Tested Store Bought Pizza Dough

Homemade pizza store bought dough

Homemade pizza store bought dough

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.)

Crust from store dough homemade pizza

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!

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Best pizza crust flavor – make it a slow rise

Homemade pizza crust rising
Homemade pizza crust rising

One thing leads to another, and so I met Chef Lynn Miller via the Internet. Her new book, Flavor Secrets, has a full spread on pizza.

I’ve been making my own crust for more than 20 years, but there is always something new to learn. I’ve adjusted over the years, and I am currently in favor of a thinner, crispier crust.

I got to ask Chef Lynn about building the flavor of a plain flour crust. I knew that using good quality flour makes a different. And in addition, Chef Lynn says, allow for a long, slow rise.

That makes sense to me. And it’s so easy to make up a crust, cover the bowl and set it aside to rise while doing other tasks. A pizza crust can rise all afternoon, to be enjoyed for a casual supper, or put away in the refrigerator for an even slower rise all day or overnight.

If you make a double batch of pizza dough, one can go into the freezer after it has risen for a half hour or so. Then bring it out to rise a bit more and warm to room temperature, several hours before you plan to use it.

After the sauce, my favorite part of the pizza is the crust. Using local ingredients is important to me as well, because of the quality of local agriculture, and commitment to Michigan as a great place to live.

Resources for local pizza ingredients:

Westwind Milling produces flour locally. Their products are available at the Oakland County Farmers Market. Check website for other locations.

Hampshire Farms is certified organic. Flours and grains available at local farmers markets: Royal Oak, Oakland County and Eastern Market in Detroit.

Plum Market – local means Michigan!

Disclosure: This review is based purchased products. No freebies involved.

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Cooler nights, pizza time

Kimbesas homemade pizzaIt was in the 40s the last couple of nights. Not too far out of line, with September in Michigan. Time to stoke up the oven and make a pizza.

In order for the crust to rise, it’s good to put it in a warm place, and put a clean kitchen towel over top of the bowl. I’ve left crust to rise for three or four hours and it’s just fine. If you want to leave it longer, then put it in the fridge.

I’ve been leaning toward thinner crusts these days, which means I cut down on the yeast, and leave out the oil.

If I was wanting a flavored crust, I’d put back the yeast and oil, because I think they help the flavor come to the fore. By flavor, I mean Parmesan cheese or a tablespoon of Italian seasoning.

I can only imagine how great some fresh oregano would be. But that test will have to come later.

Also, I wouldn’t want a flavor that would fight with the sauce. I have not found one that I like better than Pastorelli, a brand out of Chicago. I’ve been using it for years, even when I had to bring it back from a city I visited where I could buy it, and the city I lived in, where you could not buy it.

Nowadays I can get it locally, though I keep my eye on my sources.

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