Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: Madame Cholet on September 21, 2014, 16:32
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Now I have more freezer space I would like to make my own pizza bases to freeze instead of making them fresh. should I freeze them risen raw or cook them slightly?
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I bake mine until they're almost done, then I let them cool completely, top them with sauce, cheese and veggies, wrap them in cling film and then in tin foil and stick them in the freezer. If I cook them before I freeze them it keeps them from getting soggy when I go to cook the pizza.
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Ma'am, what I really want to ask, is how do you have space in your freezer just now?
Mrs Growster is beating me round the bonce because I have frozen far too much of everything, and we love small pizzas...
I'll have to ask her what we need to do next, which may well include coming up to your house and crave extra freezer space..;0)
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Its a long way to come from Kent Growster :lol:
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Its a long way to come from Kent Growster :lol:
I'm on my way, Ma'am!
Always ready and willing to see someone from Bootboy County..;0)
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Not much boot and shoe trade left now :(
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Not much boot and shoe trade left now :(
We nearly got a project going on the football club site, but found that there was a just a 'leettle' more to building something there, than the management and the council understood, or had ideas about...
Exit Growster..;0)
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I cook my pizza bases at a high heat for about 3 minutes until they are just cooked.
Stops the bases going soggy.
Cool them, wrap in cling film and stack in the freezer like records. I don't put a sauce on until I am ready to cook them.
And like Growster, I am wondering how you have space in your freezer. :ohmy:
I have 3 x 13 cubic foot freezers and they are jam packed with fruit and veg. I was floating the idea of buying another freezer. :unsure:
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Blimey. you lot wont suffer if you get snowed in will you ! :-)
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Blimey. you lot wont suffer if you get snowed in will you ! :-)
Well we will be OK for fruit and veg :lol: :D
but it is a tad worrying that I only have that 2 large drawers in one of the freezers for meat and fish.
Will have to feed Mr Bee more homemade cake ice cream to free up some space for protein.
And have to make some fruit into jam to make space. Mum has just given me a carrier bag of frozen Damsons and is threatening me with another of frozen plums. I suppose I don't really have to sleep. :(
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I suppose that having a good butcher solves the meat problems, in that we just have what we buy that particular week!
But of course, Mrs Growster will then make an enormous casserole, and we'll freeze half of it, so I have to make sure the balance of veg allows for this!
Mrs Growster has just re-packed every drawer in two undercounter freezers, and announced that there is still some room for apple...
Some old soup had to go though..;0(
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I just have a small under counter one but an getting another fridge freezer and a small chest one on loan.
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Not enough room in my freezers for pizza bases. I've got an under counter one, a medium and a large chest freezer, all full. As well as the rest of the last piggy, we've still got 9 Turkey's left from last year and lots of wings and drumsticks!
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Hadn't even thought about storing them as bases. I store mine as balls of dough - that way if I want to make it into pittas etc instead I can.
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Likewise store in balls of dough - they keep perfectly well in the freezer and are ready to roll out and top. I've got one of these (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferrari-G10006-Delizia-Pizza-Oven/dp/B002VA4CDI), which makes amazing pizzas, but you do need somewhere for it to live. (my oven is pants, and living with an Italian means we make lots of pizza/piadina/pasta)
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I like the look of that - where's the jealous smiley ;)
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I think there should be a law against posting kitchen gadget ideas ! Especially as the pizza I did the other night had a soggy bottom which Im sure a gadget would cure !
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I so rarely have anything I can add to kitchen gadget ideas that this one has me all *smugface*. :D
It is genius - rarely ordered a pizza since we got it so I think it's more than paid for itself.
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I wish I could find a gadget to cure my saggy bottom! Ohhh, sorry! - I must go to specsavers, you said SOGGY bottom - thank goodness I don't have one of those.
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Lardman,
Have you tried using a pizza stone? I can't stand soggy bottomed pizzas (blech!) I cook my bases before I top them, whether I'm freezing them or not and that seems to keep the dreaded sogginess at bay. Occasionally I'll get a frozen store-bought one that will end up on the squishy side, so I'll slide the pizza off the cooking tray and directly onto my oven rack and let it cook longer. (I always have to remind myself to put a sheet of foil on the rack below it unless I want the bottom of my oven to be "Burnt Cheese City" lol
Surbie
I've never seen one of those before. That's a pretty cool gadget!
Jaydig
Hilarious!
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Youve got me interested too now Surbie. Ive just looked at it and others similar so now I have a couple of questions if you dont mind: Does it have a turntable? Some reviews of ones which dont have, say there are hot spots which cause scorching. Also, can It do deep pan? I like thin personally but would like the option.Would it also be good for chapatis?Many thanks SteveH
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The main issue with it is I am not sure kids could/should use it unsupervised. It gets amazingly hot and an oven glove is a good idea if you're making loads.
Mine doesn't have noticeable hotspots, nor a turntable. We've had it 2-3 years. It successfully does both deepish pan and thin bases - I don't like thick bases so I haven't tried really deep ones. If you overload the pizza or put the filling too near the edges it will run off and burn on the stone. If you have a smoke alarm, at that point you might want to take the batteries out.
Do you hold chapatis down in the pan when you toast the dough? Our piadinas go a bit bubbly in the pizza oven so I still do them in a flat pan.
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Thanks for that surbie. Sounds like it might be just the job. Chapatis are just laid flat as a rule so I would guess they would be ok. It is now on my xxxxx list
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OOOOOOOOOOH NOOOOOOOO. :ohmy: A kitchen gadget. And it looks really good.
Stand away from the 'one click order' on Amazon Mrs Bee. :ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy:
And there I was with a home tandoor on my Winter festival list. Do you think the man in red will run to both. :unsure: ::)
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How are they in the Halogen oven. think i'll have to try that next
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I've got one of these (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferrari-G10006-Delizia-Pizza-Oven/dp/B002VA4CDI),
I want one of them too
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Last nights attempt, bread maker dough (50:50 White & Spelt), 3 portions from 1lb dough (note to self, 4 portions next time), oven on 240 (note to self: correct temp but thinner dough needed, see note 1). Homemade pizza topping (awesome). Now a pizza stone you say….
(https://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10686861_512742231187_2054444431748212679_n.jpg?oh=ec0d9922bb908ca2beaac88a06eceba8&oe=54BFE35D)
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Last nights attempt, bread maker dough (50:50 White & Spelt), 3 portions from 1lb dough (note to self, 4 portions next time), oven on 240 (note to self: correct temp but thinner dough needed, see note 1). Homemade pizza topping (awesome). Now a pizza stone you say….
(https://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10686861_512742231187_2054444431748212679_n.jpg?oh=ec0d9922bb908ca2beaac88a06eceba8&oe=54BFE35D)
That looks awesome! Yeah until I have the time to build a brick oven in my backyard, I think I'll settle for a pizza stone :). (They're super cheap and easy to store)
I bottled lots of pizza sauce this year so somehow I'll use that in my argument for getting the hubs to help me build that oven next summer :tongue2:
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Ran out of mozzarella yesterday but it still passed muster. (yes I know I need to clean the chopping board!)
I've used white bread flour in the machine, with a goodly amount of oregano. Dough made last night and left over night in the fridge, stretched and flung. Im getting a good crispy bottom and decent airy crust now. I need to sort out the topping though - it's a little too tomato if you know what I mean :unsure: .
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That looks delicious too! I like adding oregano to my dough as well, and sometimes rosemary. I put olive oil on the crust and spring sea salt on it. Yum!
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Ran out of mozzarella yesterday but it still passed muster. (yes I know I need to clean the chopping board!)
I've used white bread flour in the machine, with a goodly amount of oregano. Dough made last night and left over night in the fridge, stretched and flung. Im getting a good crispy bottom and decent airy crust now. I need to sort out the topping though - it's a little too tomato if you know what I mean :unsure: .
You can get cream for a crispy bottom you know. ::)
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Last nights attempt, bread maker dough (50:50 White & Spelt), 3 portions from 1lb dough (note to self, 4 portions next time), oven on 240 (note to self: correct temp but thinner dough needed, see note 1). Homemade pizza topping (awesome). Now a pizza stone you say….
(https://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10686861_512742231187_2054444431748212679_n.jpg?oh=ec0d9922bb908ca2beaac88a06eceba8&oe=54BFE35D)
That looks awesome! Yeah until I have the time to build a brick oven in my backyard, I think I'll settle for a pizza stone :). (They're super cheap and easy to store)
I bottled lots of pizza sauce this year so somehow I'll use that in my argument for getting the hubs to help me build that oven next summer :tongue2:
Thanks! I did have a look, and I think a decent size 15" pizza stone may not fit on my oven racks as they are, I reckon theres a way around it though. I have also looked at building a pizza oven outside, BUT I face 2 main challenges - I'm DIY retarded and it would only be useable for 3-4 months a year. A pizza stone is easier and requires less DIY.
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You can get cream for a crispy bottom you know. ::)
:nowink: Picking the low hanging fruit again Mrs Bee. ::) You know I take my pizza dough very seriously, there will be no chortling about soggy or crispy bottoms or stuffed crusts it's a very serious subject ;)
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::) ::) :wub: :D
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But if the base is laid on a rack, this allows the bottom to cook doesn't it?
It seems to in a fan oven, but it really is Mrs Growster's business to build a pizza, and I tend to stand on one leg and consider the eating thereof...
But Surbie, that machine would look great in our kitchen - marvellous! I mustn't hijack or try to better your idea - or this post, Ma'am, but this is the best parmesan grater we've ever had...
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You can get cream for a crispy bottom you know. ::)
:nowink: Picking the low hanging fruit again Mrs Bee. ::)
Now what are you saying about Mrs. Bee's picking of low hanging fruit? That is how rumours get started ;) ;)
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You can get cream for a crispy bottom you know. ::)
:nowink: Picking the low hanging fruit again Mrs Bee. ::)
Now what are you saying about Mrs. Bee's picking of low hanging fruit? That is how rumours get started ;) ;)
Well, being a very short Mrs Bee, I certainly couldn't reach any other fruit than the low hanging stuff. :lol: :lol: :lol:
I have to use the steps to get to the back of the kitchen cupboards!! :D
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No worries Growster I'm enjoying the banter :D
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The main issue with it is I am not sure kids could/should use it unsupervised. It gets amazingly hot and an oven glove is a good idea if you're making loads.
Mine doesn't have noticeable hotspots, nor a turntable. We've had it 2-3 years. It successfully does both deepish pan and thin bases - I don't like thick bases so I haven't tried really deep ones. If you overload the pizza or put the filling too near the edges it will run off and burn on the stone. If you have a smoke alarm, at that point you might want to take the batteries out.
Do you hold chapatis down in the pan when you toast the dough? Our piadinas go a bit bubbly in the pizza oven so I still do them in a flat pan.
I have been talking about your gadget with my son, Surbie. He put up a couples of questions, as we are both interested in getting one of these.
How big a pizza does it make, and how long does it take to cook.
We are thinking that 1 pizza between 4 peoples is not enough pizza. How do you go about cooking pizza for several people?
Edit to clarify quote
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we make up a batch of dough in the bread machine (50 minute pizza dough setting), then use swiss roll silicon trays, roll out the base on a pastry board, put into the silicon trays and spread to the corners, silicons onto metal trays, we can just fit 4 in the oven if one sits on the bottom and one on each of 3 shelves (the shelf from the grill/top oven gets moved to the bottom oven for this), rotate half way through the cooking to cook the bottom one properly.
Grendel
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I have been talking about your gadget with my son, Surbie. He put up a couples of questions, as we are both interested in getting one of these.
How big a pizza does it make, and how long does it take to cook.
We are thinking that 1 pizza between 4 peoples is not enough pizza. How do you go about cooking pizza for several people?
Edit to clarify quote
The stone is 31cm in diameter - so pizzas are about a foot across. I make a batch of dough, make pizzas till people are full from it and freeze any left over till next time.
The pizzas take about 5 minutes, depending on toppings - and I usually add mozzarella half-way through so the heat doesn't make it disappear. It comes with 2 paddles which you put the base on before sliding onto the stone - I'd get someone handy to make a couple more of them so that you can back up the pizzas and not be tied to the oven if you have lots of people to feed. Otherwise get them to put their own together. ;)
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Thanks. Surbie.
5 mins is do able. And 12" is the size of my pizza pans so that gives me an idea of the size.
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talking about pizzas I make my own and they never look cooked on the bottom they are cooked ut are allways pale , ive used tin trays , ive used th echip thingthat has holes in it and hubby got me a pizza stone you can put on the bbq and oven ive had them in all positions in my oven and still pasty and yet if I make a caltzoni its brown on the bottom .
chrissie b