Pizza

[stuff_it]

I'm going to have to have a go at making some again. Just ordered Domino's and instead of low fat cheese they gave me double cheese.

 

[Orang Utan]

Serves you right for ordering <spits< lowfat cheese

 

[DieselBar]

Only picture i've got of the cooking, one of my early pizzas, didn't have another rise after balling then, dough was a bit of a struggle to get round. The meat transfers heat to the base really well and the grill does the top, definatelty the best way to cook these type of pizzas

You should be able to use this technique with some of the other recipes on this thread, you might want to increase the water content (hydration) do get more spring and not burn the dough (ive gone up to 70%, but use around 65 now)

Get a heavy pan on a high hob and turn on the grill, set-up so the pan will get as close to element as possible. shape you dough to slightly smaller that the pan (it tends to stretch a bit as you lift) a little bigger on the edges and when the pan is smoking pickup dough and put in pan.

Add your sauce, cheese (i keep the mozarella in the fridge until now, it can over-cook under the grill) and toppings. The dough should be puffing up now, lift up the edge and check for a few black spots, when it is ready put under the grill until the edges are charred slightly, take out, slide off pan and try to wait until it wont burn you mouth before eating.

Let me know if you have any questions

 

[billy_bob]

Sorry no pic (it didn't look anywhere near as good as it tasted anyway) but for vegetarians I can recommend one I made recently: swiss chard wilted with sauteed chilli flakes and sliced garlic, topped with waaaay too much chevre.

 

[Riklet]

i don't have an oven here so that pic has got me fantasising about the possibility of making epic pizza on the hob.....

*drool*

 

[Epona]

Only picture i've got of the cooking, one of my early pizzas, didn't have another rise after balling then, dough was a bit of a struggle to get round. The meat transfers heat to the base really well and the grill does the top, definatelty the best way to cook these type of pizzas

You should be able to use this technique with some of the other recipes on this thread, you might want to increase the water content (hydration) do get more spring and not burn the dough (ive gone up to 70%, but use around 65 now)

Get a heavy pan on a high hob and turn on the grill, set-up so the pan will get as close to element as possible. shape you dough to slightly smaller that the pan (it tends to stretch a bit as you lift) a little bigger on the edges and when the pan is smoking pickup dough and put in pan.

Add your sauce, cheese (i keep the mozarella in the fridge until now, it can over-cook under the grill) and toppings. The dough should be puffing up now, lift up the edge and check for a few black spots, when it is ready put under the grill until the edges are charred slightly, take out, slide off pan and try to wait until it wont burn you mouth before eating.

Let me know if you have any questions

That looks just awesome - I have a very heavy base (with good heat conduction) large omelette pan that I think will be perfect for the task, it's all metal so can go under the grill as required (I use it to make frittata - on the hob first then under the grill to cook the top) and I think it would be perfect size and type of pan for this pizza method.

 

[Badgers]

Are there any pizza-eating challenges in London?

Question:
Are there any pizza-eating challenges in London?

Answer:
London is a seething hotbed of high culture and sophisticated mores, so naturally there are more pizza-eating challenges than you can shake a stick at.

If you've got the stomach for it, there are contests low-key and high-profile at pizza joints across the capital. But one of the largest slabs of dough can be found at Ray's Pizza, tucked away on Bedford Way in Bloomsbury, WC1, just north of Russell Square. Choose the 26in monster with a "wafer-crisp crust" that's not too wet in the middle. No prizes for tackling it except for a sense of accomplishment – or regret.

There is, however, a prize for pitching in at Amici Pizzeria on Holloway Road in north London and having a go at their 65cm calzone. If you're man or woman enough to tame this beast, there's a free dessert and coffee in it for you. That's amore.

These two half arsed challenges are hardly 'more pizza-eating challenges than you can shake a stick at' are they?

 

[purenarcotic]

Amici is amazing though I have to say. Both their pizzeria and their cafe is fucking lush food.

 

[RaverDrew]

http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2012/apr/how-i-lost-giant-pizza-challenge

65cm wide and weighing two kilos, this calzone has proved too much for all but one diner

Bring it on

 

[Badgers]

http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2012/apr/how-i-lost-giant-pizza-challenge

Bring it on

Can't see how much it is? Reckon we could do it.

 

[Part 2]

Can't see how much it is? Reckon we could do it.

From what I can gather it costs a ridiculously cheap £9.75/9.95!

http://barbeatslondon.com/2011/07/09/amici-italian-restaurant-pizzeria/

http://www.thefoodproject.co.uk/1/post/2012/02/first-post.html

 

[Badgers]

Blimey. I was expecting a lot more than that. We need a pizza thread outing to take on the challenge.

 

[RaverDrew]

 

[Badgers]

We will fix a date and take on the beast in the coming two weeks.

 

[Biddlybee]

Elasticated trousers at the ready?

 

[stuff_it]

Suddenly developed high blood pressure....

*waves goodbye to thread*

 

[Greebo]

*Hears the siren song of oregano*

 

[little_legs]

tonight's effort. yay for the crispy base, not so yay for way too much cheese though.

 

[8ball]

I'd have said 'not quite enough cheese' myself.

 

[Yu_Gi_Oh]

Yeah, I fail to see too much cheese in that pic.

 

[Badgers]

Bottom cheese is what is important on a pizza. The temptation to put too much delicious cheese on a pizza affects us all but the bottom cheese is more important than cheese on top. The bottom cheese holds the toppings on better, so when you take a bite all the toppings don't slide off leaving you with base and sauce.

 

[Biddlybee]

too much cheese

what does that mean?

 

[8ball]

what does that mean?

I think it's when you cross over from 'pizza' to 'what are these bits in my cheese'?

 

[Greebo]

<snip>The bottom cheese holds the toppings on better, so when you take a bite all the toppings don't slide off leaving you with base and sauce.

Au contraire - a thick enough passata or tomato puree holds the toppings on.

 

[Yu_Gi_Oh]

Sage advice there, Badgers.

I had a pizza in Korea with about an inch of cheese, it was too much.

 

[Badgers]

Au contraire - a thick enough passata or tomato puree holds the toppings on.

It helps the hold but is not enough on it's own.

 

[Badgers]

So back to the pizza challenge...

Amici Restaurant

367 Holloway Road, London, N7 0RN‎
Who would be up for the £10 (65cm) calzone challenge one evening soon?

 

[Greebo]

So back to the pizza challenge...
<snip>Who would be up for the £10 (65cm) calzone challenge one evening soon?

Give me another month and it's a definite maybe.

 

[Badgers]

Give me another month and it's a definite maybe.

What we may have to do is send an advance party (me and @RaverDrew basically) to have a trial run and scope the place?
Then we can set up a better organised meet up as eating challenges are best done in groups for hilarity's sake.

 

[RaverDrew]

I can do any time from 2nd Nov onwards.