Not half frickin' bad (pizza crust)

[Tab]

If I owned a pizzaria, I wouldn't be caught dead serving it, but I saw it in the store and tried it, and it's not half bad - certain serviciable for a night when you don't feel like making anything too much from scratch. Roll it out, cover it, bake it. It works, it's cheap and easy, and blows that Appian Way crap away (I don't know if you can even buy it - it's been 20 years since).

Anyway, it's good in a pinch.

[AwakeAtLast]

1. I made a stuffed bread roll with that

Recipe is from Taste of Home 5 ingredient cookbook

1 pizza crust
1 box chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (I used two :) )
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix the last four ingredients, spread on pizza dough, roll up longways jelly roll style, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

I had people beg me for the recipe. I also thought it can be adapted to other ingredients. It is yummy! I didn't mind the taste of the prepackaged crust.

[cbayer]

2. OK, i bought some today on your recommendation.

Going to try a pepperoni, green pepper and onion one this week and will get back to you.

Thanks?

[pengillian101]

3. I made calzones from this - very good. I don't do dough anymore..

Hey Tab - good to see you are back! Be well!


http://www.pillsbury.com/NR/rdonlyres/8B186A2E-2A02-4718-A9EF-

[NJCher]

4. hey thanks

for bringing this to our attention. I am always looking for alternatives to making a pizza crust.



Cher

[cbayer]

5. I tried this last night.

I had some left over spaghetti sauce (homemade and very thick), mozzarella, chopped onions and green peppers and topped it off with some pepperoni.

Despite leaving it in the oven much longer than the package said (almost 30 minutes), the bottom was still not cooked... or maybe it was just soggy.

It was good, but I think I will go back to Boboli crusts, because I am clearly doing something wrong.

[Tab]

6. I'm going to guess you made (potentially) two mistakes

First, too much sauce. Short of a really high-end oven, there's not a lot of forgiveness for sauce-laden crust. Sauce should start in the center and work to the edges, but people often overload the inside, making it soggy. Not sure if this is what you did, but it's a common problem.

Second, there's no real substitute for a pizza oven; unfortunately we don't all own one (I certainly don't) but preheating a pizza stone for a good hour will often suffice. Everyone seems to think the trick to pizza is proper dough (not that it's not important) but I spent a year chasing this and decided that the dough recipe was secondary to the heating - you can have the best frickin' dough in the world, but if you can't replicate a high-heat source, it's all for naught. Recipes say to preheat the oven to 475 or whatnot, but if you have a good oven and a pizza stone, the oven will hit 475 long before the stone catches up. In fact, I used to run two stones - one on top and one underneath, to mimic the radiant heat of a pizza oven, and would give them a good 90 minute pre-heat.

Maybe this year, if I'm feeling better, I'll build an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven. For now, though, I just have my plain old kitchen convection oven.

Finally, I should mention that I realized I screwed up and posted the wrong picture. The dough I used was their "thin crust" dough. They also make a classic dough, but I've never tried it. Regardless, that's the picture I posted. I meant to use the thin crust photo.

[cbayer]

7. I think you are right on both counts.

I thought the sauce was thick enough, but I probably put way too much on. I have never had a pizza stone, but I don't know if I want to preheat the oven for an hour. I am temporarily in an apartment, but I usually live on a boat and have to watch my propane use.

I will try the thin crust and see if that works better.

I have tried using my gas grill, but this has been an unmitigated disaster each time - ending with me scraping the whole mess to the fishes!

Have you tried the Boboli crusts? They work well for me, but are expensive, so I have been looking for alternatives.

I really appreciate your input here, as I love pizza and generally can't get it.

:hi:

[Tab]

8. I have spent so much time with Boboli

but they just don't cut it.

Try the thin crust. I apologize for the misdirection. I didn't even know until I was in the store today that they had more than one kind of crust, but looking at my post I see I put up the photo of the "classic" crust which I honestly have never used.

Also consider that some supermarkets, deli areas usually, will often sell balls of dough for like $1.50 or something. Regardless, it's not the dough. You can screw up the best dough in the world if your heating system doesn't cut it.

Since you're on propane, I hate to say it, but I'm not convinced you're going to get satisfaction. What I like to do on my gas grill is heat up some natural-food-aisle New England pizza, because it works enough to melt the cheese and give it this great flavor, but it's not strong enough to cook (which doesn't matter, as it's frozen anyway). That said, I live in New England, and I have never been able to get my grill hot enough to do raw dough during the wintertime (and it was 30 below the other day).

Pizza stones are cheap, like $15 or something, well worth it; dust it with white cornmeal first. Unfortunately, as I said, I'm not convinced you'll well on what I'm envisioning your boat's propane grill is. Somehow you'll have to figure out how to prebake it. You may be stuck with Boboli, sorry to say.

- Tab

[cbayer]

9. Hey, something great just happened!

I reheated the leftover pizza in a frying pan (very low heat) and it came out great! That might be the secret to getting the bottom done.

:toast:

[MelissaB]

20. I think the pan makes a huge difference.

I always use cast iron skillets in a regular oven and never have trouble with mine.

[hippywife]

10. I make wonderful pizza crusts at home, inexpensively.

And no matter what the ol' Tabarino tells you, I can with my simple, everyday oven get a lovely crisp pizza crust no matter if I use my stone or my round pizza pan. I only pre-heat to 425 and I definitely don't leave it to preheat for more than 15 minutes or so while I'm preparing the pizza.

I used this recipe and sub in 1/2 cup of wheat flour and, now, I'm also subbing in 1/2 cup of semolina:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pizza-Dough-III/Detail.aspx

I either use Stinky's dry sauce (canned diced tomatoes, preferably San Marzanos except I can never find those at my neighborhood groceries) a light layer of my own homemade tomato sauce, or a light layer of Melissa's sun-dried tomato pesto.

I bake for 20-23 minutes and they always come out really nice. With pictures to prove it! LOL

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=45790

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=51256

:hi:

ETA: Okay, Tab. I know I said I was going to leave this alone. But I just couldn't do it! I'm so sorry! :hug:

ETA II: Re: Stinky's dry pizza sauce.
Drain the canned tomatoes well (I cut the top off completely and squish it down against the tomatoes really well to drain all the juice coz they make a mess in a strainer.) add minced garlic, basil, salt and pepper. I also add some fennel seed. Mmmmmmm! Allow to sit while your crust is rising. I keep it at room temp.

[cbayer]

11. OMG, they look delicious. I will try this.

I am planning on making more of my own breads, as we hope to be at sea for long periods of time, so this might be a good one to start with. Will let you know.

:hi:

[hippywife]

12. See edit above.

I added a second edit with instructions for Stinky's dry sauce method. I didn't mean to leave it out.

And I would love to hear how things turn out. Don't forget...oven temps vary so you may need to play around with that a bit.

Ahoy and good luck! LOL :hi:

[hippywife]

15. One last thing.

I looked at the recipe again and I don't put the sugar in it. I drizzle a scant 1/2 t. of honey into my warm water for the yeast. If you do need to use sugar, I would put in half of what's called for in the recipe.

Sorry. It's been awhile since I looked at the actual recipe. :blush:

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Don't give up on the gas grill just yet .......

Search on the term "grilled pizza" or even just "pizza" here and search way back in our C&B archives.

Here's one thread about it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=47008

The point made about all grilled pizza is that it is a different product from baked pizza. The dough is much, much richer (higher fat content). I mean, really rich. Also, do NOT use a heavy hand with the toppings. Less is most definitely more. The thread above has lots of pictures and talks to method as well as formulae.

[cbayer]

14. Thanks for the link!

I will be back on the boat soon (I hope) and will check it out. I bought pizza dough from Trader Joe's and had lots of trouble with it, so I look forward to trying it again.

:hi:

[Stinky The Clown]

16. Do NOT use store bought dough for grilled pizza.

I tried it. It is way too lean and way, way, way too tender. Make it from scratch as in the link. It is really easy and fast and most important, it works on the grill. It won't work nearly as well in an oven. For that, you can use store bought dough.

Bon chance!!!! :hi:

[GentryDixon]

17. Beware. Pillsbury's biscuits have trans fats.

I do not know about this particular dough, but there are other dough's/crusts out there without the added fats.

[spindrifter]

18. We have tried the

unbaked pizza dough from Trader Joe's. Not bad. I'll try this, as well.

[hippywife]

19. Last night's pizza

with the crust I posted above. This was a white pizza with olive oil and garlic brushed on the crust, slices of provolone on top of that. Didn't pre-bake at all. Topped with baby bellas, thin sliced onion, marinated artichokes and sliced green olives. Then with Organic Valley shredded parmesan and sprinkling of dried basil. Baked on the pan you see it in at 425 degrees for 23 minutes, no stone in the oven.

The crust below the toppings was thin and crisp, only thick around the edges.

[Stinky The Clown]

21. Show off!

:hug:

One of my favorite white pizzas is clams and spinach. Yup ... sounds weird ...... tastes great!

[hippywife]

22. I truly hope

that folks here don't think that. I've been able to accomplish this through the tutelage of the best the C&B group has to offer. :hug:

Just trying to illustrate that consistent results can be had in the home with enough desire. And given the number of pizza threads that crop up in these parts, the desire is strong in the group. ;)