Did everyone else already know this about homemade pizza? I've found the holy grail!

[BewareTheBeardedDragon]

I've made homemade pizza for years, and struggled with pizza stone, hot baking trays, prevailing the bases etc to get a half decent authentic taste, no soggy bits, crisp bottom baking in the oven.

Today I followed the tips on a bbc pizza dough recipe and ended up with the most amazing crisp outside, deliciously soft inside base and perfectly cooked topping.

I stretched the dough by hand (previously I've always rolled it for ease but apparently this knocks all the air bubbles out that you've laboriously kneaded in), then put the base on its own into a hot dry frying pan. Left it to cook for a few mins until the bottom was browned and the dough rising with nice air pockets. Then turned it out onto a floured baking tray with the cooked side facing upwards, spread with thin layer of sauce and cheese, the slid back into the pan (uncooked side down). Left for long enough that bottom was browned, then popped under the grill to melt the cheese nicely.

Wow - it's a bit of a faff but so worth it! My dc are generally not impressed with my homemade pizza offerings but they all cleared their plates and had seconds. I will never make another way now. Revelation!!!

Sounds good

Where is the recipe OP?

So like fried pizza?

@ElderMillennial here it is - the tips are at the bottom www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/basic-pizza-dough

@MyDcAreMarvel not really because it's a dry frying pan. It's like cooking bread on a griddle, and so you get a nice dry crisp bottom with no fat involved, and the brown/nearly black spots which a pizza cooked in a proper pizza oven gets. It really is divine!

Never heard of this, but I'm totally giving it a try!

Thanks OP

I've never actually made bread or pizza base but I am intrigued by this!

As a bit of an aside, the Sainsbury’s stuffed crust takeaway pizza range is probably the best store bought option. It’s nicer than Pizza Hut. We get the margarita version and add our own toppings. It’s worth a try if you want a faster option, but that recipe does look worth a try!

Buy an ooni. Best pizza ever. Not a paid ad, just a very happy customer.

This is how I make bread. It is much more energy efficient than 40+ minutes in the oven at maximum temperature.

I've been doing something similar for a while, but instead of the frying pan, I just pre cook the base in a hot oven, it sort of puffs up like a giant pitta bread, then take it out and put the toppings on and put it back in to finish cooking. This way, the base is perfectly cooked through, without the toppings getting overcooked.

The reviews are truly awful 🙈. Did you make it according to the recipe?

We love these pizzas but no faff as we just top it whilst still in the frying pan then put the whole pan under the grill to cook the top. Perfect pizza from scratch in under 10 mins in one pan.

@ChittyChittyBoomBoom I didn't read the reviews... I followed the recipe but added olive oil and some sourdough discard into the base. It was really very good. Perhaps I should write a review for the bbc to even it up.

We have an Ooni. Bloody love it.

I learned this recently - it’s revolutionise home pizza! Except I put the pan under the grill once the bottom is browned. Even easier!

That does sound easier - but I had to make 3 in one pan and I'm impatient...

Now I'm off to look up what an Ooni is

I’ve just purchased an Ooni for my DHs birthday, good to see it has positive reviews! 😁😁

Why is every thread I go on recently so bloody expensive now I have another thing to add to my wish list
Still happy with my griddle pizza discovery in the meantime

I've been make homemade pizza for years in my oven and they are perfect every time and better than any restaurant and pretty simple...

No knead pizza dough (get it ready the night before)
cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread

Oven at 450 F degrees (230 C)

Thin round metal baking tray with holes in

Roll out dough or use hands to stretch till v thin, Cook for 10 mins

Sauce is: tin of plum toms (best you can get), garlic, small amount of oregano, pinch of sugar, pinch of salt - blend and simmer until thick

Use decent quality ball of pizza mozzarella

Add favourite toppings

I get great results with a pizza steel. It's a heavy sheet steel plate that you bung in the oven at maximum temperature for half an hour or so.

It holds a huge amount of heat, much more than a pizza stone, and transfers it straight into the pizza. Cooking time is typically six to seven minutes. You get really professional results from a bog standard oven.

It also helps to use Italian pizza flour to make the dough and let it prove overnight. Bellissima!

I use a cast iron skillet to make homemade pizza but don’t do the turning out thing. The dough gets put into the very hot pan and then I put the sauce and cheese on while it’s on the heat. After a couple of minutes the whole thing goes into a hot oven to finish off. You get the crispy, slightly blackened bottom without the faff of turning it out and flipping it over.

Our Ooni was our best lockdown purchase by miles. We absolutely love it. Makes incredible pizza in minutes. Totally recommend.

I use Delia Smith’s recipe. Jack the oven up to 250 and perfect pizzas emerge!

Feel like there needs to be an Ooni thread, to you know share pizza tips.

Another one on Team Ooni. Made lockdown liveable over the summer!