Pizza Party - how do you do it!

[di11on]

Ok, so I've been working on my pizza making technique and haven't quite got there yet.

At the start I was starting out with dough balls and would make a pizza base, put sauce and toppings on, cook it and then rinse/repeat.

The problem with that strategy is that there's a long time between pizzas.

Then I tried making all the bases first and then while I cook, I have someone topping the next one.

This is way faster but I find when I get to the last pizza (when doing 4/5 pizzas) the base would be all stuck to the counter surface (even though I floured the surface) and would be difficult to work with. Am I doing something wrong here, or does it just not work making bases in advance?

So I have a party of 8 this weekend and I'm wondering how to do it. I'm thinking it would be best to have one person making the bases and topping them while another cooks them, but the missus isn't comfortable doing either!

How do you all do it? How do you involve guests in the process? Won't they make a balls of it if you let them near your dough? :-)

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Pizza Party - how do you do it!

Yours is a common dilemma among new oven owner/operators. While the raw materials are not new to you, the oven properties and processes are. Unfortunately, trial and error come into play in a big way, just as in choosing mates.

Solution?

Get a new missus!

[hodgey1]

Re: Pizza Party - how do you do it!

So I have a party of 8 this weekend and I'm wondering how to do it. I'm thinking it would be best to have one person making the bases and topping them while another cooks them, but the missus isn't comfortable doing either!

My recommendation would be to buy 2 or 3 wood peels, they're fairly cheap. Prepare two pizzas at a time and cook both simultaneously or wait the 2 or 3 minutes and while the one is cooling, cook the other. 8 people for a pizza party is not many pizzas, for me that would be 5-7 pies with other snackies around. Or like Gianni said, get a new helper

[jeeppiper]

Re: Pizza Party - how do you do it!

Dont be so harsh on the Missus!

We have a rule here...."everyone makes his/her own pizza...no exceptions!"

We provide the dough balls, the toppings, the sauce, and we have multiple peels (we have 6 wood peels and two metal). I usually plant myself in front of the oven to help newbies cooking their pizzas.

It becomes very competitive who can make the best pizza.

We end up cleaning up at the end of the day. Fun Fun!

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Party - how do you do it!

When I ask people to come over for pizza, the pizza is just an adjunct to the gathering. We stay outside around the outdoor kitchen, but I make and bake 90 percent of the pizzas (If someone wants to, I certainly encourage them). I don't rush the pizzas out, I figure I have a 2 or 3 hour window when I will cook and people will eat pizza while we chat.

I usually start out with a couple of common choices, namely pepperoni or plain cheese just to get the hungry ones going. Then I take requests and finish with either what I want to eat, or a desert type. Choice is limited by what I have, but I usually have a good range. I am a nerd, though and have a written sheet with the pizzas I want to make, but don't mind moving off of it. It mainly makes sure I have all the ingredients I could need.

The main thing is to have your stuff organized and in front of you. Running back and forth to the kitchen blows.

[david s]

Re: Pizza Party - how do you do it!

We simply share whatever comes out of the oven rather than people having their individual pizzas. If freshly made pizzas are left on the peel or bench for a few minutes, expect it to stick. We've found the pizza needs to go in the oven as soon as it's prepared.

[Greenman]

Re: Pizza Party - how do you do it!

If you are going to have bases pre-prepared then by preparing the pizza on baking paper gets around the sticking issue. 30 seconds in the oven is enough to be able to get a metal peel between the paper and the pizza and then it is onto the hearth proper.

Saves some disasters particularly until you become comfortable with the whole process and get to know your oven.

[nissanneill]

Re: Pizza Party - how do you do it!

All of our guests make their own pizzas, I only make them for the young grandchildren if their parents are too busy socialising. We have up to 5 pizzas at once in the oven and usual 3 all the time and have done up to 64 pizzas in one sitting. I have used aluminium foil and also trays to bake them on, removing them on their first turning and then completing their cooking on the bare hearth.
Oven floor is over 500˚C for first pizza, done in just 1 minute, so many can be done very quickly.

[mamaspizza]

Re: Pizza Party - how do you do it!

This is also my same question, preparing for a pizza party and am clueless on how I'm going to get them prepared and baked in a timely manner. I realize that the pizzas are supposed to be baked right away as the hydration sinks to the bottom making them stick.

I'm wondering if using a lower hydration dough will help?

[Tscarborough]

Re: Pizza Party - how do you do it!

I found an old menu/shopping list. Not a real party, just a bunch of guys standing around watching the Daytona 500 in 2013. Also the results, which don't match the plan, but use the same stuff (some of it anyway).

[JoeBaker]

Re: Pizza Party - how do you do it!

May be you have to make changes in the dough. Take the dough and cut it in half and knead each half and then shape into a ball again. On a lightly floured surface, place the two balls and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest for an hour at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 24 hours. If you let it rest in the refrigerator, be sure to let the dough come to room temperature before continuing on.