How to make good Pizza at home

chits007

Hello Friends,

Now a days most of the families has Microwave .
Can you guys suggest how to make pizza @ home softer and better..???

I have Microwave+Grill+convection.

Normally I took Pizza bread from local shop and put pizza sauce + cheese+onion+shimla mirch + mushroom + baby corn...

Sometime pizza base become hard

karuna

(Don't let Dilliwala catch you asking that in the Indian food section)

Interestingly, they had this man on TV recently who makes almost exact copies of branded foods at home.

Here's his recipe for a Pizza Hut pizza: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...64040AAYJBU L
The TV show's presenters tried it and said it tastes exactly the same.

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Hal

Sounds like the bread is drying out or getting burned on the bottom. You should probably try new bread or make or buy fresh dough if it's available.

Look up Jamie Oliver's recipe for a perfect pizza crust.
And don't use the microwave - always the convection or regular oven. Put the pizza in the middle, away from the lower burners.

chits007

@karuna
thanks i will try

@hal2004
I try fresh breads ..i guess i am using microwave+convection (combi cooking)

I will try with convection only as you are suggesting ...

Baba

This great device will cook a fantastic pizza in 4 minutes! But it does take some practice, as I have also managed to incinerate my pizza in 2 minutes....
Here it is sold through Ebay in its many incarnations.

PS: Pizza does need a very strong bottom heat - the best ones being cooked on the sole of a wood oven.

PPS: All this works with fresh dough only.

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Baba

fsg

You need fresh dough, not hard to make, as long as you can get yeast, just a little bit of work.

Combination on, oven only, set to about 200+, and the secret of not getting a soggy bottom is to put into your microwave a metal flat plate which will get as hot as the oven and cook the bottom as well as the top. Of course you put your pizza ona tray on top of that

They do sell pizza 'stones' which will get to the desired heat, granite is supposed to work as well. tho I have not yet tried.

Enjoy the pizzas

chits007

Ok guys i will try basically I have to convection mode and not microwave mode ..right ?

machadinha

<cross-posted. You have no regular oven?>

Wasn't there something about metal in microwave being a big no-no? (Don't use the things myself.)

My friend (pizzas are her department ) makes them using "bread mix," a pre-packaged flour mix to make your own bread or pizza dough. For lack of that, you can make your own dough from scratch of course. Apply toppings to your own taste, bake in regular oven. Tasty alright. A favorite is cover dough lightly in tomato puree, top with onion, tomato, garlic, paprika, artichoke hearts (optional), lightly fried spinach (drain after frying), feta (young goat's cheese), olives, capers (optional, and vary at will). Sprinkle with Italian herbs (oregano, by all means) and grated old cheese; bake.

One can make vegetable (or non-veg, no doubt) pizzas in endless variations of course, just experiment away. Try to keep the Italian kitchen in mind though, no chicken tandoori pizzas for me, please

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Nick-H

Yes, indeed!

--- but here, he is being abjured to use a combination oven in convection mode. Microwaves turned off

wonderwomanusa

If you can get naan dough from a local tandoori shop, it makes excellent pizza!

And don't hesitate to try Indian-style veg as a topping; that is very popular here.

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chits007

Thanks Everyone...
Few more things ..

1) Which cheese is best to use in pizza...??
AS of now I am using Amul Processed cheese (the tradinational tin/slice/cube stuff) ...Is their any other brand or type of cheese (available easily in delhi)

2) Do you guys make your own Pizza Sauce or buy that from Big Bazaar ?

Dilliwala

But I haven't seen anything "objectionable" in chits's recipe. You do know what shimla mirch is, don't you? (Which I also don't want on MY pizza, btw).

wonderwomanusa

See if you can get mozzarella cheese in Delhi; that's the tradional one.

I have used tomato paste direct from the can, and an jar of "Italian spice." No need to get too complicated at this stage of the game!

Hal

Any tomato sauce for pasta works well for a sauce, or I use tomato paste thinned with water and a bit of oregano added. Mozzarella cheese for sure. Soft goat's cheese or feta are also good.

Khandoma

(Posting this after a few heart attacks along this thread... )

About the sauce : I know that one isn't always ready for a bit of cooking. But from time to time, and for friends, you can try this.

With the tip of a knife, draw a small cross into the bottom of 3 tomatoes. Plunge them in boiling salted water for 5 mn. Peel tomatoes, remove stem. With a fork, crunch tomato pulp in a bowl. Sift to get rid of the "water".
Add a small teaspoon of tomato paste, another of olive oil. Mix well with fork. Add salt, a decent amount of freshly ground pepper, and the herbs at hand : oregano, thyme, laurel, bay leaves, basil, even a bit of mint will do. Crunched fresh garlic is nice too. Add the slightest pinch of sugar, brown if available.
With a tablespoon, spread on your pizza dough.
The fresh tomatoes will bring a unique flavour and taste to your pizza. Total preparation time : 8 mn.

When you're ready to move up to Major League, fry some onion rinds and chopped garlic in olive oil. When blond, add to the tomato preparation above and mix everything together in an electric mixer. Check the salt, pepper and spices before you spread it on the dough.

Bon appétit !

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