pizza dough 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!

Pizza As A Negotiating Tool

Posted on March 8, 2013March 16, 2013 by kimbesa

Just in case you need another reason to make a pizza. Negotiations go better over food!

Pizza can make everything go better! (Fans know this already.)

Jean Chatzky was on the Today show, talking about a Babson College business study. The researchers found that both sides come out with a more profitable deal if they work over lunch, or dinner.

Pizza was her first thought, too. Her example: Have pizza when you need to negotiate with your spouse.

My pizza dough was ready to go, by the time I heard this.

Then I tracked down a report on the Babson study. that said, “…eating while deciding important matters offers profitable, measurable benefits through mutually productive discussions.”

The report didn’t say what they ate. But, I have to wonder, will Macy’s and JCP have pizza with Martha?

Meanwhile, my pizza crust is rising in a bowl on the kitchen counter. It’s warm indoors, and cold outside. When I turn on the oven, it will do double duty. Give us extra heat and bake us a pizza for lunch.

More Pizza On My Mind

I’ve been thinking about grilling pizza, when more of the snow melts. My pizza stone is ready for that, too. I’ve been looking at how other grillers assemble their pie, and what ingredients they use.

There are lots of examples where pizza makers use no sauce, just fresh tomatoes, cheese, and a few other toppings.

I love my favorite sauce so much, I’ll be experimenting with using it, just less of it, to balance the factors. I want the pizza to slide easily off the peel. Cornmeal helps, but if it’s too heavy with toppings, that could defeat the purpose.

Even so, I don’t want to leave off the sauce. It tastes so good, it won’t be pizza without my sauce.

That means experiments are to come! We’ll enjoy eating and rating the results.

Eating pizza needs no reason. What’s for lunch, or dinner, at your house?

Sunday Night Pizza Time

Posted on February 17, 2013September 26, 2013 by kimbesa

Any night is a good night for homemade pizza. Sunday is often an easy time, because you can be relaxed about making the dough, prepping the toppings, and putting it all together to bake.

My homemade pizza crust can easily be made in the morning and put in the fridge to rise. Or if you’re starting after lunch, leave it on the counter.

Always oil the ball of dough lightly, and cover the bowl with a clean towel to prevent it drying out.

If that happens, just punch it down, knead a few times, add a few drops of oil to the surface, and let it rise a bit longer.

You may have to let the dough rest part way through stretching it out on your sheet or baking stone. It will relax in 10 to 15 minutes and let you finish.

And that’s about all the time it takes to preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

You can bake your pizza as soon as the oven is up to temperature. Pizza stones do not have to be preheated along with the oven, but if you do, it makes for a crispier crust.

Then you’ll need to use a peel or perhaps a sheet of parchment to transfer the unbaked pizza to the hot stone. Some cornmeal helps the pizza to slide. Be careful! That pizza stone will be hot!

Get your plates and drinks ready so that you can enjoy a hot, homemade pizza, fresh from your own oven!

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.