Soggy Bottoms

[Frances]

Rubbing a thin film of olive oil all over the base before adding the toppings is something I was taught to do in school cooking classes (many many years ago), and I kept on doing it for the WFO pizzas out of pure habbit. That and because the pizzas turned out well - why change something that works?

But I did mean to ask about it sometime, so its nice Luis brought it up. EVOO serves as a miosture barrier, right? Which means it could well help with Dusty's problem.

Does anyone else make their Pizzas this way? What's the verdict: good idea, or a non-authentic pizza hut type of faux pas?

[arevalo53anos]

Frances:
Sorry because I am going to use my own judgement on myself...
Yes, to use a thin film of EVOO over the dough pizza disk before the sauce is a good idea. Even more if you are not so fast to spread the toppings over it or if you like heavy ones.
Authentic pizza is exactly the pizza that you like!!!

Luis

[gjbingham]

If I remember correctly, they add the EVOO after the pizza cooks in Sicily. Makes sense if the oil breaks down in heat and looses its flavor.

[RTflorida]

I shoot for authentic and then put my own spin on things to suit some of the varied toppings I use. I say, if it helps to avoid a "soggy bottom" , give it a try; I plan to try it just out of curiosity. As long as the flavor only breaks down or dissipates from the extreme heat, and does not turn bitter or burned, it sounds good to me. What is the worst that can happen? One bad pie?
Hey, as I have said before " even bad pizza is better than the best of most anything else"

RT

[DaveHI]

My inlaws bought me a DVD/cookbook from a competitor. He recommends EVOO with garlic pressed into it as a barrier. Paint on with a brush and then the sauce. It's not a lot of oil but it does keep the dough separated from the toppings. And a bit of garlic can't be bad!

[gjbingham]

That definitely sounds reasonable. We'll give it a try tomorrow.

[Xabia Jim]

First response was the hearth not hot enough....maybe move the fire over.

Second thought follows it being soggier in the morning....thicker sauce and draining the tomatoes better sounds right.

[gjbingham]

Broken Cookie and most of his family came down last weekend and made pizzas with us. We tried painting the olive oil on the first dough. I think I need a better brush. Mine are all stiff nylon bristle brushes that didn't work well on dough.

After the first pizza, I lost track of whether they continued painting oil on the doughs or not. I was running back and forth between the oven and the kitchen cooking and delivering.

The outer 2/3rds of the dough cooked perfectly on virtually every pizza. The central third was still a bit underdone and "soggy". I'm thinking that I'm not getting the dough thin enough. I sure can't get it down to credit card thickness without creating a hole somewhere.

We had a great afternoon though and baked bread afterwards.
Practice, practice I guess.

[Frances]

I drizzle a little bit of the oil all over the dough and then rub it on lightly with the palm of my hand - supposed to do wonders for your skin, too .

No, seriously, I don't think it'd work with a brush. Definitely more of a hands on apporoach...

[dusty]

Thanks all!
I hope to try the olive oil (applied by hand rubbing the drizzle) this Saturday. I will drain the tomatos before I crush them and might even drain them again after. I hope I don't get it too perfect right away 'cause we're having so much fun experimenting.

For example - I have learned that the pitas work better if I toughen up the dough by kneeding it more right before I roll it out.

dusty