Pizza - agree / disagree

[jb]

http://food.yahoo.com/blog/sliceamerica/11280/the-commandments-of-perfect-pizza/

The Commandments of Perfect Pizza
Posted Thu, Mar 05, 2009, 4:02 pm PST
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Ed Levine of the pizza blog Slice and food blog Serious Eats, has traveled around the world, studying the merits of a great pizza. While eating and loving pizza is a simple act, making a truly excellent one is not. How do you achieve that sacred balance of puffy, chewy crust with oozy cheese and an acidic tomato sauce sweetness? Behold the 6 Commandments of Great Pizza-Making.



1. The Oven: Places that tout "brick" ovens need an extra layer of investigation. Don't fall for a brick facade (they could be faux, or just be a few slapped on to encase the outside). For an oven to reach 800 degrees -- the magical number -- and stay there, it needs to be lined along the top and floor with bricks (and/or stones).

2. The Fuel Source: Coal-fired and wood-fired ovens seem to produce the best charred-to-perfection texture and smoky flavor. Conventional gas ovens linger at 600 degrees (not hot enough).

3. The Crust: A superior crust is neither cracker-thin nor bread-thick. It should be puffy, chewy, pliant, and like a great football defense—able to bend but never break.

4. The Sauce: Uncooked canned tomatoes, specifically from California or Italy, are what you want. After being strained, they just need a touch of salt. Maybe some oregano. Some people throw in sugar, but if the tomatoes are truly fresh, they don't need that nonsense.

5. The Mozzarella: Fresh cow's milk mozzarella will have a clean, milky taste. And how do you know it's fresh? It's white. Aged mozzarella, on the flip side, found at most American pizza joints, is a sort of "pizza yellow."

6. The Toppings: Always fresh. Always worth the extra calories. If all the mushroom slices or sausage pieces look exactly the same, that's a bad sign. Fresh foods don't look cookie-cutter perfect, and in toppings, fresh makes all the difference.

And find out why Pepperoni Pizza Ain't All That.

[Tymaster]

I agree, but I have to share my "white trash" pizze recipe, b/c it is actually quite good! It was given to me by a friend of my dads who is a retired Miller Beer sales rep, and a damned good cook.
It starts with a homemade wheat and buttermilk crust. In lieu of "sauce" it is covered w/ baked beans. In lieu of pep or sausage, it is covered with hot dogs slice like pep. In lieu of mozzeralla, it is covered with cheddar cheese. Sounds gross doesn't it. That's what I thought until I tried it. Now I call that old man up every holiday and request one!!

[jfiling]

Agree. The best pizza I've ever cooked at home is Pillsbury pizza crust rolled out, shaped into a cast iron skillet, topped with cheese, sauce, and whichever toppings were available, and cooked at the highest heat the oven puts out (I think 500 degrees). I've been seriously thinking about building a brick oven in the back yard so I can get that 800 degree heat that really makes a pizza.

EDIT - The problem with lower temperature ovens isn't just the amount of heat, but the vessel that the pizza is cooked on. Alton Brown (cue: rolleyes) recommends a pizza stone or a big piece of quarry tile. Basically, a big rock that can suck up all the heat to really cook the crust. I've still had great success cooking pizza in my 12" cast iron skillet.

[4thQtrGlory]

Truthfully, ive never attempted to make my own pizza. Its something i want to tackle soon, but im just nervous of being dissapointed.

[swerb]

I actually make homemade pizza pretty often. Like once a month. Best to make your own dough from scratch. I make a bunch then portion out the rest and freeze it for easy use in the future. Or, if I'm at Alescis, I'll buy some of their pizza dough and freeze it.

Have a couple pizza stones, which make great pizza. Put those things in the oven till they are piping hot ... pizza cooks pretty quick once you slap em on there. Got three personal sized ones, which work out great .... cause my wife and son like pretty plain pizza.

Actually just made em the other night. My 3.5 year old had a blast making his own pizza. I use the Dei Fratelli pizza sauce, which is sweet. Love sweet sauces. Brush the crust with olive oil. Threw some jalapenos and really thin sliced shrooms on there. Some of that really finely shredded mozzarella.

[FUDU]

3. The Crust: A superior crust is neither cracker-thin nor bread-thick. It should be puffy, chewy, pliant, and like a great football defense—able to bend but never break.

Only in Cleveland can our pizza crust bend and not break while our defense is exactly the opposite.

[waborat]

Truthfully, ive never attempted to make my own pizza. Its something i want to tackle soon, but im just nervous of being dissapointed.

It's very easy 4th...like Swerb said, two important things are have a pizza stone and brush EVOO before putting the sauce on

We've tried all kinds of different toppings over the years and everything has come out fine...it's actually quicker and a lot better tasting than take out

[Triple-S]

[quote="JB"3. The Crust: A superior crust is neither cracker-thin nor bread-thick. It should be puffy, chewy, pliant, and like a great football defense—able to bend but never break. [/quote]



http://www.pizzakingindiana.com/

Pizza King Pizza has a cracker like crust and it's beyond great. Love that stuff, I've been holding out hope that somehow a franchise will spring up in NEOhio but no luck yet. Dig the cracker crust.

[216]

Best pizza I ever had is prob Gino east in Chi. My wife is from Brookln, Ny
And I have even converted her. She will now openly admit Chi Pizza is better then NYC.


The inlaws hate me for this!!!

[jb]

I axed da chef at LaRocca sna she said her ovens never get above 425.

So I call BS on that in the article.

[General]

I axed da chef at LaRocca sna she said her ovens never get above 425.

So I call BS on that in the article.

Enzo de baker he could getta her oven hotter 'den 'dat.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Had NY pizza at Lombardi's, loved it. Had Chitown Pizza at Gino's, loved it. I like both thick and thin crust pizza. I try to avoid the mainstream chains because they make crappy pizza with nasty sour sauce.

We got some pretty good pizza joints down here in Columbus. For any locals or people visting check out:

Adriatico's Pizza- Near OSU campus

Hound Dog's- On OSU campus

Iacono's Pizza- 3 locations

Benito's Pizza- Old Hilliard (has the best Chicken Parm sub I have ever had)

[jb]

nm

[OldDawg]

Tried to delete the post. Sorry

[OldDawg]

3. The Crust: A superior crust is neither cracker-thin nor bread-thick. It should be puffy, chewy, pliant, and like a great football defense—able to bend but never break.

http://www.pizzakingindiana.com/

Pizza King Pizza has a cracker like crust and it's beyond great. Love that stuff, I've been holding out hope that somehow a franchise will spring up in NEOhio but no luck yet. Dig the cracker crust.

Hey 3S, I went to college in Indiana and lived there two years post graduation. During those 6 years, pizza king stock grew a ton, because I was getting that pizza all the time. I actually had me a Pizza King sign in my apartment. They had the first barbecue sauce pizza I ever had. Loved it. When I go back to visit the college, I always get me a baked ham and barbecue sauce Pizza King pizza. Agreed that their thin crust was great. If I wanted a thicker crust pizza, I loved the Noble Romans deep dish pizza. I think they are out of business now.

The thin crust pizza I like to get now is the Donatos pizza. Love their "founders" pizza (pepperoni, sausage, banana peppers). Every time I am at an OSU arena ball game, the smell of Donatos pizza in their concessions stands does me in.

[jfiling]

I actually make homemade pizza pretty often. Like once a month. Best to make your own dough from scratch. I make a bunch then portion out the rest and freeze it for easy use in the future. Or, if I'm at Alescis, I'll buy some of their pizza dough and freeze it.

You know I tried that a few times, and kept getting pissed because my dough wouldn't rise. Turns out the chlorine in the tap water was killing the yeast. I just thought I would pass that along before anybody else gets the frustration I've been through. Bottled water is king if you live in a city.

[waborat]

I actually make homemade pizza pretty often. Like once a month. Best to make your own dough from scratch. I make a bunch then portion out the rest and freeze it for easy use in the future. Or, if I'm at Alescis, I'll buy some of their pizza dough and freeze it.

You know I tried that a few times, and kept getting pissed because my dough wouldn't rise. Turns out the chlorine in the tap water was killing the yeast. I just thought I would pass that along before anybody else gets the frustration I've been through. Bottled water is king if you live in a city.

Never knew that one J...my wife used to get pissed all the time with her yeast (add joke here) not rising until Enzo de baker told her that she needed the kitchen hot, hot, hot...now all of her pie and cake tasty good

[jfiling]

I actually make homemade pizza pretty often. Like once a month. Best to make your own dough from scratch. I make a bunch then portion out the rest and freeze it for easy use in the future. Or, if I'm at Alescis, I'll buy some of their pizza dough and freeze it.

You know I tried that a few times, and kept getting pissed because my dough wouldn't rise. Turns out the chlorine in the tap water was killing the yeast. I just thought I would pass that along before anybody else gets the frustration I've been through. Bottled water is king if you live in a city.

Never knew that one J...my wife used to get pissed all the time with her yeast (add joke here) not rising until Enzo de baker told her that she needed the kitchen hot, hot, hot...now all of her pie and cake tasty good

Must... not... make... pie... yeast... tasty... joke...

[Triple-S]

3. The Crust: A superior crust is neither cracker-thin nor bread-thick. It should be puffy, chewy, pliant, and like a great football defense—able to bend but never break.

http://www.pizzakingindiana.com/

Pizza King Pizza has a cracker like crust and it's beyond great. Love that stuff, I've been holding out hope that somehow a franchise will spring up in NEOhio but no luck yet. Dig the cracker crust.

Hey 3S, I went to college in Indiana and lived there two years post graduation. During those 6 years, pizza king stock grew a ton, because I was getting that pizza all the time. I actually had me a Pizza King sign in my apartment. They had the first barbecue sauce pizza I ever had. Loved it. When I go back to visit the college, I always get me a baked ham and barbecue sauce Pizza King pizza. Agreed that their thin crust was great. If I wanted a thicker crust pizza, I loved the Noble Romans deep dish pizza. I think they are out of business now.

The thin crust pizza I like to get now is the Donatos pizza. Love their "founders" pizza (pepperoni, sausage, banana peppers). Every time I am at an OSU arena ball game, the smell of Donatos pizza in their concessions stands does me in.

Noble Romans is still around, saw one at a Gas station up in Green of all places.

http://www.nobleromans.com/

Dontatos is good, havn't had it in a while, but I really liked it.