Speaking of pizza, let's talk dough.

[babylonsister]

I am not a baker but would love to make my own pizzas as we enjoy them occasionally and have nothing decent around here for pizzerias; they're primarily chain stores.
Can anyone recommend frozen or chilled dough, and brands, that they've had success with? The easier the better (so I'm not a baker and lazy to boot!). Thanks! :hi:

[SW FL Dem]

1. I just bought some fresh pizza dough at our local Publix grocery store

in the bakery dept. It was in a plastic bag. The pizza was some of the best we ever had

[DawgHouse]

5. We do the same

for pizza and for calzones!

[babylonsister]

6. Does Publix sell this dough specifically

for pizza? That's unheard of here in TX, at least to my knowledge. Guess I'll have to go ask around now (no Publix here). Thanks!

[SW FL Dem]

12. Yes - It's labelled pizza dough

It's in a plain plastic bread bag and costs about $1.75. It's in the refrigerator case in the bakery section. I never knew it existed until my son had to make a pizza for a project at school.

[Lugnut]

2. I make my own

If you have a bread machine it's very easy. I've never used frozen doughs.

[NashVegas]

3. As Do I

The great thing is your basic Italian Bread recipe easily doubles as pizza dough.

I use my Kitchen-Aid mixer for kneading, it makes life easy.

[babylonsister]

7. I don't own a bread machine and hesitate to

even consider it as I like bread too much. Could be disastrous!

[Lugnut]

18. It certainly could be

If you're a bread-a-holic. ;)

[trotsky]

23. Yes, the bread machine is great at making pizza dough.

Takes the hard part out of the equation! Plus then you have the flexibility to make delicious whole-grain crusts, or even gluten-free if wheat allergies are a problem in your household.

[NMDemDist2]

4. when I'm lazy I like Boboli. Their sauce isn't half bad either

Costco sells them and I always have a couple in the freezer. I buy a pack of pepperoni, split it up into small packages, then when I want pizza I just take it out of the freezer, add some toppings and Voila'

Pizza!

[babylonsister]

8. Now I know I can get Bobolis. May have to try

them again. Thanks!

[politicat]

9. French crust pizza

My mom went through the 2nd Atkins craze in the late 80s, and invented this recipe... it's the only hold over from that hideous experiment.... but at least something good came of it. Measurements are approximate and to taste.

1 loaf supermarket french bread
1 pkt shredded mozz cheese
1 pkt toppings meat (or more, as you please)
1 small can tomato paste
1 heaping T mixed, dried herbs or mixed, not-dried herbs
1 heaping teas. crushed garlic
random other toppings

Cut off the ends of the loaf. split the loaf in two, horizontally. Scoop out as much of the soft, white inner bread as you like. This can be dried for breadcrumbs or used with a dip or fried for croutons or discarded. Leave the crust, and flatten out gently.

Mix the paste, the garlic, and the herbs in a small, bowl. Spread in the crust of the bread. Top with cheese, meat, etc. Bake in a 475 oven for 10-14 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove the pizza, turn on the broiler. When broiler is ready, return pizza to broiler until cheese is browned in places.

Cut in pieces and serve.

By removing the middle, soft bread, you don't end up with the soggy nastiness that is normally french-bread pizza, but there's minimal work involved, too.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Kinda the same thing ... use those jumbo sized english muffins

Not true pizza, to be sure, but very good in their own right.

[politicat]

11. I find that the english muffins don't taste right for this application.

Pita bread work well, but english muffins have a doughy taste that pizza-ing can't fix. Only toasting.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Toasting

Actually, yeah .... we do tosat them before making them into pizzas. I always find that untoasted english muffins, as you say, taset 'doughy'.

It is ideal to toast 'em in a toaster oven set to top heat only (broil) and toast the tops until just under where you'd do 'em for plain eating. Then make 'em into liddle pizzas and put 'em back in, but set for top and bottom heat.

[NashVegas]

24. We Had English Muffin Pizzas As Kids

And once in a while when I'm feeling lazy, still will.

Can't imagine purchasing, let alone eating, those pretenders in the frozen foods section.

[babylonsister]

14. Thank you! I never considered using french bread; I'll

bet that's delish! I'm going to give it a go!
I have made english muffin pizzas and while okay, not really like real pizza to me.

[catmandu57]

15. I've got a really simple recipe for pizza dough

This is the bready variety, and it's easy to make.
(1) cup very warm water
(2 1/2) cups flour
(1) tbls oil
(1) tsp sugar
(1) packet active dry yeast.

oil up your pizza pan and have it ready, preheat the oven to 425.
Put one cup very warm water in a bowl, dump in the yeast, add sugar, let stand, make sure the yeast is disolved, add oil,
measure our two cups flour, add to mixture.
Stir until a dough forms, cover with a cloth and let it sit for five minutes, then dump it out on a flour covered surface, knead just a little.
Place it the pan where you are going to bake pizza, if you want it to be more bready let it sit and rise for a few minutes.
From there put on whatever you want, and bake it at 425 for twenty minutes.
Your house will smell terrific and attract neighbors, believe me.

[Stinky The Clown]

16. Attract neighbors?

Damn ... we've been spraying for them! :)

[catmandu57]

19. DDT?

They must have built up a resistance.

[Stinky The Clown]

20. Yeah ... and they're *real* pesty!

:)

[Lars39]

17. I tried your dough recipe tonight!

It was very good. Thank you for posting it. :)

[mandyky]

21. Bisquick makes a great dough

I was just looking over their site and with corn meal you can even make tostatdas with BQ.

[NJCher]

22. I've done the Bisquick dough

Surprisingly, it can make a very good pizza crust.

Here's another idea for you. The dough really isn't that hard to make. What's hard, I think, is spreading it out flat. So instead, make mini-pizzas. Just pull the dough off in little three-inch balls and flatten them and then put on your ingredients. I use my silpat to get a nice, toasty, evenly brown crust.

I have a recipe like catmandu's above except it uses honey. That's what I use when I make mini-pizzas.

I've also used the frozen pizza doughs. They're OK but you have to think ahead (defrosting). Dislike the Bobolis--crust too tough, I think. I don't think I'd try the French bread--too afraid of sogginess.

Some pizza places here in Jersey will sell you crust for about $1.50 each. You just go in and say "I want a dough."


Cher

[babylonsister]

25. Allright, you all inspired me! I

found the frozen dough, pack of 4, in my grocer's freezer! WHEEE! Now all I have to do is buy a rolling pin! Yep, that's how much of a baker I'm not. I used to own one but think it went the way of a yard sale. Then there was that French rolling pin I stained and hung on a wall, but that was 20 odd years ago and I believe it fell apart eventually. I'll post after vacation on the vagaries of pizza making from a beginner; and thanks! :hi:

[The empressof all]

26. Trader Joe's sells great dough

In their refrigerator section. Never buy the low carb dough though that's just crap.

[demnan]

27. My brother makes great pizza

He started with the basic pizza dough recipe from "The Joy of Cooking" and experimented with it. He uses all purpose Gold Medal flour, a type of yeast they don't sell anywhere but Sams and extra virgin olive oil, of course. He also thinks it's important to let the dough rest in the refridgerator over night. He must know what he's doing because his pizza dough is the best I've ever had.