Our family (Litsa’s) had forged through months of NO PIZZA deliveries and/or pick-ups. We tossed around pizza night and it made us think of our homemade pizza with store-bought crust in a can!?! Not optimal either. Homemade pizza was dropped from our menu plan once again until my husband (the picky eater in our household) opted to search for a pizza dough that he thought he’d enjoy making and eating.
My husband found a pizza dough that had great reviews. We tried it and the dough passed the ‘husband’ trial. Our daughter who is not a pizza fan even enjoyed pizza night—as did I. Thus, we opted for homemade pizza again with extended family! They loved it too. Guess what’s on our menu plan again this week?
Homemade pizza.
We are still learning about the SECRETS to the perfect pan of pizza. We always refer back to my dad’s excellent pizza from our restaurant days…….and reading through ‘Secrets to a Perfect Pizza’ in my current Fitness magazine (Feb. 2015), I was reminded of a few more…..
1. Bring the dough to room temperature. AHA! I do remember my dad and mom both pulling the dough out of the walk-in cooler at the restaurant. I never questioned it but now I know!?! “The cold slows the activity of yeast, warming up refrigerated dough allows it to rise. For a fluffy, airy crust, let the dough rest at room temperature for 3o minutes to an hour before rolling it out.”
2. Bake it right. “One of the most common DIY errors is a soggy, undercooked center crust. To make sure your pie is done, carefully lift it up with a pizza peel or a spatula and check for a completely tan bottom. To make the crust extra crispy, bake it on a cast-iron pizza stone or the underside of a cast-iron skillet.” My husband and I go back and forth about the crust’s under layer. I like the crispy but not overcooked bottom. My dad always made sure it was done just right but the EXTREME temperatures of commercial pizza ovens were the key in the restaurant. At home, we have pegged that having the oven HOT, hot, hot and ready ahead of time is key. Trail and error but worth it…..
3. Love your leftovers. I always tell the story of leftover pizza in the station wagon with my brothers!?! Childhood memories must be just as decadent as leftover pizza…“To keep slices from drying out in the fridge, store them in aluminum foil. Then simply pop the wrapped pizza right into a hot oven (500) for five to six minutes to reheat.” Or just eat your leftovers cold!?!
Although my parents are retired, our restaurant memories remain. Our daughter won’t ever know the struggles (and delights) of a restaurant business or have fond memories of homemade pizza in the restaurant but her childhood memories will be sliced just right with endless trials of homemade pizza nights as we make many pizzas right here at home in our kitchen together, finding the secrets to the best pizza.
Do you experiment with homemade pizza in your kitchen?
Credit to Fitness Magazine for the three tips noted above!
Related pizza recipes:
Naan Vegetarian Pizza Recipe
Why Fresh Mozzarella is Best
Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough Recipe
Stuffed Pizza Rolls Recipe
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