making pizza at home Archives - Kimbesa's Homemade Pizza

Tested Store Bought Pizza Dough

Posted on August 2, 2015 by kimbesa

Looks tasty, this homemade pizza, and it was, too!

I admit it. I’ve tried the store-bought pizza dough in the grocery store. This one comes in a bag, cold or frozen. You take it home, thaw and warm it, and it’s considered convenient for making pizza at home.

Yes and no.

The pre-made dough ball I got came from the cold case in the local grocery store. They make it in their off-site bakery and keep it refrigerated.

I also know of at least one pizza joint in town that sells its pizza dough like this.

The upside of this kind of product: It is convenient in that you don’t have to mix and knead your own dough.

You don’t have to get any flour or yeast to make up your own dough for pizza crust. And it bulks up nicely when baking the pizza.

The down side, you still have to warm it to room temperature to get it to stretch. It didn’t save me any time.

By the time the dough was warm enough to use, I could have made my own, let it rise, and it would also be ready to make into pizza.

I’m sure my own dough is more economical to make, too. I buy the flour I like, which is bread flour from a local mill, along with a bit of whole wheat. The store dough is probably made from “00” flour, which is very finely ground and considered authentic by many cooks for Italian style pizza.

The dough I bought did make a tasty crust. And if you’re looking for something that’s a lot like pizzeria pizza, then this could be your choice. (If you want to make your own using 00 flour, check local specialty groceries or online sources like King Arthur.)

Make It or Buy It?

Store bought dough is nice to know about, and have some experience with, in case I choose to use it.

Using this dough for the pizza crust still gives me all the flexibility I want when making pizza at home, as respects the sauce and toppings.

The crust from pre-made dough was far superior to any of the premade crusts I’ve tried. (If that was my choice, I’d just order out, or buy a slice at the gas station.)

But I expect to keep right on making my own pizza dough, for the toothy, chewy crust we like, and a homemade pizza that’s exactly to our taste.

Bottom line at our house: homemade dough for pizza crust is the best balance of flavor, convenience, time and money!

Now I’m hungry for another homemade pizza tonight!

Mozzarella – The Best Cheese for a Pizza Fix

Posted on March 24, 2015March 26, 2015 by kimbesa

Which Mozzarella To Choose – Low Moisture, or Fresh?

Mozzarella cheese is a staple on my shopping list.

I’ve got pizza on my mind every week. I have not been told I’m obsessed with pizza, but perhaps I’m getting there.

When I check the cupboard, I’ve usually got everything else: pizza sauce, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese and all the ingredients for the dough.

As for the mozzarella, I go back and forth when it comes to which type of cheese I use for my homemade pizza.

I am very picky about the sauce I use on my pizza, but not so much about the cheese. Perhaps that is because I have not found one that is, for me, a stand out product.

I like both the low-moisture and fresh mozzarella cheese on pizza. Which one I use generally becomes a matter of convenience.

Choose Your Favorite Mozzarella Cheese

Sometimes I get the drier mozzarella cheese, in chunk or shredded form, labeled low moisture, part skim. It doesn’t add wetness to the sauce, and since I like a lot of sauce on my pizza, this makes a difference for the finished product. The toppings on the crust stay in place better and don’t slide off as easily when you pick up a slice of pizza.

Fresh mozzarella is wet, no doubt about it. I have not experimented yet with techniques that would take more time, like cutting, squeezing and draining the balls of cheese, before adding them to my pizza.

When I use fresh mozzarella on my pizza, I just slice it and put it on.

The drier cheeses last longer in the fridge, and often this is the deciding factor.

Mozzarella is going to be used for pizza around here. It’s convenient to have it last for a week or two, instead of days.

That said, fresh mozzarella is tasty on pizza!

Fresh Mozzarella

Check the deli case, or the specialty cheese case in your local grocery
Sold in a plastic pouch, pack or container with some water in it
Shorter expiration time
Use within days after opening
Creamy texture melts easily

Low Moisture Mozzarella

Found in the general cheese section, in shredded or chunk form in the cheese refrigerator case at the store
Ready to scatter on pizza if it’s shredded, or slice and spread if in a chunk
Squeeze air out of pouch of shredded cheese (if you have any left to store).
Wrap chunk cheese tightly to help keep longer
Melts and browns in a hot [popup_product]pizza oven[/popup_product]
Use standard shred (vs. fine) to prevent burning

No matter what cheese you choose, enjoy your homemade pizza!

Give Pizza This Holiday Season

Posted on November 11, 2014March 26, 2015 by kimbesa

Are there any pizza makers on your list (experienced or novice) this holiday season? Why not feed their love of pizza for those special cooks on your list?

The pizza makers on your list love having complete control of the available combinations, including the crust.

(I’m thinking of home cooks. Those who dial and order take-out are another category of pizza lover.)

When you add to their repertoire of ingredients or tools, happy recipients might even invite you over for a pizza feast!

Thin or thick crust, sauce variations, and the panorama of toppings will be available to explore when they make their own pizza at home!

Top Gifts for Pizza Makers

The possibilities fall into two major groups:

Ingredients – A special sauce that they might have never tried, special pizza sausage that’s not easy to find, some Double 0 flour, or special artisan cheese for pizza. Is there another ingredient that they talk about, but have never tried?

Tools – A [popup_product]pizza stone[/popup_product] will help them raise their pizza-making game. (Make sure it will fit into their oven.) Or a pizza peel to move their pie in and out of the oven. Or one of those pizzeria-style cutters will make slicing that pie a lot easier.

Cookbooks – There are as many ways to make a pizza as there are cooks.

A “pizza gift basket” can include several items, depending or the kind of gift you need, and the combination that your pizza maker will enjoy.

Pizza gift recipients will have opportunity to use their gifts right away, if they wish, to put their new pizza making tools to work. The holiday season is a great time to make a simple and quick pizza to feed the family and guests.

New pizza makers will love developing a practical skill, and experienced makers will enjoy expanding their pizza repertoire. Almost everyone loves pizza, and those who don’t…should!

Tips to Cook Mushrooms for Pizza

Posted on September 8, 2013September 26, 2013 by kimbesa

I love mushrooms on my pizza. I’m one of those double mushrooms lovers. I’ll go with canned or fresh. And I’ve also made pizza with both canned and fresh mushrooms, to enjoy the goodness of both.

When it comes to mushroom pizza, bring it!

Now I’m testing sautéed fresh mushrooms, vs. plain raw ones. While it is an extra step in pizza making, I want to know whether it’s worth the effort.

The reason for sautéing the mushrooms ahead of time is to concentrate the mushroom flavor and get rid of the excess water that they bring to the pizza

I found that the details are important, when pre-cooking my mushrooms. Here’s what I know for now:

Choose clean and firm mushrooms from the market, with no dark spots, and plan to cook them within a few days. When you’re ready to use them, brush them well and slice evenly.

Use olive oil to sauté mushrooms that will be a pizza topping. Have it hot enough for the mushrooms to sizzle, but in the middle range, so they can cook for about 10 minutes, and get golden brown on both sides.

Add some salt at the start of cooking. I didn’t add enough, so don’t be shy, but season according to your taste, too.

Sauté one layer of mushrooms at a time, and turn as needed for even cooking. You want them to brown and caramelize, and if you pile them up, they’ll just steam. Do them in batches if needed.

Let them drain and cool on paper towels, while you get the rest of the pizza ready for topping.

I found that you can do the mushrooms ahead – a day or two – and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to add them to your next homemade pizza masterpiece.

When your pizza comes out of the oven, hot and ready to eat, you’ll enjoy the rich, earthy mushroom flavor even more.

I’m sure I’ll still make pizza with my “other” mushroom ways from time to time, but I’m a fan of sauteed mushrooms now, and we’ll be enjoying our pizzas this way, too.

Did You Search For Pizza This Weekend?

Posted on March 4, 2013March 26, 2015 by kimbesa

I just heard that lots of people searched online for pizza this past weekend? Were you one of them?

No need to wait for your pizza order to be delivered, or to go out into the dark or bad weather to get your favorite hot and tasty pizza, when you make your own at home!

Just a few simple steps in preparation, and you can be pizza-ready at your place:

Flour and yeast for the crust. A good bread flour keeps well in an air-tight plastic container. I keep it in my cupboard. I keep my extra whole wheat flour in the fridge, and it’s in an extra large zip bag.

Same with the yeast. I keep my big supply in a plastic container in the freezer, and a smaller snap container in the fridge where I can get to it easily.

Olive oil. We always have a bottle in the cupboard, because we use it for cooking many different dishes.

Pizza sauce. I love my favorite brand, [popup_product]Pastorelli[/popup_product], and I keep several cans around at all times.

Cheese and mushrooms. If I have fresh mushrooms, I’ll put them on pizza, but it’s so much easier to keep canned ones around. The big can, please. The convenience makes that an easy choice most times.

Mozzarella and Parmesan are in the fridge. The fresh mozzarella cheese does have a shorter life span, but you can freeze it if necessary. We have pizza often enough that cheese does not go to waste around here.

Those are the main components. It’s that easy! Basic pizza from your own kitchen.

For a pizza with more toppings, get your other favorites when you shop for groceries, and you’ll be ready to add them to your pizza, too.

Just make your dough an hour ahead, or longer if you need to. Slow down the rising by putting your bowl of pizza crust to be in the fridge. (Lightly oil the dough ball, and cover the bowl with plastic.)

A good, hot pizza is as close as your own kitchen, and ready to eat, straight from the oven, make your own at home!

Homemade Pizza Rules

Posted on September 18, 2011September 26, 2013 by kimbesa

Your own homemade pizza can beat the pants off anybody’s. IMO.

Saw Hoda and Kathie Lee tasting Naked Pizza on the Today Show this past week.

It didn’t look naked to me. It looked pretty good, with a crust that looked whole grain and some good toppings. Best I could tell from TV.

But they’d just had some wine, which they were excited about. Apparently it was aged in stainless barrels. So the pizza was not getting their full attention.

I understand convenience. Well-made homemade pizza can be just as convenient. The notion of “naked” pizza, as in “just plain pizza” appeals to me. I just put it through the lens of “homemade.”

Homemade pizza that rules them all

Make your crust with the balance of whole grains and flours that suit your taste
Select your toppings the same way: massive mushrooms or sausage sensation, or…
Bake it round, square or any other shape
Serve it HOT from the oven, no transport delays

Homemade pizza: well topped and always tasty!

Make a Spooktacular Pizza Buffet

Posted on October 29, 2010March 26, 2015 by kimbesa

Feed your hungry goblins and ghouls some healthy pizza when they return from their candy collecting and parties on Halloween.

It’s easy to be ready to serve hot, fresh pizza made at home with a few simple steps in preparation.

Shop for pizza-making supplies. You’ll need some good bread flour and yeast for the homemade pizza crust. Or you can purchase frozen dough in balls at the grocery. Stock up on pizza sauce, cheese and other toppings, too.
Prepare the pizza toppings. Cook sausage, slice onions, fresh mushrooms, peppers or olives. Shred or slice the mozzarella as needed.
Make the dough for the pizza crusts. It will rise slower in the refrigerator, so you can make it several hours ahead of when you’ll need it. Or, freeze your own homemade pizza crust ahead of time. Let the dough return to room temperature before you try and stretch it out.

When the tired kids of all ages return, you’ll be ready to assemble and bake them some nourishing homemade pizza.

A spooktacular [popup_product]pizza buffet[/popup_product] will put a satisfied smile on their faces as they relax after their Halloween haunts.

Chicken Sausage on Pizza

Posted on August 31, 2010March 26, 2015 by kimbesa

Regular readers know that I’m obsessed with the pizza sausage from Hollywood Markets, a local chain of grocery stores in Southeast Michigan.

The only down side of this sausage is that they hardly ever have it in the meat case, and I have to special order it.

Since I was in another favorite store, Holiday Market in Royal Oak, I checked out the meat case there to see what they might have. This led me to try the dried tomato-basil sausage, made with chicken and turkey.

It is great to have so many choices of locally-made products. Like the pizza sausage, this one is made in the shop by the meat department.

Oh, yes, this one is good, too!

I fried it in a [popup_product]skillet[/popup_product] before adding it to the pizza. You do have to watch it closely. The dried tomatoes and other ingredients can burn if you’re not careful.

This sausage goes nicely with my favorite sauce, Pastorelli. It has a savory zing, spicy but not overpowering.

Now I’ll just have to make a pizza with some of each, and do a taste comparison. Any excuse for more homemade sausage pizzas!