Make the Best Homemade Pizza, Use Pizza Stone Ovenware

Posted on by kimbesa

Homemade pizza

Another Saturday night, time for homemade pizza. Get out the trusty Hartstone pizza stone and fire up the oven. Cook off some sausage from Hollywood, open a can or two of Pastorelli pizza sauce.

I have my favorite brands which are, in my opinion, the best. This comes from many years of experience, balancing several factors that fit the situation at our house.

Home pizza chefs know that the best homemade pizza is pizza made on an oven pizza stone. Sure, you can use a cookie sheet, or a metal pizza pan, and have a pizza come out tasting “pretty good.” But when you use a pizza stone, you’ll have pizza that comes out great.

The reason that pizza made on a pizza stone is best is because the crust is so important to a good pizza. No matter how awesome your toppings are, if your crust isn’t good, your pizza won’t be good.

For the best crust, you need to have the oven heat distributed evenly across the bottom of the pizza – this is what creates that pizzeria texture – crispy, but somehow a bit chewy, and completely satisfying, and this is accomplished with a pizza stone which retains and distributes the heat.

The pizza stone allows you to bake your pizza at a very high temperature, which is needed for great crust. The stone heats evenly and holds the heat, even when your oven is cycling through its heat up, cool down, heat up, cool down cycles.

Even though you are only baking the pizza for 13 to 15 minutes, this makes a difference.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I favor the Hartstone pizza stone. This is durable American made stoneware, fired at a very high temperature to make it soap and dishwasher safe. And you can cut the pizza right on the pizza stone. No knife marks.

Planning for company? Or a weekend gathering with family or friends? Pizza is a great food to have, because you can prepare most of it ahead, and bake it fresh right before it’s time to eat.

Pizza is a tradition and for many families – a ritual when it’s time to have a family Monopoly tournament on a chilly winter night, or after a pool party on a warm summer evening.

Wouldn’t you love to share the best homemade pizza with your family and friends? Forget about those frozen pizzas in a box, carryout or delivery, and baking pizza on aluminum pans. Get an oven pizza stone or two, and find out what real homemade pizzeria-style pizza is all about!

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Pizza Sauce Is a Labor of Love

Posted on by kimbesa

Pizza sauce

Some say that it’s the crust that makes the pizza, and it’s true that without a great crust, you can’t have really good pizza. But let’s not forget that fantastic pizza sauce is at the top of the list for ingredients that make pizza really taste great.

Just so you know, there’s nothing wrong with using pizza sauce that you’ve bought at the store, as long as it is made from good ingredients and adds the right flavor to your pizza. You can find some very nice pizza sauces out there that will assure that your made-with-care, handcrafted pizza is a big hit.

We love Pastorelli, which is available in grocery stores in our area, and also online. We’ve been using it since the late 1980s and have not yet found a brand that we like better.

When you’re deciding what to do about pizza sauce, use the amount of time you have to prepare your pizza as your guide. If you’re going to be in a hurry to get the pizza on the table, you might opt for a nice canned or jarred pizza sauce that you’ve discovered at your favorite grocery store.

Don’t forget that you can purchase gourmet sauces online, too. Try some of these purchased sauces out and see which you like best, and remember that even these can be made special when you add your own touches.

So You Want to Make Your Own

Now, if you’re thinking that you’d like to try your hand at making your own pizza sauce, know that it’s not all that difficult – and in terms of the time and energy you put into it, you’ll get a lot in return in the form of compliments.

We’d recommend experimenting with this in the summer when Roma or so-called “paste tomatoes” are in season. You can find them at many farmers markets at that time of year.

To get ready in the off-season, look for recipes and find the ones you want to test, line up the tools and if you’re going to can your own sauce, there are tools and processes to learn for that if you have never done it before.

Everyone has his or her own taste in pizza sauce. Some enjoy sauces that are tangy and savory, while others like sauces that are sweet, or very tomato-heavy. When you’re crafting your own pizza sauce, you’ll start with basic ingredients, and then make the sauce your own – it will be a true labor of love, and an exercise in creativity.

Homemade Pizza Sauce to Use Fresh

You can just make small batches of pizza sauce, to freeze or use promptly, too. This is also a great way to give several pizza sauce recipes a trial run before you invest the time and energy into canning. Find out first whether you really love the sauce!

Some basic ingredients that you’ll find in just about all pizza sauces in one combination or another are: crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, finely diced onion, oregano and salt.

You might also find tomato sauce, sugar, olive oil, crushed peppers, hot pepper sauce and Parmesan cheese mixed in. There are as many great homemade pizza sauce recipes as there are pizza chefs, and with some experimenting, you can come up with a pizza sauce that is your own secret recipe.

Depending on the ingredients, you may have to pressure can the tomatoes, as opposed to canning in a water bath method.

Make Pizza at Home to Your Family’s Tastes

If you have more time to prepare your homemade pizza, creating your own sauce will be rewarding. There is nothing like making a lovingly prepared dinner from scratch, including taking the time to mix and simmer up a batch of delicious pizza sauce.

Creating your own recipe for pizza sauce is one of the nicest things you can do for yourself and those who’ll be lucky enough to enjoy your pizza. Serve your homemade pizza with optional additions such as Parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings, and crushed peppers for those who like to add their own touches, and complete the meal ensemble with a leafy salad and a glass of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc (or a glass of milk for the kiddies) – you’ll have a dinner that everyone loves!

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More sausage pizza – a savory supper

Posted on by kimbesa

Another great sausage pizza

I’ve been baking my sausage ahead of making my pizzas. I’ve been using the oven for roast pork and other things, so it has been easy to add an extra ovenware dish with some sausage in it.

This is very convenient when it comes time to make a pizza and has been working out well.

My favorite Hollywood Markets pizza sausage comes in the large links, and five of them is enough for three pizzas, each with a generous helping of sausage, and room for mushrooms, too.

Again this time I baked the sausages in their casings, and put them in the refrigerator to get cold, so they would be easier to work with.

Instead of slicing the them, however, I just cut chunks off in somewhat smaller pieces than last time. I really like this, because it helps the sausage get a little browner in the oven, and makes it even more tasty for that.

So handy to pull out some sausage from the fridge and cut it while the dough is rising, ready to add to my pizza right after the mushrooms.

This is my third pizza in a week, and it went down very well. I could make thinner round slices of sausage, but this method is less fussy and full of flavor.

Good thing I got 10 pounds of pizza sausage, to last me until my next special order!

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Big Chunks of My Favorite Pizza Sausage

Posted on by kimbesa

Homemade sausage pizza

I love the pizza sausage that comes from Hollywood Markets, one of our local grocery store chains. Hollywood is known for its meat, and one of the guys in the meat department mixes this up. The last time I got some, I ordered 10 pounds.

This sausage has a great mix of spices that complement everything on your pizza. It does have some red pepper flake, but not too much. I perceive it as savory, not hot. Kinda like Cinderella eating porridge, this one’s just right.

Usually I take the sausage out of the casing, but this week I left it in the large links, and cooked them in a skillet with a lid on top. Then I let them get cold in the fridge, sliced them and put them on the pizza.

I like this method, because I can cook the sausage ahead and keep it in refrigerator for a few days, then use it when I’m creating my next pizza.

That looks so good, I’m going to have to make another one!

PS… I’ve been making pizza at home now for more than 30 years. I guess I know what I’m talking about, because this week I found another person who liked my articles so much that they wanted to “borrow” one of them. Here’s my original article, Homemade Pizza – Great Food as Close as Your Kitchen, on Ezinearticles, an article directory where I am an expert author.

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Best pizza crust flavor – make it a slow rise

Posted on by kimbesa
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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Another Sunday, another pizza night

Posted on by kimbesa

Sunday night pizza

We won’t begrudge anyone a good pizza, even if it is not homemade. We just think that, since it’s so easy to make your own at home, that it should be a skill in your skill set.

No reason to feel intimidated! With just crust alone, it’s so easy to work off your frustrations, and test some good local ingredients, like flour, cheese and sauce.

By the time you’re eating that hot, flavorful pie, you will be much more relaxed and ready to go out and slay dragons once more…

A complete purist or obsessive would make and can their own sauce! I have done that, but never got as good a product as my favorite, Pastorelli, which can be hard to find if you’re far from Chicago.

While many frozen pizzas and box mixes are available, books like American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza, by Peter Reinhart, help home cooks take their pizza to new levels of culinary expression and delight.

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Pizza – an easy Sunday night supper

Posted on by kimbesa

I’ve found it’s so easy to have pizza for a Sunday night meal, having made it often for so many years.

Homemade pizza

You can make the pizza crust late in the afternoon, and let it rise on the back of the stove, with a clean dish towel or cloth over the bowl to keep down the drafts. Then go off to finish the laundry, do homework, or any of those other tasks that will get your week off to a good start.

Pizza’s flexible that way. It fits around the rest of your life.

Or, if you make the dough further in advance, such as in the morning, put it in the refrigerator and let it rise more slowly. If you make an extra batch or two, you can even freeze some ahead. Wrap them well and date them. Just take them out of the freezer to thaw for a few hours before you’re ready to use them.

The other pizza components, such as sauce and toppings, keep well and you can have them as pantry staples. This is one reason we like canned mushrooms, though fresh mushrooms are great on pizza, too.

The cheeses, such as mozzarella and parmesan, are great to have on hand as refrigerator staples. The extra richness of flavor that you get from fresh grated parmesan and fresh mozzarella make up for their shorter shelf life.

When you’re ready to make the pizza, just preheat the oven, prepare your baking stone if it needs that, stretch out the dough, top it and bake.

Then you’re ready to pour your favorite drink and settle in with your favorite Sunday night TV shows. Or, just relax and enjoy a hot fresh pizza as you get ready for another week of activity.

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Pizza for lunch

Posted on by kimbesa

Lunch has been pizza a lot lately. The meal starts early, as soon as the homey smell of yeast-rising dough drifts through the house. My own homemade pizza is a special occasion, even for lunch.

Pizza close upTo start a pizza, I get the flour bins out of my antique Hoosier cupboard. The flour is Hoosier, too – from Indiana. I haul artisan flour from two water-powered grist mills – Greenfield and Bonneyville – that have been grinding local wheat for more than 100 years. The flours have names: New Wrinkle and Hard Red Whole Wheat. These flours have more substance than the ordinary store brands, and when you knead a lot of dough, you develop a feel. The silky white bread flour and rough whole wheat will become a hearty pizza crust.

Besides flour, the dough takes salt, dry yeast, olive oil and water. I can almost make pizza dough in my sleep because I’ve practiced the recipe for nearly 30 years. I stir the ingredients together in a heavy crockery bowl, and then turn it out onto the floured counter top for kneading.

Kneading is rhythm. It is art. Kneading done well means you put your whole body into the rhythm of pushing forward with the heal of your hand, leaning gently back, then folding the dough over on itself and pushing forward again, over and over. If it’s too sticky, add more flour. Knead some more.

As soon as I begin kneading, the yeast blooms with that wonderful bread smell, like my grandmother’s special bread drawer. Soon the lump of wet flour turns into the smooth satin stuff of bread. I can tell by feel when the dough has enough flour and when it’s been kneaded long enough. Poke it and it springs back. It feels as alive as it smells.

Homemade pizza is a leisurely lunch. After kneading, the dough rests and rises for at least half an hour. As it rises, more subtle bread aroma drifts through the house.

Hartstone pizza stoneWhen the crust finishes rising, I stretch it out on my Hartstone baking stone. The crust is pleasantly warm and bouncy under my fingers, with a mind of its own. I top it quickly with sauce, Parmesan, mushrooms and mozzarella.

The single pizza ingredient I like the best is the sauce. My heart is set on Pastorelli, a Chicago brand. It’s rich red and thick with crushed fresh tomatoes, Italian spices, and a zip of Pecorino Romano cheese. It has twang.  If I can’t have this sauce, I’d rather not make pizza.

My pizza bakes in a 500-degree oven to give it a crisp crust and lightly browned cheese. High heat lifts essential oils from the spices. A savory mingling of crust, sauce, cheese and spices inspires my kitchen.

In 13 minutes, it’s done. My pizza rules as good food, alive and energetic, seasoned with satisfaction of making it myself.

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Cooler nights, pizza time

Posted on by kimbesa

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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