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Papa Johns 23 cent Pizza

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Jdurg:

--- Quote from: IronBuddha on May 09, 2008, 08:21:09 pm ---Doesn't matter how good any pizza is chain or not, either way it's not what pizza originally was. When pizza was first made (and still is made in Italy) it use to just be dough with tomato, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella and cooked in a wood burning stove. The ingredients represented the colors of the Italian flag. When pizza was brought here in the states just about 100 years ago, it wasn't accepted and changes were made to what it's currently is. Hell pizza wasn't even originally round.

--- End quote ---

Not entirely true.  What you just described is the Margherita Pizza which was named after Queen Margherita of Savoy.  She liked the version of the flatbread with Tomatos, Fresh Mozzerella and Basil because it had the same color as the Italian Flag.  Here in the US it supposedly arrived in NY with Italian Immigrants in the late 1890's.  It was baked in copper drums with charcoal in the bottom to cook it and keep it warm.  All sorts of toppings were put onto it because it was an inexpensive way to use leftover meats and vegetables.  The inexpensive food became very popular across all socioeconomic groups and pizza as we knew it exploded.  It wasn't until pizza got here in the US that it became what we typically see today which is the sauce, cheese, then toppings.  It was initially just bread, sauce, herbs and olive oil.  Cheese was considered a "topping" and not a standard ingredient.

As for the original shape, it depended upon the oven/stove used to cook it.  The round shape was popularized here in the US because the dough was typically cooked and stored in round metal barrels and you could cook more pizzas if they were round in shape as opposed to rectangular.

Singapura:

--- Quote ---Singapura, I find it hilarious that you go thru that outrageous process for gourmet pizza, then throw frikkin leftovers on it!
--- End quote ---

Pizza originally was meant to get rid of leftovers not as a gourmet meal. Like I said, if you like to put  Mozzarella di bufala campana and prosciutto flown in from Parma  on it that's completely up to you. The fact that you find making a simple dough and tomato sauce outrageous shows how much exposure you've had to real gourmet food  :angel: The great thing about food is that recipes don't mean squat. It's the end result that counts. Anyway, making the dough takes probably 10 minutes (if I make it on a spur, I don't put it in the fridge, but it will be harder), the sauce I make while the dough is "resting". All in all it takes less time then waiting for the pizza guy to deliver.

shardian:
All this talk of pizza made us decide to go to the best pizza place in the whole area: Husson's. It is a small, family owned franchise. They have 3-4 restaurants all together. Their pizza is awesome and huge. Their Small pizza is 14". Nothing beats playing some pinball & Ms. Pacman, and then eating some great pizza.

SirPeale:
We make pizza in our house as standard fare on Fridays. 

Tonight was the first night I've made home made sauce, though.  Usually I just use this stuff from a can I've had good luck with.

Started with whole canned tomatoes.  Two cans of that.  Seeded them.  Took a medium onion and diced.  Couple tablespoons of olive oil, started sweating some garlic.  Added the onion and sweated that. Put the tomatoes on top.  Added basil.  Would have used fresh, but didn't have any.  Turned up the heat and cooked until the tomatoes were cooked thru.  Then grabbed my stick blender and pureed it. 

At first I thought something was wrong, it was turning paler than the tomatoes, until I realized it was the onions doing that.  It was damn tasty.  I don't think I'd do that every time, but it's good to know I can.

Crust...here's my recipe:

1 1/3c water
1 TB yeast
2 TB sugar

Mix to combine, allow to sit a few minutes.  Then:

1 TB salt
3 cups of AP flour.

You may need more flour, or less.  I need to experiment with weight of flour, not cup measurements, because of how flour compacts.

Rising in the fridge yields the *best* flavor, but I'm not that picky.  I just let it rise on the counter in a bowl.  I divide this recipe into two dough balls, and place them into separate bowls, and cover them with plastic cling wrap.  In an hour the dough is ready.

Cheese...I'll agree, only the good stuff.  I get mine from the co-op.  $5.05 a pound, and worth it.  The stuff from the chain stores has a plastic consistency I don't like.

Oh, and I'd say one of the most important things: a baking stone.  Let it heat in your oven for an hour at baking temperature.  I was using a marble floor tile, but I recently started using an old cutting board made of marble I had lying around.  Since I'll never cut anything on it (never use a knife on anything but wood or plastic!) it went into the oven as the tile replacement.

Buddy of mine recommends using a fireplace stone.  When I find a supply I'll have to try one.

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