[Zheeeem]

Getting a good crust takes lots of practice.

1.  You should have a baking stone in your oven, plus a good pizza peel.  The stone goes on the bottom rack, and you should have the oven temp on bake as high as it will go.

2.  I use a ratio of about 2 1/2 cups of flour to a cup of water.  So for 2 pies, here's the drill:

Add one tablespoon of yeast to a cup of water and a pinch of sugar, stir, and let sit for a half hour or so.

Add to 2 1/2 cups of flour and a teaspoon of salt in a kitchenaid mixer and knead until well mixed and starting to get creamy.  If the dough sticks, just add more flour until it doesn't.

Finish by kneading on the kitchen counter for at least a few minutes.

Divide in half - any you store for later, pit in a baggies coated with olive oil and refrigerate to retard rising.  Dough will keep for a few days.

3.  For the pie you want to make that day, let the dough rise in a covered bowl (with a thin coating of olive oil to prevent sticking) for 3-5 hours.  Punch down and knead a bit.  Let rise again for an hour.

4.  Roll out to about dinner plate size.  Then hand stretch - the best approach for me is stretching gently over the backs of my hands.  Some folks prefer to toss.  This is how you get a crust that is thin on the bottom but bubbly at the edges.

5.  Top.  This is all a matter of preference.  Mrs Zheeeem prefers a topping with a large tomato blended with a bunch of fresh pesto, spread across the top, then melted mozzarella and parmiagiano reggiano.  I like to add peppers from the garden and a little aged gorgonzola.

6.  Slide carefully from the (well dusted) peel onto the stone, and bake until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden.  Slice on the peel with a pizza knife when done.

If you don't have a kitchenaid you can hand mix.  It works just as well.

I think flour is very much a matter of personal preference.  I have used bread flour - Italian and King Arthur - and I find the crust tends to be a little on the hard side.  So I generally use either the normal or organic King Arthur unbleached white flour.

If your early efforts are challenging because of dough consistency issues, you might consider substituting olive oil for some of the water (one to a few tablespoons).  It can make the dough easier to work.

FWIW, I find that baking stones improve over time, especially as crud gets baked in.  So I almost always bake directly on the stone and just scrape off any residues.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Interesting recipe Mr. Z. Sounds good.  aa

I dug out my two recipes and was going to post them, but then thought about the OP's desire of a crust that's 1/8" thick. Neither of mine are. 

Bob

[K Shep]

I did a quick search and came across this site.  The pin is an important tool in making a good pie.  The heavier the better for building a thin crust.  IMO.

http://www.fantes.com/rolling-pins.html

Kirk

[ctviggen]

I have the stones and my old GE oven goes to 540 F, not quite what you guys are recommending but close.  Is the high gluten flour something like King Arthur bread flour or am I looking at ordering something online?

According to Alton Brown (Good Eats guy), you want to use bread flour for bread machines, as it has the highest protein of the flours, and will also provide more gluten.

The Alton Brown pizza dough recipe is the best I've made, but it's hard to get it thin. 

Also, for those of you with a ceramic grill (like the Big Green Egg or Grill Dome), these types of grills easily reach 600+ degrees.  I've cooked some pizza in them, and the store-bought dough is OK (the whole wheat dough burns at those temps), but still needs to be thinner. 

[S Clark]

Also, for those of you with a ceramic grill (like the Big Green Egg or Grill Dome), these types of grills easily reach 600+ degrees.  I've cooked some pizza in them, and the store-bought dough is OK (the whole wheat dough burns at those temps), but still needs to be thinner.

  Why didn't I think of using my BBQ?  It is a homemade end of a large propane tank 40" diameter X 30" deep with a 3/8" solid steel removable center baffle.  Why not cook directly on the steel baffle?  If anything, the problem would be getting the fire just right to keep the temp low enough. 

[konut]

   Why not cook directly on the steel baffle?  If anything, the problem would be getting the fire just right to keep the temp low enough.

Assuming a consistent temp., the dough will stick to the baffle/grate. If you use corn meal or semolina flour to prevent sticking, it will burn. See my post about liners, or use a stone, and bake on that. Breads flours are typically 15-16% gluten. Hi-gluten flours are from 18-22% gluten. Bread flour makes a perfectly acceptable crust, or even 1/2 bread and 1/2 All Purpose flour

[Bob in St. Louis]

Could he use a very light coat of peanut oil on the metal plate?

[konut]

Peanut oil has a smoke point(burns) at 450F. Safflower oil 510F, Avacado oil 520F. No other oils have a higher smoke point.

[S Clark]

I think Konut has hit on the approach that I'll try- pizza stone setting on top of the baffle.  This one just might be the ticket...


The little handles would make it easy to pick up since the pit is a top opener.

[S Clark]

Zheeeem your a bloody genius!!!!!

Your crust is exactly the crust I have looking for for years.  Made it last night and it turned out great.  Thanks a bunch!

[Bob in St. Louis]

Cool stuff Scott, glad to hear you've found your perfect pie!

Quick question about the pizza stone itself.....A buddy of mine uses a piece of large (18"x18") natural stone he found at Home Depot. The original intent for this product would have been as a flooring product. He's been using it for years and hasn't died yet, nor has he grown any additional appendages or a third eyeball. Granted, you wouldn't want to use any form of coated tile, only the true definition of "natural" stone.

I think it cost him literally a couple dollars. Never having priced a 'real' pizza stone I would think they're much more expensive.

Any of you try this, or do you stick with a stone made for this purpose?

Bob

[S Clark]

Actually, years ago, I did use some Saltillo floor tiles for stones.  They worked pretty well, but finally broke up.  Yeah there might be some lead, mercury, PCB's, etc., but it shouldn't migrate into the food without an acidic reaction.  However, I just picked up a stone at the local grocery store for $8+, so they're pretty cheap. 

[Bob in St. Louis]

Hmm...alright. I wouldn't have thought they'd be that cheap. We make a LOT of pizza in this house, surprised I've never bought one. I'd rather go that route than finding "something" that'll work. I have enough life shortening bad habits, I don't need to add to them. 

Bob

[gitarretyp]

I also use stones purchased from home depot (might have been lowes). Just be sure to get the natural, unglazed type; if you wet the stone, it should absorb the moisture and stay moist for a bit. I use six of them to completely cover one of the racks in my oven and just leave them there all the time to provide better temperature regulation (not recommended for gas stoves). Also, only clean them with baking soda and water, never use soap.

[Zheeeem]

Zheeeem your a bloody genius!!!!!

I've been telling my wife that for years!

As far as pizza stones go, I found that the one that Williams Sonoma sells is just about right.  It's 14x16 inches, which is fine for a pizza for 2, and accomodates the largest pizza I've been able to fit on a peel.  I leave the stone in the oven, and find that it works really well for normal baking - especially making baguettes and other fresh breads.  I use a spatula to scrape off crud before use.  This drives Mrs Zheeeem crazy, so every so often she will clean the stone in the sink.  No soap!

Made pizza last night, in fact.  Our standard sauce is one large (or two small) tomatos blended with a tablespoon or two of pesto.  I spread this on the pie (sitting on a well-dusted peel) and top with 1/2 pound of mozzarella and a generous amount of parmiagiano reggiano.

My wife doesn't like toppings, but I do.  Last night I had some bell and ancho peppers from the garden sliced on my side.  I often put some aged gorgonzola or some fresh goat cheese on my side, as well.  A great topping - to put on after the pie is out of the oven and starting to cool, is fresh arugula topped with prosciutto.

[S Clark]

Zheeeem your a bloody genius!!!!!

I've been telling my wife that for years!

As far as pizza stones go, I found that the one that Williams Sonoma sells is just about right.  It's 14x16 inches, which is fine for a pizza for 2, and accomodates the largest pizza I've been able to fit on a peel.  I leave the stone in the oven, and find that it works really well for normal baking - especially making baguettes and other fresh breads.  I use a spatula to scrape off crud before use.  This drives Mrs Zheeeem crazy, so every so often she will clean the stone in the sink.  No soap!

Made pizza last night, in fact.  Our standard sauce is one large (or two small) tomatos blended with a tablespoon or two of pesto.  I spread this on the pie (sitting on a well-dusted peel) and top with 1/2 pound of mozzarella and a generous amount of parmiagiano reggiano.

My wife doesn't like toppings, but I do.  Last night I had some bell and ancho peppers from the garden sliced on my side.  I often put some aged gorgonzola or some fresh goat cheese on my side, as well.  A great topping - to put on after the pie is out of the oven and starting to cool, is fresh arugula topped with prosciutto.

  I think it's pizza time again at the Clark household tonight.