballsmiths%0D%0A%5Bsmall%5D%22Nobody Want Verdigris-Covered Balls%21%22%5B%2Fsmall%5D