Pizza Time!

[Tscarborough]

The dough balls are resting comfortably in their tupperware in the fridge, the sauce is simmering down nicely, and there is a Fire in the Hole!

In another hour and a half, I will be cooking pizza.

The menu tonight is a marinara type sauce on my standard 4-1 AP to Seminola dough, with Oxaca cheese, both buffalo and bacon-onion Italian sausage, plus fresh plum tomatos, fresh basil, and probably a black olive-onion-pepperoni for the kids.

The dough for tomorrow's bread is also in the 'fridge, I made an onion-garlic and a Italian spiced dough, both of which rose nicely before hitting the cold.

Time for a glass of wine.

[texassourdough]

Re: Pizza Time!

You are tougher than I am TS - or else your oven is shaded by the house. I consider my oven down until fall!

Sounds good! Do you need more guests?

Jay

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Time!

Shoot, it has been raining for 3 days, it is only about 80 degrees, practically freezing. I did put a tarp up for the rain, but the last step of my oven is the pergola so about 5PM it is full sun if there were any.

[texassourdough]

Re: Pizza Time!

Yeah, we had about five inches this past week. My oven is wet. It IS cool enough to use the oven but...that is so unusual around here that I rarely try it. I am going to modify my oven this fall to keep it dry(er). Will put a roof over it!

Good luck tonight. Bake On!
Jay

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Time!

By far the best pizza I have made to date. I made 4 12"ers, and gave 2 to neighbors, so I made them samplers, 1/2 Margarita, 1/2 Italian sausage. The cheese was NOT Oxaca, it was Queso Fresco, fresh semi-soft cheese made with low fat milk and it was excellent. Pics to follow.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Time!

I made 3 like the first pic and the second pic is MY pizza.

[texassourdough]

Re: Pizza Time!

Hi TS!

It is clear your oven was hot and that is a critical component in great pizza. Looks good!
Jay

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Time!

It was plenty hot, hickory wood hot. You should try that HEB Queso Fresca. As you can see, it did not burn much (on the left on the first, and all over the second) although it melted down and crisped up and was very good. Cheap too!

[texassourdough]

Re: Pizza Time!

I agree! Italian cheeses have some excellent parallels in Mexican cheese and the Mex cheeses can be quite good. I have played with the following cheeses

Crema - Much like Creme Fraische or sour cream.
Queso Fresco - Kind of like a mild feta
Panela - Sort of like ricotta
Oaxaca - Kind of like Mozz
Anejo - Like romano
Cotija - Sort of like Parme

These would be good to consider for developing ethnic Texas pizzas!
Jay

[Jet_deck]

Re: Pizza Time!

Thanks for the run down on the Mexican Cheese. I have used the HEB fresh mozz, but was afraid to start on the so many different Mexican varieties.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Time!

I tried some more Mexican ingredients last night, Hot Chorizo, Panela (which was more like Jack than ricotta), and poblano. Plus the obligatory Margarita for CIC-House.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Time!

The last was the best, and is also the closest I will get to deep dish.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Time!

These are last Saturday's pies.
I started with a pepperoni for my youngest and her friend (no pic), then made a margherita. Sorry for the crappy pic, I forgot that I had the flash off.



Next I tried an enchilada pizza, but it was a fail and I threw it away. I used canned enchilada sauce and tomatillo sauce and they both sucked. Next time I will make my own of both. I have high expectations for the pizza if done right.



This is a muffelata pizza, it was very good. Fresh Oaxaca cheese, Genoa salami, ham, onions, green olives, and red and green bellpepper. I forgot the celery, though.



Next I did one like the little old ladies in that bread making video, mixing up the sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, genoa salami, onions, tomatos, and a little poblano pepper. It was very good too.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Time!

The last 2 were pit pizzas, using up all the remaining ingredients.





I held one of the pit pizzas back to take to work, and it was still very good, even out of the microwave, on Monday. Usually, I will re-heat any leftovers in the oven the next day for breakfast, and they taste like just made.

[SteveP]

Re: Pizza Time!

I am drooling just looking at these pics; they all look delicious. I will be cooking quite a bit this weekend in the south FL 95F heat and who knows what humidity levels. Unless it is pouring outside, I use my oven year round. I just have to use sunblock so the back of my neck doesn't burn.