Cowabunga!

[bloodyrosemccoy]

Aw, yeah, I know how to make a damn fine pizza.



I am finding that good pizza takes a lot of practice. I keep trying different recipes--but the most successful one I've found for thin crust, like the one up there, is snagged from the back of one of those bullshit cozy mystery books I periodically shelve.* I did hit a bit of a snag when the recipe suggested that I use my portable brick pizza oven for best results. Uh, yeah. Look, I'm surprised I have a pizza stone.** But even with the recipes, it takes a lot of work.***

On the plus side, if my appetite for pizza continues, all this kneading is going to give me some serious Popeye forearms. Who'd have thought pizza could make you a badass? The Ninja Turtles were right all along.


*But didn't actually read, because cozy mysteries are Not My Thing.

**Also I have this, thanks to my brother. That's all I really need.

***Getting the darn thing from the paddle onto the stone, for example. Which is why I had the fight with the oven.

Comments

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

I have done some breadmaker doughs and they turn out all right, but somehow the ones I make by hand always turn out the best because I can get a feel for any adjustments I might need to make (I always have to adjust recipes a bit to compensate for high altitude and dryness). Plus, kneading is fun.

Usually I just add some roasted granulated garlic, olive oil, and Italian seasoning to a can of Hunt's or Contadina tomato sauce. That seems to work pretty well. I dislike full-on pizza sauces from the store because they usually have too much sugar. (Also true of storebought doughs/crusts.)

My favorite toppings are straight cheese (mozzarella + parmesan with whatever else I feel like), pepperoni, and Hawaiian. I try not to cover the pizza with toppings because it's less likely to bake through.

[stormteller.livejournal.com]

Of course, even an automatic dough requires some kneading to get it into shape. You still get the fun of tossing it into the air, if you so wish. But I know what you mean. My dough always comes out slightly different; sometime's it's too elastic and won't stretch out easily, or overrises in the oven and I get a pizza with huge bubbles in it. I'm learning to prevent those issues, though, by adjusting the flour/water ratio when it comes out of the machine.

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

Wow, somebody else who likes Hawaiian pizza!

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Woohoo! Unite!

Never did understand why it got such a bad rap. I think it's a pretty tasty combo, myself!

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

I was never interested until I got into a roleplaying group for a while, and they'd order pizza for the all-nighters, including sometimes a Hawaiian (the guy whose house it was at grew up in Honolulu). It's really tasty! Like a dessert pizza.

One chain around here does a variation on a Hawaiian that they call a "Paia Pie", which also adds mandarin oranges. I was dubious but it works.