Pizza Anyone? 🍕

[Patty]

I make my own thin crust, with Caputo 00 flour, adding sourdough flavoring powder from King Arthur. I make enough dough for 6 medium-size thin crusts. Each round of dough is rolled out between 2 sheets of olive-oiled parchment paper. (Takes up all available counter space.)

I use NO sauce on my dough. I layer the mozz on really thick, followed by drained tomato slices, salt & pepper, meat (usually sausage or bacon), and whatever else we want (sliced olives, etc.).

Bake at 500 on a red-hot pizza steel for 7 minutes one pie at a time, on its bottom piece of parchment paper. (No messy clean-up.) Sprinkle fresh basil leaves on top.

My husband & I eat one pie, then cut the rest in wedges and freeze, with each wedge wrapped separately so whoever wants one takes one & microwaves it. Even with only two people, those six pizzas don’t last long.

 

[peanuts56]

I'm of Irish/Italian ancestry. Pizza is a way of life! the Italian slang for pizza is abeets. Growing up, I spent more time with my Italian side, probably because the food was much better. I like both thin and thick crust. I live 20 minutes from New Haven, Ct. New Haven is the pizza capitol of the world. There's a documentary called Pizza, A Love Story. The film profiles the three best restaurants in New Haven, Pepe's, Sally's and Modern Apizza. Several celebs are interviewed. Henry Winkler and Lyle Lovett are 2 who are in this film. Henry went to Yale, and I guess Lyle was playing in New Haven when he discovered the best pizza in the world. The film was directed by a film maker named Gorman Bechard. He's from the town I grew up in. We did go to the same high school but he's probably 5-6 years younger than I am. I believe he graduated with the actor Dylan McDermott. The film is really interesting, especially for someone with Italian blood. You can find it on Youtube.

 

[Patty]

I'm of Irish/Italian ancestry. Pizza is a way of life! the Italian slang for pizza is abeets. Growing up, I spent more time with my Italian side, probably because the food was much better. I like both thin and thick crust. I live 20 minutes from New Haven, Ct. New Haven is the pizza capitol of the world. There's a documentary called Pizza, A Love Story. The film profiles the three best restaurants in New Haven, Pepe's, Sally's and Modern Apizza. Several celebs are interviewed. Henry Winkler and Lyle Lovett are 2 who are in this film. Henry went to Yale, and I guess Lyle was playing in New Haven when he discovered the best pizza in the world. The film was directed by a film maker named Gorman Bechard. He's from the town I grew up in. We did go to the same high school but he's probably 5-6 years younger than I am. I believe he graduated with the actor Dylan McDermott. The film is really interesting, especially for someone with Italian blood. You can find it on Youtube.

Years ago, when we lived in Connecticut, my husband was in Yale-New Haven Hospital for ten straight days, a tough period in our lives. How I wish I’d know this back then! I’d have eaten 20 meals at those three places, alternating among them for lunch & dinner. And sneaked in some for my husband! And taken home a few pies to freeze!

 

[ampeep]

Used to deliver for Chico's Pizza - we could have anything we wanted for meals so I'd order a combo with smoked oysters!! Yum!

My all-time favorite was the combo at Northlake Tavern in Seattle near UW in the late 70's. Don't know if it's still around.

 

[peanuts56]

Years ago, when we lived in Connecticut, my husband was in Yale-New Haven Hospital for ten straight days, a tough period in our lives. How I wish I’d know this back then! I’d have eaten 20 meals at those three places, alternating among them for lunch & dinner. And sneaked in some for my husband! And taken home a few pies to freeze!

Patty, where in Connecticut did you live? Watch the documentary, it's very interesting. Pepe's is my favorite. They have lines out the door many nights. They've opened a restaurant in Waterbury.

 

[Patty]

Patty, where in Connecticut did you live? Watch the documentary, it's very interesting. Pepe's is my favorite. They have lines out the door many nights. They've opened a restaurant in Waterbury.

We lived in a small town called Roxbury in Litchfield County, about 25 miles north of New Haven and 20 miles west of Waterbury. We’d moved there from NYC and couldn’t find decent pizza. That’s what prompted me to try to make my own!

 

[Patty]

Used to deliver for Chico's Pizza - we could have anything we wanted for meals so I'd order a combo with smoked oysters!! Yum!

My all-time favorite was the combo at Northlake Tavern in Seattle near UW in the late 70's. Don't know if it's still around.

Yum indeed … except hold the oysters.

 

[Canada Jim]

Thin crust with marinara sauce, mozzarella, onions, mushrooms, double green olives and pepperoni.

 

[peanuts56]

We lived in a small town called Roxbury in Litchfield County, about 25 miles north of New Haven and 20 miles west of Waterbury. We’d moved there from NYC and couldn’t find decent pizza. That’s what prompted me to try to make my own!

I grew up in Waterbury. Lot of Italians there and some pretty good pizza.
I gigged a lot in Litchfield County when I was still active as a trumpeter. Lot of celebs have homes in that area. Kissinger had a home in Litchfield. Dustin Hoffman has or had a home in the area. Friend of ours was the director of White Memorial's Museum in Litchfield. He was working one day when a guy who'd been out running came in asking to use a bathroom. It was James Taylor.
My next oldest sister lived in NYC for years. When she got married, my brother in law decided to go back to school for his MBA. They ended up in a rural area near Springfield, Illinois. I asked her how she liked living there. First thing she said was she couldn't find good pizza. They ended up buying a house that the previous owner had tenant farmers growing crops. There were a lot of feral goats and she had to carry a large club to chase them away! One chewed the mirror off her Karmen Ghia. Life on the farm only lasted a few years and they ended up in Long Beach, California. No feral goats!!!!!

 

[Patty]

They ended up in a rural area near Springfield, Illinois. I asked her how she liked living there. First thing she said was she couldn't find good pizza.

I can relate. I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, where they had what they THOUGHT was pizza!* Yeah, in name only! Moving to NYC was a revelation. That was real pizza. I also had deep-dish pizza on trips to Chicago, but didn’t like it. Too much like pizza casserole!

*To be fair, Des Moines has changed a lot since the late 1970s. Pizza may be better now than it was then.

 

[Patty]

Thin crust with marinara sauce, mozzarella, onions, mushrooms, double green olives and pepperoni.

Green olives! Yes!

 

[peanuts56]

I can relate. I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, where they had what they THOUGHT was pizza!* Yeah, in name only! Moving to NYC was a revelation. That was real pizza. I also had deep-dish pizza on trips to Chicago, but didn’t like it. Too much like pizza casserole!

*To be fair, Des Moines has changed a lot since the late 1970s. Pizza may be better now than it was then.

My sister said most of the meals they ate in restaurants were smothered in gravy.
I think the Roxbury area has changed food wise as well. Kind of trendy from what I can tell. I don't get out that way too often. Lot of good restaurants near me.
I'm about 20 minutes north of New Haven in a small town called Prospect. Maybe 10 thousand people and the same mayor since 1978!
I'm kind of spoiled food wise. My wife is from Honolulu, and we go over every year for 5-6 weeks. I eat my way from one end of the island to the other.

 

[Neil_O]

I make my own thin crust, with Caputo 00 flour, adding sourdough flavoring powder from King Arthur. I make enough dough for 6 medium-size thin crusts. Each round of dough is rolled out between 2 sheets of olive-oiled parchment paper. (Takes up all available counter space.)

I use NO sauce on my dough. I layer the mozz on really thick, followed by drained tomato slices, salt & pepper, meat (usually sausage or bacon), and whatever else we want (sliced olives, etc.).

Bake at 500 on a red-hot pizza steel for 7 minutes one pie at a time, on its bottom piece of parchment paper. (No messy clean-up.) Sprinkle fresh basil leaves on top.

My husband & I eat one pie, then cut the rest in wedges and freeze, with each wedge wrapped separately so whoever wants one takes one & microwaves it. Even with only two people, those six pizzas don’t last long.

This sounds like a great setup. I've never heard of sourdough flavoring, sounds cool. Pizza steel is an amazing way to go.

Maybe try leaving a couple of balls of dough in the fridge for a day or two and you can get some nice sour flavors too!

 

[Patty]

You can order King Arthur Sourdough Flavoring (a powder you add to the flour) online, either from the company or Amazon. As for the pizza steel, I had tried cast iron and pizza stones, but this is the best! Heat is up for an hour at 500 before baking the pizza, and it cooks really fast—7 minutes for me.