multiple pizza bases

[John Banks]

I'm just wondering if someone can help me. I'm really happy with the dough I'm using, but if I have to make multiple bases a little bit in advance e.g. when I have friends coming around, I put them on trays and separate them with baking paper. The problem is that even after 5 minutes they stick to the baking paper making it really difficult to get them off and onto the wooden peel when I go to make the pizzas. This is even the case if I lightly dust the paper with flour. Any advice here would be gratefully accepted

John

[Tman1]

Re: multiple pizza bases

I don't know that this is a solvable problem.. at least to stack them. If I think about it, I've only seen ready bases sitting on something like this... never actually stacked on one another.

[John Banks]

Re: multiple pizza bases

thanks for that Tman. I was afraid that might be the solution. i was hoping to avoid filling up a cupboard with a dozen Pizza trays, but if that's what it takes, then that's what I'll have to do.

just looked at your pics. great pizza oven. i could have saved a fortune on cement and insulation if i had your plans

regards

John

[lwood]

Re: multiple pizza bases

try cooking them with the parchment paper and taking the paper off halfway through.

[texassourdough]

Re: multiple pizza bases

Be careful. Wet dough can stick to parchment too. My suggestion is to work on your pie forming skills and get up to speed so you can make them on the fly. There is no graceful way to make lots of pies in advance that I have seen, unless you par cook them.

Good luck!
Jay

[david s]

Re: multiple pizza bases

The usual method is to make up dough balls in advance. I use an A4 stationary file with about 4 drawers into which I place about 6 floured dough balls per drawer, which make up 9" bases. It's pretty quick, but as always the prep takes way longer than the cooking of the pizzas. Just catered for a big crowd last night and cooked 40+ 9" pizzas, one at a time, with my little 21" mobile oven. I kept it up to temp. doing 90 sec pizzas for around 3 hours, maintaining an active fire on the side continually. Didn't have to refire it all.

[John Banks]

Re: multiple pizza bases

Great, thanks for that guys. I guess I'll have to work on my pizza tossing skills and in the meantime buy a heap of cheap pizza trays.

[david s]

Re: multiple pizza bases

You can start by cooking them in trays, but moisture gets trapped between the base and the tray resulting in a soggy base. Better to learn to slide them off a wooden peel directly onto the oven floor.

[John Banks]

Re: multiple pizza bases

That's the bit that I've got down pat (took a few goes though).

[lwood]

Re: multiple pizza bases

I always open 5 dough balls just before I intend to start cooking. That gives me a little cushion. Then they can be can be dressed with toppings as I need them. They can sit on the counter for 30 minutes or so before they need to go in the oven. I would suggest you recruit some help, one person to open and dress the pies and one to work the oven.

I tried cooking the pies in a pan at first and it's just not the same. You need to have the dough directly on the firebrick. It was a little scary at first, but you'll get the hang of it.

[John Banks]

Re: multiple pizza bases

Thanks. all good on cooking front. I was just having trouble getting more than 4 or 5 prepared in advance but I think I'm onto now thanks to the advice over the last couple of days

[John Banks]

Re: multiple pizza bases

In case anyone is wondering how I got on, here is the result. I bought a dozen aluminium 12" pizza trays plus a rack. I rolled the bases out about 45 minutes ahead of time and placed the on the trays lightly dusted with semolinaand then put them inthe rack which kept them separate. They slid off beautifully form the aluminium trays onto the wooden pizza peel prior to making the pizza. Cooked the pizzas, cut them on a board and then slid them back onto the aluminium trays to save on plates. Easy

Thanks everyone for your advice

[hardcorebaker]

Re: multiple pizza bases

Stretch them halfway and put them on an oiled baking pan. Letting them sit will give the gluten time to relax making stretching them faster when its time.