Getting serious about pizza making

[Miss teapot]

Woke up with this crazy wave of motivation to do better at my pizza making and step it up, I'm gonna start using my outdoor oven properly up till now it's been mostly frozen pizza but fancier lol but I just got my first proper dough fermented for 48 hours and it changed everything or is changing everything hehe. I'm still getting familiar with controlling temps and learning how to not char the crust while the top stays pale, but man, its been kinda tricky for me, I'm using a simple 00 flour + water + salt + yeast dough and playing with hydration ratios, might just start experimenting with sourdough next.

Would love to hear how others here got past their early mistakes, cheers

 

[redstevens]

That first proper dough really does hit the nerves, defo an awesome feeling! Getting the hang of heat control in an outdoor oven is tricky at first, most of us have burned a few bottoms while the top stayed pale for sure if not all. Try rotating more and easing off the flame a bit. Playing with hydration should help too. Sourdough's a great next step if youre ready for a fun (and slightly wild) challenge. Just keep going, you good!

 

[Lauren21]

Iit only gets better from here, letting the oven fully saturate before launching helped early on for me too, 48 hour dough is a game changer though, no going back now

 

[Pizza Delivery]

Woke up with this crazy wave of motivation to do better at my pizza making and step it up, I'm gonna start using my outdoor oven properly up till now it's been mostly frozen pizza but fancier lol but I just got my first proper dough fermented for 48 hours and it changed everything or is changing everything hehe. I'm still getting familiar with controlling temps and learning how to not char the crust while the top stays pale, but man, its been kinda tricky for me, I'm using a simple 00 flour + water + salt + yeast dough and playing with hydration ratios, might just start experimenting with sourdough next.

Would love to hear how others here got past their early mistakes, cheers

How did you figure out your ideal oven temp and timing for that first proper dough? Was it just trial and error, or did you follow any tips that helped dial it in quicker?

 

[lecroj]

Got serious on pizza during covid. Here is my latest recipe. I only do thin crust. I date them each time and I quit the daily kneading for long fermentation doughs (didn't see a diference), I just leave it in the fridge until I use it. Make a sour dough starter. I order the yeast on Etsy from different locations, I think my last one is from Alaska, Alaskanskookumchuck on Etsy, its good, doesn't spoil. Zourdoughsourdough on etsy from San fran, I bought three types: Wharf, 200yo French and Larry (Larry was a good starter). Starter is easy, 1/2 flour, 1/2 water plus yeast, leave out a few days then refrigerate. Started adding butter instead of olive oil recently and I like it. I also now start the pizza baking in a non stick steel pan and finish it out of the pan. Also get a 12x12 1/4inch baking steel off ebay. It holds heat and is a cheap way to get good crust.
6/7/25 Thin Crust 72hr dough (makes 4, 11" pizzas, ~50% hydration), CT Style (hot oil)
DAY ONE:
1 heaping tsp dry yeast, I just use Fleichman's dry yeast
1tsp sugar
¾ C very warm water
Let sit in Stand mixing bowl until foamy
Add:
2 3/4 C King Arthur White Flour
¾ C Sourdough Starter
1/8 C whole wheat flour
½ T salt
3 T warm butter
Mix in stand mixer 5 min
Move to olive oiled bowl and put in 120 degree oven covered 2 hours
Refrigerate ~72 hours
Cut into 210-220g pieces and put each one in an oiled Tupperware
Put in 120 degree oven for 2+ hours
Grade cheese, ½ Whole milk Moz, ½ decent white sharp cheddar
Preheat oven to 700 (or whatever your oven will do, may take longer and more experimentation)
Cook in oiled pan, push each dough ball out from the middle making a small crust, don't need to roll
Dock dough or will bubble, can get a roller on amazon cheap or use a fork
Add sauce ½-¾ C (mine is jus crushed tomatoes, garlic and bit of red onion and salt and pepper barely cooked)
Add Cheese
Add hot oil (half olive, half vegetable and boil serranos in it for 2 min and add red pepper flakes)
Add salt
Add toppings
Cook 2.5 min spin 180 then 2.5 min
Move from pan and put back in the oven for 2 min (7 min total cook time)