I like pizza occasionally, but I'm tired of paying $12 (350 baht) for a 12 inch pizza of questionable taste. I thought most of you ladies do the cooking so figured this was better forum to post this.

I used to be able to buy 12 inch frozen pizza shells and add my own topping, but I can no longer seem to find them... at least not locally. So, I just make my own from scratch: white wheat flour, yeast, oil and salt. It can be done by hand in a bowl, but it's easier if you have a bread maker or one of those chopper-blender-mixers.

For one 12 inch pizza it takes 2 cups of white flour, one tablespoon of fresh powdered yeast, one tablespoon of olive oil, 3/4 cup of warm milk (100 degrees) and a teaspoon of salt.

1. Put 2 cups of white flour in the mixer and add one teaspoon of white table salt.

2. Warm 3/4 cup of milk to about 100 degrees (just warm to the touch but not too hot) and add one tablespoon of packaged yeast, or the yeast that comes in a sealed jar. Let it disolve for about 10 minutes and add a tablespoon of olive oil. You can use water in place of milk, but I prefer milk.

3. Turn on the blender and slowly add the liquid (milk, yeast & oil). Let it keep mixing until the dough thickens and starts to stick together.

4. Remove the dough from the blender and place in a large mixing bowl. Grease your hands in a light coating of lard (Crisco) and begin kneeding the dough into a smooth round ball. Keep kneeding the dough to remove all cracks and creases. It will take about 10 minutes of folding and kneeding with your knuckles. Once all the cracks are gone press the dough into a round flat shape and cover it with wax paper. Put a damp cloth over the bowl and place the bowl into a slightly warm oven (100 degrees) to let rise for about 2 hours. The wax paper and damp cloth prevent the surface of the dough from hardening while rising.

5. After the dough has risen about twice its original size it's time to put it on a pizza pan. You can use a cookie sheet if you don't have a pizza pan. Slowly spread the dough with your hands and then with a rolling pin. I use a small bottle instead of a proper rolling pin and it works just as well. This amount of ingredients makes a 12 inch pizza. Double the recipe to make two.

6. In a pre-heated oven (400 degrees) put the pan and pizza dough in for 7 to 12 minutes depending on how you like your crust. I like my crust crunchy so I cook it without topping for about 12 minutes. That slightly browns the dough but doesn't harden it too much. If you put it in too long it turns into a brick. If you don't put it in long enough the dough will be soft and gooey next to the topping. If you make a VERY thin dough crust you don't need to pre-cook it.

7. Remove the pizza shell from the oven and start adding the topping.

I like a slightly spicey pizza so my first VERY thin layer is Louisiana hot sauce

On top of the hot sauce I'll add a slightly thicker layer of crushed tomatoes and over that a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

I normally use left over stir fry veggies for a topping, but I'll also use fresh veggies. I'll add meat slices such as pepperoni or spicey sausage. If you like anchovies they are also good.

Over the stir fry topping I'll cover it with shredded mozzarella cheese. For extra flavour you can add extra sharp cheddar to the mozzarella.

Then, back into the 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the pizza dough.

wow

I really must be meeting all the wrong men

where are the IanForbes of the world?

you'd be perfect if you also cleaned afterwards.... ohhh and ofcourse offer the mandatory chocolate brownie for dessert

I think you'd be surprised at how many men cook too, Ian.

I don't know where you are but if in Pattaya or Bangkok, Villa Supermarket carries the frozen Pizza crust.

I think you'd be surprised at how many men cook too, Ian.

I know lots of men like to cook, sbk, but most of those are the "domesticated" ones who are married.

All the great pastry chefs I knew were men, but then most of the ones I knew worked in isolated logging camps or for high class hotels. My mother was a pretty good pie cook, and her pie pastry was lovely and flakey, but she never made the fancy French pastries I used to get in logging camps. I later had to pay $3 each for them when I got back to civilization.

Ian, do you realise what you just did?? You spoiler !! YOU $#@*terd.

But on a serious note, I also do my own coocking, left hand or right hand cooking that is.

Left hand is: Go to Chinese restaurant. Right hand is all other places. I am very good at it, and get lots of compliments for a clean kitchen too

Edit for compliments on the home made pizza !

Edited June 25, 200917 yr by Carib

mmmmmm pizza. No oven unfortunately! Seriously considering making one of these

Edited June 26, 200917 yr by mssabai

Thanks Ian. You are clever #1 reason (i was going to respond to a post about good english food a while back and you said it was an oxymoron..I was going to write the same thing, haha ) 2. i was looking for a new pizza dough recipe, asked the home ec teacher at the school I work at and she was "too busy" ..for the record: leaving in 2 days for LOS to see the wife and family..am based in Vancouver here and Phuket there. Cheers,Dean

Awesome za dude.

I think you'll find that in Thailand the warm oven is not necessary for rising dough, It is hot enough around here. I know in Canada it needs a little help eh?

I like to give the dough a triple rise. First as a lump in the middle of the pan, 15 min later pressed out in the pan, and 15 min later pressed all the way out in the pan. for the pan it is always olive oil, although friends claim a sprinkling of corn meal brings out the crispiness.

I also sometimes do a pre-bake for the crust, it depends on your oven. My homemade oven is already too hot below, so a prebake doesn't work.

For the sauce I prepare it ahead of time, I blend my own fresh tomatoes, with a splash of olive oil and quite a lot of Italian seasoning. Extra oregano can be a benefit as well. I also add crushed garlic, and fine chopped chilies, salt, and black pepper. I let the mixture boil on low heat on the stove until much of the water boils away. It makes a thick flavor packed sauce, which I believe is the essence of the pizza.

As for the toppings, that is all done to personal preference. your looks pretty fine.

Stop making me hungry again! Dammit

Hi Ian,

Thanks for that great post.

It has spurned me on to make some Pizzas this weekend with/for my kids.

I don’t know whether they are available at all branches but my local Foodland (Sri Nakarin, Samutprakarn) have the frozen pizza bases.

Best regards,

Tiger.

Looks super yummy! (minus the meaty bits )

Those Geordies out there will know what im talking about when i mention the word "stottie". Huge round yummy bread from Newcastle. When I was a hard up 18 year old and living down there, used to buy from the half-price bakery shops (where baked items that didnt get sold the day before would go), and make pizza bases out of them. Really good actually! A good cheap lazy version for a pizza base.

Looks good Ian.

My favourite topping is baked beans, bacon, onion and jalapeños.

It's called "wild west" pizza.

Can also put an egg on top.

i got the munchies! do you deliver??

Good post Ian.

Just one queerie...what sort of yeast are you using?

I notice you didnt add any sugar,which is usually the main rising agent used with yeast

I have tried the yeast from foodland (in the small brown vials) and prepare it using the italian method of premixing yeast,1 tsp salt,1 dssp sugar into 3/4 cup of hot/warm water..to activate the yeast,then add 2 cups of flour which has 2tsp oil blended through it.

This works a treat in australia with the ingredients available there but i have never had any luck doing so in Thailand...

the dough just doesnt seem to rise and you end up with those thin chewy ones you can buy in the restaurants here

need viagra maybe?

and also,not meaning to sound negative but the ingredients you have used are pretty expensive here,epecially with that much cheese added..i have used the peppery italian salami or canadian bacon in mine also and am never able to do it for under $12 aussie,but hey that doesnt deter those of us who still want to have our western treats

good luck and keep up the photography and good lifestyle threads..

and by the way,you should start more threads on thai women and bargirls vs western women..

we all love your ability in cooking up a storm

and by the way,you should start more threads on thai women and bargirls vs western women..

we all love your ability in cooking up a storm

probably not a good idea to encourage trolling like that in the ladies forum ozzie.

and by the way,you should start more threads on thai women and bargirls vs western women..

we all love your ability in cooking up a storm

probably not a good idea to encourage trolling like that in the ladies forum ozzie.

oops! now i feel like a goose.sorry. i didnt notice it was a ladies forum..i assumed it was a food one

Ah that makes it ok then

Hi Ozzieovaseas,

I have to agree with you that the price of cheese locally is very high.

However I popped into my local Makro this week and I found that they have a 2.5kg block of mozzarella cheese (Aro brand) for around 500 Baht.

This is in the refrigerated section, if you buy the shredded frozen mozzarella that they have it is very expensive.

Obviously a 2.5kg block is too much but I have cut it up and frozen it (in Glad-Wrap) so with the frozen bases I have in the freezer I can now knock up a pizza for the kids without much effort.

Also Foodland have large packs of frozen Pizza sauce (in the freezer section with the pizza bases), which again can be frozen and stored as you need it.

I’m quite lucky as the kids love tuna, so very little preparation is needed for an emergency Pizza but for a weekend pizza (when I have more time) all kind of ingredients can be used and they need not be expensive (experimenting with the kids as my Guinea Pigs is fun).

I wish that I had the time and skill (and patience) to cook a pizza from scratch (like Ian) but I know that it would be a disaster.

Best regards,

Tiger.

Its even better if you shred it before you freeze it, that way you don't have to either shred a frozen bock of cheese, or wait for it to thaw out. I have to admit tho, that I've never tried freezing mozarella, only cheddar.

That looks very yummy. If you are in Thailand, may I ask you where you were able to find pizza pans? I have not been able to locate them.

Thanks Ian

But that's a lot of hard work.

A lady from Manitoba once gave me this recipe whish I have 'Cheated with' many times

Very Quick Pizza

Fry Bacon

Mix:

Plain Flour 2 cups

Baking Powder (bi-carbonate of soda) 2 teaspoons

Salt Sprinkling

Milk 2/3 cup

Olive oil 1/4 Cup

Tomato Sauce + Basil + garlic + whatever

Mozzarela and cheddar cheese

Mix dough - roll

Cover with sauce and herbs and garlic

cover with cheese

cover with bacon

20 minutes at 230C in oven or convector microwave

Voila !