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Making pizza for me is a 4-5 hour process, mainly because I need to wait for the dough to rise and that can take 2-3 hours or even longer. Last night my kids suddenly wanted pizza for dinner just before dinner time, and I could not produce it quickly.
So I am thinking, since I used to buy from supermarkets frozen raw pizza that can be baked in 30 minutes, why not make pizza pies and put them in freezer? I want to make this myself as opposed to buying from the store because I throw tons of cheese on my pie.
Does anyone do this? Is it as simple as making a pie as usual and instead of baking it just putting it in freezer?
I started making my own pizza dough 3-7 days in advance and LOVE it. Check out Adam Ragusea, Brian Lagerstrom, and Vito Lacopelli.
It just takes some planning ahead of time. I usually eat 1-2 pizza's a week, takes me 40 minutes total from when I walk in the door to when I sit down to eat, and I usually change clothes and prep my toppings at that time. The dough is ready.
It's so easy and simple. For a single serve/10-12" pizza I use a scale in grams(Less than $10 on Amazon). I make 70-80% hydration doughs. Like this
75% Hydration
112.5g +/- water at about 95*F
1/2 to 1 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar/honey
mix and let sit for 5-10 min. if you are unsure about your yeast, it should bloom.
Then I mix in 150g of flour, I've used AP to Bob's Red Mill bread flour...all good
1/2-1 tsp salt(kosher)
1/2-1 Tbs olive oil, or veg/corn/evoo.
Mix it all up in a glass pyrex container(4 or 7 cup size) and put a lid on it. make sure the flour is all well hydrated, give or take...it's flexible. then put it in the fridge for 3-7 days. Take it out, easy to make neopolitan-ish pizza.
I got a pizza steel, it's nice but I mostly use my Presto Pizzaz pizza maker. lol it's fast and simple.
I've let the dough sit out at room temp for 3 hrs to just take it out when I get home. Either way is good.
It's so simple and easy and far better than frozen and take-out. MUCH cheaper, too!
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,330 posts, read 54,400,252 times
Reputation: 40736
Quote:
Originally Posted by Humble and Kind
I started making my own pizza dough 3-7 days in advance and LOVE it. Check out Adam Ragusea, Brian Lagerstrom, and Vito Lacopelli.
It just takes some planning ahead of time. I usually eat 1-2 pizza's a week, takes me 40 minutes total from when I walk in the door to when I sit down to eat, and I usually change clothes and prep my toppings at that time. The dough is ready.
It's so easy and simple. For a single serve/10-12" pizza I use a scale in grams(Less than $10 on Amazon). I make 70-80% hydration doughs. Like this
75% Hydration
112.5g +/- water at about 95*F
1/2 to 1 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar/honey
mix and let sit for 5-10 min. if you are unsure about your yeast, it should bloom.
Then I mix in 150g of flour, I've used AP to Bob's Red Mill bread flour...all good
1/2-1 tsp salt(kosher)
1/2-1 Tbs olive oil, or veg/corn/evoo.
Mix it all up in a glass pyrex container(4 or 7 cup size) and put a lid on it. make sure the flour is all well hydrated, give or take...it's flexible. then put it in the fridge for 3-7 days. Take it out, easy to make neopolitan-ish pizza.
I got a pizza steel, it's nice but I mostly use my Presto Pizzaz pizza maker. lol it's fast and simple.
I've let the dough sit out at room temp for 3 hrs to just take it out when I get home. Either way is good.
It's so simple and easy and far better than frozen and take-out. MUCH cheaper, too!
Hope this helps.
I for one would welcome a little more info about that appliance. Any downside(s)? Do you feel you get a better crust than using the oven?
I for one would welcome a little more info about that appliance. Any downside(s)? Do you feel you get a better crust than using the oven?
The down side would probably be the diameter and the height of the heating coil. Diameter for making a pizza for a family, height for making a thick crust pizza.
Compared to my oven and pizza steel(that I've only used for two pizza's though) the presto is easier to control the crust and the melting of the cheese, for me anyway. You have the option to do both the top and bottom heating coils, just the top, and/or just the bottom heating coil. It did take me 37 min to cook my pizza last night and I got the crust crisp and dark. It was a 12" pizza with pizza sauce, precooked smoked sausage links cut into coins, onions, and mozz cheese. I usually do about 5 or so min on both, then about 8-10 min on bottom, then back to both for a couple min then add the cheese and when it melts it's ready. Adding cheese too soon, same with my oven at 550, is that the cheese will "break" and get greasy.
It's nice to have it cook a bit slower as it's easier for me to control and I have time to get other stuff done while it's cooking. If I have a full day off on a Sunday I may take the time to heat up the oven with the steel. Last time I used the steel, first time also, I heated it up for an hour and 15 min and the bottom didn't get as crispy as on my presto. The top was well done and the cheese got greasy/over cooked.
It's perfect for 1-2 people, college kids, etc.
It's not just a "unitasker" either. I make sandwiches on it, and other things that would normally go in the oven to get crisp or toasted. Pizza rolls, mini tacos, etc. My son cooked fresh crappie on his. ( I got both my kids one when they were in college).
I use mine more than the microwave and the table top convection oven, aka air fryer.lol
Hope this helps, if I didn't answer a question you(or anyone else) please feel free to ask away. I'll check back when I can.
Take care
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,330 posts, read 54,400,252 times
Reputation: 40736
Quote:
Originally Posted by Humble and Kind
The down side would probably be the diameter and the height of the heating coil. Diameter for making a pizza for a family, height for making a thick crust pizza.
Compared to my oven and pizza steel(that I've only used for two pizza's though) the presto is easier to control the crust and the melting of the cheese, for me anyway. You have the option to do both the top and bottom heating coils, just the top, and/or just the bottom heating coil. It did take me 37 min to cook my pizza last night and I got the crust crisp and dark. It was a 12" pizza with pizza sauce, precooked smoked sausage links cut into coins, onions, and mozz cheese. I usually do about 5 or so min on both, then about 8-10 min on bottom, then back to both for a couple min then add the cheese and when it melts it's ready. Adding cheese too soon, same with my oven at 550, is that the cheese will "break" and get greasy.
It's nice to have it cook a bit slower as it's easier for me to control and I have time to get other stuff done while it's cooking. If I have a full day off on a Sunday I may take the time to heat up the oven with the steel. Last time I used the steel, first time also, I heated it up for an hour and 15 min and the bottom didn't get as crispy as on my presto. The top was well done and the cheese got greasy/over cooked.
It's perfect for 1-2 people, college kids, etc.
It's not just a "unitasker" either. I make sandwiches on it, and other things that would normally go in the oven to get crisp or toasted. Pizza rolls, mini tacos, etc. My son cooked fresh crappie on his. ( I got both my kids one when they were in college).
I use mine more than the microwave and the table top convection oven, aka air fryer.lol
Hope this helps, if I didn't answer a question you(or anyone else) please feel free to ask away. I'll check back when I can.
Take care
I see my 'wish list' may continue to grow! Thanks for the info!
If your crust is at all thick I think it's good to par-bake it about halfway first. Same with any vegetable toppings. Some vegetables, if frozen raw, will produce a lot of water when you bake them. So I usually steam them partway in the microwave and drain well.
I put Parmesan on the top before freezing but not the mozzarella. That I add before baking.
Cool them well before freezing to help prevent moisture from forming inside the freezer bag.
Exactly I do the same thing for years,so practical and homemade pizza taste very fresh and delicious!
Why not just cook up several pizzas and then freeze them? I like reheated pizza better.
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Thanks for the info!
