Pizza dough was not crispy ... just blah.

I thought I'd try to be a LITTLE healthy by buying whole wheat pizza dough (already made) to use up a bunch of shredded cheeses I had.

I took it out of the fridge and let it sit in an oiled bowl for a couple of hours. Rolled it out on a floured board and flopped it on my cornmealed pizza peel.

I heated my stone in the oven to 450, then turned the oven down to 350.

I topped the dough by brushing it with a little olive oil, some reduced sauce, the cheeses, and pepperoni.

Cooked the pizza for 18 minutes, until it was bubbling on top.

But the dough was ..... eh. Not crispy. Didn't much like the flavor or the texture. Just blah.

What should I have done differently?

Lee

May I suggest the charcoal grill next time?

I use charcoal baskets and put them to the outside. Get them going really hot. Put the cover on (I have a weber).

After it heats a few min, take the cover off and plop the crust, no toppings yet, on the grill. Cover back up wait a few min, Like maybe 4 or 5.

Open the cover and you will see some bubbles (probably big) in the dough. Break them, take the crust off, put it on your peel. It should be a bit hard on one side. Put the hard side up and the uncooked side down.

Now put on the toppings and return it to the grill. Put on the cover and cook till the cheese melts. I do use whole wheat crust and I love it.

Here is my fav. I use the dough from the grocery store, but the dough recipe is included.

Black Bean Nacho Pizza


INGREDIENTS
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
1 medium clove garlic, quartered
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Yellow cornmeal, for dusting
1 pound Easy Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough (recipe follows), or other prepared dough
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 medium plum tomatoes, diced
4 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped pitted ripe black olives
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños


Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water, (105-115°F)
1 package active dry yeast, (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup bread flour, or all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

Edit to add -

My changes to the recipe.

I use some store bought pizza sauce _ The best stuff that I can find (It's local).

Sauce on first then the stuff from above then cover with the cheese.

Looks pretty darn good to me Lee.

Back in the day when I was strictly vegan/vegetarian... I'd make pizzas using Linda McCartney's whole wheat dough recipe.

It never tasted blah, and came out crispy and delicious.
I would roll the dough out thin.

>>I heated my stone in the oven to 450, then turned the oven down to 350.

allow at least 20 minutes at temp for stone to pre-heat.
don't turn the oven down - timing should be in the 11-12 minute range.

when you pull it out of the oven, slide it on a rack for 4-5 mins. so the moisture can escape the bottom - otherwise it can steam itself soggy.

Lee, have you ever used, or thought about purchasing a pizza screen?

Andy, I have made pizzas on a gas grill before, but don't recall ever doing it on my charcoal grill. I'm sure they are delicious .... isn't anything on over charcoal?

Chowder, I think I will NOT turn the oven down next time, regardless of the instructions!

Sass, no, I have not considered purchasing a pizza screen. Is that a better way than using a hot stone?

Lee

QSis said:

Sass, no, I have not considered purchasing a pizza screen. Is that a better way than using a hot stone?

Lee

Click to expand...

Yep, using a screen is better in my opinion because it allows for better heat circulation, if you want a crisp crust.
Never mattered if I used a store bought dough, or made my own from scratch.
Seems to me if a pie is lying on a stone to cook in an oven, there's going to be some moisture coming from the other ingredients (like a sweat?) on the stone-- hence.. a not so crispy crust.
That said I am no scientist in the art of cooking.. I can only say what has worked for me.

I have seen some pizzerias use a screen. It certainly allow better circulation.

Using most pizzerias as a model, they use a hot oven, 500 degree range and a stone. A some that hot will cook out the water.

I think that crust thicknesses is s major factor. Thinner is crisper. It just stands to reason.

Yes Lee, everything odds better over charcoal.

a stone will produce a nice crispy crust - at least on the thin to medium thicknessi I make - dunno about thick ones.

I discovered the 'dummy you steamed a nice crispy crust soggy' quite by accident. was making multiple pizzas - set the first one out on the cutting board for immediate consumption, the second had no where to go so I put in on a rack on the table.

as I got to the second I noticed the crust was definitely crisper and crunchier - apparently as the thing is still cooking when it comes out of the oven, if the bottom is 'sealed' there's no where for the moisture to go so it re-absorbs into the crust.

Thanks for the tips and comments, everyone!

I've made pizza on my stone many times, and it's been excellent! I was wondering if the whole wheat dough was different.

I will get back up on the horse with regular dough, and try some of the things you all have mentioned!

Lee

QSis said:

I thought I'd try to be a LITTLE healthy by buying whole wheat pizza dough (already made) to use up a bunch of shredded cheeses I had.

I took it out of the fridge and let it sit in an oiled bowl for a couple of hours. Rolled it out on a floured board and flopped it on my cornmealed pizza peel.

I heated my stone in the oven to 450, then turned the oven down to 350.

I topped the dough by brushing it with a little olive oil, some reduced sauce, the cheeses, and pepperoni.

Cooked the pizza for 18 minutes, until it was bubbling on top.

But the dough was ..... eh. Not crispy. Didn't much like the flavor or the texture. Just blah.

What should I have done differently?

Lee

Click to expand...

Looks great!