Pizza making class

[moroccangirl]

I went to one this morning at Sur La Table. The instructor made a pizza with grilled sliced pears, blue cheese, walnuts, and honey. We each got a small slice to taste but I wanted to knock everyone over and take the whole thing.

[merigayle]

Fun!

[Ice Cream]

That sounds delicious.

[ihop]

Yum.

[moroccangirl]

Fun!

It wasn't what I thought. I thought we would get to do it, but we sat in chairs and watched. It was ok because the class was only 5 bucks.

That pizza was so good though. I am definitely going to try to make the pear one after I buy a grill pan.

[rocketgirl]

It wasn't what I thought. I thought we would get to do it, but we sat in chairs and watched. It was ok because the class was only 5 bucks.

That pizza was so good though. I am definitely going to try to make the pear one after I buy a grill pan.

Back it up!  You can cook pizza on a grill pan?  How was this all accomplished?

[redkitty]

I took a chicago pizza class a few years ago. Three different types of chicago-style pizza.  Two of them were deep dish and you more or less have to have one of those big stand mixers to make the dough (you can technically make it without, but the dough will get super tough unless you are strong.) So I make the flatter type a lot. It is a good recipe and a bonus that you do not have to wait for crust to rise.  That was a hands on class, but I also paid a lot more than $5.

[caribougrrl]

It wasn't what I thought. I thought we would get to do it, but we sat in chairs and watched. It was ok because the class was only 5 bucks.

That pizza was so good though. I am definitely going to try to make the pear one after I buy a grill pan.

this pizza class is starting to get expensive!   

[rocketgirl]

I took a chicago pizza class a few years ago. Three different types of chicago-style pizza.  Two of them were deep dish and you more or less have to have one of those big stand mixers to make the dough (you can technically make it without, but the dough will get super tough unless you are strong.) So I make the flatter type a lot. It is a good recipe and a bonus that you do not have to wait for crust to rise.  That was a hands on class, but I also paid a lot more than $5.

Tell me about dough you don't need a mixer to make.

[moroccangirl]

Back it up!  You can cook pizza on a grill pan?  How was this all accomplished?

No, the grill pan is for the grilled pears. Lol. Or you can grill them on the grill but I've been wanting a pan anyways.

this pizza class is starting to get expensive!   

Of course she was telling us that everything she used in the class was available for purchase in the store. I have wanted a grill pan for awhile, so te only thing I wanted that she used in the class was a pizza peel, but I didn't buy it yet.

[Magic Microbe]

Back it up!  You can cook pizza on a grill pan?  How was this all accomplished?

You can make a pizza on an actual grill but I dont think you could do it on a stovetop.

[redkitty]

Tell me about dough you don't need a mixer to make.

I don't check in here often, just saw this (which I guess isn't too bad since this was just yesterday.) I have it at home, I can scan it in and deliver it to you tomorrow (will have to scan at work.)  Can we attach docs in PMs here? If not, I can just type out the recipe...just easier not to. It is super easy pizza dough and is pretty good.  A few years ago I had a "make your own pizza" party where I made individual sized doughs with this recipe and everyone loved the end results.

[redkitty]

Here's the recipe.

1 pkg of active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 and 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable shortening, melted
1 Tbsp of sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 to 2 1/2 cups flour, divided
Vegetable oil for oiling pan

In a larger bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add shortening, sugar, and salt.  Stir in 1 cup of flour.  Gradually stir in the remaining flour to form soft dough (dough should NOT be sticky when you are done). Turn out onto a lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic.

Pre-heat oven to 425.

Roll dough to a 16 inch circle. Fit into a lightly oiled 14 inch pizza pan, crimp edges to form a rim. 


When I made mini pizzas, I cut the pizza dough into thirds.

[BonitaApplebum]

That pear pizza sounds good, but I would try adding a little arugula to it. It sounds a little sweet to me without something peppery like arugula to balance it out.

My current favorite home pizza is BBQ sauce with chicken, red onion, and cilantro.

I want to learn how to make it on the grill.

[RioG]

That pear pizza sounds good, but I would try adding a little arugula to it. It sounds a little sweet to me without something peppery like arugula to balance it out.

My current favorite home pizza is BBQ sauce with chicken, red onion, and cilantro.

I want to learn how to make it on the grill.

do you use the bbq sauce in place of pizza sauce?  Maybe I'll make that tonight... I have a bunch of chicken I need to use up.

[caribougrrl]

do you use the bbq sauce in place of pizza sauce?  Maybe I'll make that tonight... I have a bunch of chicken I need to use up.

we make a pesto with whatever dark green leafy thing we have around to use as a pizza base... it's phenomenally good with chicken, goat cheese and hot peppers.


for the pesto: blend together olive oil or walnut oil, pine nuts or walnuts or almonds, raw garlic, and leafy greens (chard or kale or spinach or arugula, etc.), optional grated parm... you want a thick but spreadable consistency

[RioG]

that sounds delicious but I'm on a money diet as well as a food diet... it also sounds expensive.

we make a pesto with whatever dark green leafy thing we have around to use as a pizza base... it's phenomenally good with chicken, goat cheese and hot peppers.


for the pesto: blend together olive oil or walnut oil, pine nuts or walnuts or almonds, raw garlic, and leafy greens (chard or kale or spinach or arugula, etc.), optional grated parm... you want a thick but spreadable consistency

[caribougrrl]

that sounds delicious but I'm on a money diet as well as a food diet... it also sounds expensive.

keep it in your back pocket for when your garden starts to produce!  It's really heavy on the greenery and light on the other things... nuts could be skipped altogether, really.  Feta works nicely in place of goat cheese too. 

I don't think of it as pricey because other than the leftover chicken and goat cheese, we tend to have everything else on hand most of the time.     

[RioG]

True... I was thinking of the nuts and parm... everything else I have.

[caribougrrl]

True... I was thinking of the nuts and parm... everything else I have.

about once a year I buy a HUGE block of parm from Costco... costs about $40 which hurts at the time of purchase, but it's enough parm to last us a year.  I can't remember the size, but I remember working it out and buying that much in smaller pieces from the local grocery store would cost me just over $150.  So I forget sometimes how expensive it is!

[onawhim]

My long time dream is to one day have my own entire wheel of Parmesan 

[RioG]

You can keep parmesan for a year??  I would totally pay $40 if it would last that long!

[diablita]

yes, I want to know how you store that parm for a year!

[caribougrrl]

yes, I want to know how you store that parm for a year!

I wrap it in parchment paper, then put it in a ziploc with a bit of air left in (to prevent sweating).  Parmesan will keep in the fridge for about a year, you might get some crystallization in the cheese, but it's not dangerous.  I cut off a hunk and store that in tupperware, use that until it's gone, then when I take the big block out to hack off another section, I change the parchment paper. 

Parmesan is a fairly well-aged dry cheese, so it doesn't go off nearly so quickly as moist cheese. 

[caribougrrl]

this one says air tight
http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17873

but chowhound says wax paper then aluminium foil so that it isn't airtight...

[witchypoo]

i store parmesan for very long periods of time, also.

[Run Amok]

i store parmesan for very long periods of time, also.

Me too. It dries out if you don't keep it covered... but I've never seen it mold.

[Courtney]

That pear pizza sounds good, but I would try adding a little arugula to it. It sounds a little sweet to me without something peppery like arugula to balance it out.

My current favorite home pizza is BBQ sauce with chicken, red onion, and cilantro.

I want to learn how to make it on the grill.

I love BBQ chicken pizza.  I love to add goat cheese to mine.  It's god damned delicious. 

[diablita]

I've had grated/shredded parmesan in store containers go moldy on the edges.  Is that because they're grated and exposed to air on more edges?

[witchypoo]

it's more likely it's because you touched them with your bare hands.

[diablita]

so no green thumb in the garden but I ruin my cheese?  not fair.