Easy first time pizza dough recipies

[Vindii]

Hello to all.

I am starting to make pizza from scratch.  I am having a hard time finding a dough recipe that I like.  Can anyone recommend an easy starter dough recipe?  Something simple that will get me started in a general direction.

Thanks.

[Pete-zza]

Vindii,

I think most people would say that the easiest pizza doughs to make are those that are made and used within a few hours. Such doughs are often called "emergency" or "short-term" doughs. For a collection of such doughs, you might take a look at the thread at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,8297.0.html. If that doesn't do it for you, you might want to come back and tell the forum what type or style of pizza appeals to you (e.g., NY, deep-dish, Neapolitan, American, cracker, etc.), the ingredients at your disposal to make pizzas (including flours/brands, yeast types, tomatoes and cheeses), and the equipment and tools that you have available to use (including mixer/food processor/bread maker/hand kneading, pizza stone/screen/pan/disk, wooden/metal peel, pizza cutter, and oven type and maximum temperature). You should also tell us what size pizzas you are after, whether you prefer thick or thin, and the sizes of any pizza stone, screen, pan, disk and peel that you might use.

Peter

[Vindii]

Thanks for the reply.  I read that thread and some other before posting.  Not really sure which one to try.  I don't even know what the different pizza styles are.  i have only tried one dough and it came out ok but it really did not puff up the crust around the outside of the crust like I would have liked.  Being the first dough I ever made it could be a number of thing that I did wrong.

I will be cooking the pizza on my gas grill.  Its a weber EP-310.  I have a double pizza stone set-up that seems to work well.  The bottom stone is a 18" x 18" x 1" thick and the top is 16" x 16" x 3/4" thick.  The top stone is on a raised rack above the bottom one.  The bottom one sits on the grates.  I turn all 3 burner to high and let it preheat for about 45 minutes.  Hood temp gets to 450-480 degrees and I would assume the bottom stone is hotter but I don't have a way to measure it.  My peel is about 14" wide so that will be the biggest pie I can make.  I cook the pies about 3-4 minutes on the bottom stone then move to the top stone to finish.  About 3-4 minutes on the top and it is done.  Double stone help to keep the bottom of the pie from burning.

My first dough I made I roughly followed this recipe.  google: Peter Reinhart's Napoletana Pizza Dough Recipe (cant post links) Except I used active dry yeast instead of instant because I did not know the difference.  I have since bought a package of fleishmans instant dry yeast.  I still have a couple of small packages active yeast too. I dont have a mixer or bread machine so it will have o be done by hand.

The crust I would like should be a thin crust with a puffy outside crust.

Thanks for the help.

[c0mpl3x]

i think placing the 16" UNDER the 18" and centering it would give better results.  let heat hold better in the middle and transfer more to the outside on top of being able to make 18" pies

[Vindii]

i think placing the 16" UNDER the 18" and centering it would give better results.  let heat hold better in the middle and transfer more to the outside on top of being able to make 18" pies

18 will not fit on the top rack.  It hits to hood and it will not shut.  I originally bought two 18's

[c0mpl3x]

18 will not fit on the top rack.  It hits to hood and it will not shut.  I originally bought two 18's

if you want a 16" screen to use i can mail one to you.  or a 14".  ive got a plethora of 14"

[Vindii]

if you want a 16" screen to use i can mail one to you.  or a 14".  ive got a plethora of 14"

What is the screen for?

[c0mpl3x]

What is the screen for?

make bigger pizzas than your peel.

[Vindii]

make bigger pizzas than your peel.

Do you leave it on the screen while it is cooking or just use the screen to add/remove from the stone?

[DenaliPete]

You leave it on the screen while cooking, when it is partially cooked you can remove the screen and cook directly on the stone, but some people cook solely on the screen.

[c0mpl3x]

Do you leave it on the screen while it is cooking or just use the screen to add/remove from the stone?

you leave it on.

[Vindii]

you leave it on.

Probably a silly question but doesn't that kind of make preheating the stone useless?  If the pie never sits on the stone then why not just use the stone to carry the pie to the oven?

[Tscarborough]

When I use a screen or plate, I usually leave it on until the pie firms up then take it off.  For my wife's pies, I leave it on (she thinks ash is dirty, when in truth it is sterile and doesn't stick anyway).

[Pete-zza]

Probably a silly question but doesn't that kind of make preheating the stone useless?  If the pie never sits on the stone then why not just use the stone to carry the pie to the oven?

Vindii,

Maybe the post at Reply 45 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,2223.msg20965.html#msg20965 will help you better understand how a pizza screen might be used in a standard home oven (not the two stone oven you mentioned). There are also many pizza operators who use pizza screens even though they are ordinarily not needed in a deck oven. You can read how pizza screens can be used by professionals at Reply 3 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,5169.msg43926.html#msg43926 and at Reply 26 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7689.msg66284/topicseen.html#msg66284.

Peter

[android]

have you considered trying your oven? i'm just thinking you might be surprised with how hot it can get with a few stones in there. you can still use a screen on top of a stone and stones help the oven hold good heat. with that said, i've had excellent results lately using only a 14" screen and a simple dough recipe that i ferment in the fridge overnight or two nights at the most. stretches out easy, gives a nice rim that puffs nicely at the edge. and actually, the "screen" i've been using isn't quite like an official pizza screen, more a pan with holes in it. it's a chicago metallic one available at bed, bath, and beyond.

[Tscarborough]

Screens as used here seem to be both actual screen, plates with holes, and even plates with no holes.  I do not like actual screens or ones with holes, solid plates work best in my experience both commercially and at home in the kitchen oven and in the WFO.

[Vindii]

Thanks for all the replies.  I think I have a better understanding of the uses for a pizza screen.  In my case since I am already cooking outside on a grill (dont need to worry about heating up the house) the main reason for me to use a screen would be to make a bigger pie than I can fit on my peel.  For now I will stick with 14" or small pies that will fit on my peel.  Once I have a better understanding on what I'm doing I'll look into bigger pies.

I think I want to start with a New York style of pizza.  I want to try a dough that will sit for a day or more instead of the "emergency" doughs referenced above.  I only have a few hours after work during the week to make dinner so it will be easier for me to make the dough and pull it out a day or two later than to make the dough and pizza on the same day.

I started to read the Tom Lehman's thread and noticed something about dough with sugar is better for pies that will be cooked on a stone. Does that make a big difference?  I will be cooking on a stone so can anyone recommend a dough to try that can rest for a day or two?

Also I see a lot of these dough recipes using weights. Is is better to use a scale and weight all the ingredients?  I have never done that before.  Sounds more accurate.  Are there any thread about how this is done.

Thanks for all the help.  I'm learning a lot.  Hopefully we will have some pizza pics to show later this week.  How many post do I need to post pictures?

[Jet_deck]

..... I want to try a dough that will sit for a day or more instead of the "emergency" doughs referenced above.  I only have a few hours after work during the week to make dinner so it will be easier for me to make the dough and pull it out a day or two later than to make the dough and pizza on the same day.



Also I see a lot of these dough recipes using weights. Is is better to use a scale and weight all the ingredients?  I have never done that before.  Sounds more accurate.  Are there any thread about how this is done.....

From my newbie experience, there is nothing wrong with using an 'emergency dough' as a refridgerated 2 or 3 day dough.  The emergency doughs just usually contain a bit more yeast than other recipes, to get them going faster.  My experience is that 400 other things are going to go wrong before a little extra yeast is going to screw up anything major.

If you aren't an expert at bread baking already, and your serious about making good pizza's, the scale is the fastest way to get there. (Was for me) Mine is electronic from my local restraunt supply and cost about $30.  You put your mixer bowl on top, press tare, and start adding ingredients. (pressing tare after each ingredient is complete)  Most people use the small teaspoon sets for the salt and yeast as they are usually just a few grams.  I haven't got the small set yet. (small like 1/8 tsp, 1/16 tsp, etc)  Good luck, hope to see some of your pics soon.  Also, if your pizza's turn out crappy, put the pictures up anyway.  We all started in the same boat.

[DenaliPete]

I agree with Jet_Deck.  Most emergency dough recipes can be tucked into the fridge right away to avoid the rapid rising, then pulled out and used days later.  If in doubt, you could always reduce the amount of yeast in these recipes by 1/4 to 1/2 depending on the amount of yeast they call for.

[Pete-zza]

Vindii,

A dough with sugar in it favors the use of a pizza screen rather than a pizza stone, although up to 2% sugar in a dough should work in a home oven application with a pizza stone. For a dough that is to be used in a day or two, you shouldn't need any sugar.

Is there a particular number of dough balls you would like to make (assuming a 14" pizza size), and do you prefer for the crust to be on the thin side, like an "elite" NY style, or something a bit thicker, like a NY "street" or "slice" style? Also, what kind/brand of flour and yeast do you have on hand?

I think you should be able to post photos at this point.

Peter