The Pension Rights Center Educates partners, Divorcees & Widows on precisely how to Get the Retirement Benefits They are entitled to

The Scoop: The Pension liberties Center (PRC) could be the nation’s primary customer company devoted only to defending retirement security into the U.S. The nonprofit provides free of charge details and legal help regarding gained advantages, pensions, also pension income. By empowering each day individuals, couples, individuals, divorcees, and widows and widowers to learn more about retirement plans, the Pension Rights Center is designed to generate a meaningful difference between the schedules of workers, retired people, as well as their family members for generations in the future.

Since 1976, the Pension liberties Center (PRC) features informed Americans about your retirement strategies and recommended for rights of retirees as well as their spouses. This national nonprofit was a beacon of a cure for the huge numbers of people approaching retirement age and thinking what arrives next.

The Pension Rights Center connects people on the resources they need to prepare for your retirement to get the pros they deserve. That is a concern impacting lots of people, and yet a majority of Us citizens don’t understand the way the system works. Needed an informational reference to assist them browse a complicated bureaucratic process, that is certainly in which the Pension liberties Center is available in.

In 2018, the Pension Rights Center received nearly 2,000 phone calls from men and women across the U.S. seeking assistance. About 1 in 5 of the callers had a question about splitting retirement benefits after a divorce. Numerous had questions about receiving survivor advantages from a deceased wife or husband’s retirement program. “it is big concern for Us citizens,” mentioned Emily Speiser, appropriate Program Director the Pension liberties Center. “there can be a great importance of training and assistance about accumulated advantages for hitched, divorced, and widowed People in the us.”

Nevertheless, the Pension liberties Center offers these people the means to access cost-free details and legal services with regards to their retirement benefits and other your retirement ideas. Its reality sheets also methods assist people maximize pension and achieve lasting financial protection.

Besides elevating understanding on the list of general public, the Pension liberties Center becomes active in the policy-making procedure and advocates for rules that would enhance the total well being for retired people inside U.S.

“we are really the only nonprofit organization concentrated especially on making certain folks obtain the retirement plan benefits they make,” Emily told you. “most companies have been in the your retirement industry, but couple of suggest exclusively for the legal rights of retired people — we are a leader in that region.”

Divorced Spouses Must distribute a QDRO on the pension Plan

People frequently seek out the Pension Rights Center because they need help recognizing their unique retirement legal rights or declaring the advantages obtained generated through a lifetime of work. It may be a complicated and nuanced process, but the nonprofit spells situations in easy conditions to simply help individuals learn how to financially prepare for your retirement.

Those people having a separation and divorce are able to use your webblack lesbian site‘s informational methods receive a handle on the best way to break down a retirement or your retirement program. Based on PRC’s splitting up reality sheet, “A pension made during matrimony is normally regarded as a joint asset of both spouses. However, it’s doing express split up process of law to choose whether and how pension possessions tend to be split.”

First, needed a split up decree. Then, if for example the wife is within a personal pension or any other retirement strategy, you need an additional judge purchase, also known as a Qualified domestic-relations Order (QDRO), that specifically addresses the your retirement benefits. It is advisable to get after which publish a QDRO to your your retirement plan once the separation and divorce is completed.

In the event that you meet the pension plan’s needs, the program should take the QDRO, and you are advisable that you start receiving your own share of one’s former partner’s benefits when it is time.

A lot of people make the error of considering a courtroom order is sufficient, although pension strategy needs to evaluate and agree a QDRO so they really know where and how to allocate cash whenever time arrives.

“It isn’t really common knowledge,” Emily stated. “It is a niche location. Most household law professionals aren’t QDRO-drafting specialists. It’s challenging for everyone, but doubly very for low income individuals who cannot constantly pay for legal representation.”

PRC has viewed older divorced singles end up in homeless shelters because, while these were awarded a show of an old wife or husband’s pension income by a divorce case decree, they never was given it because one thing went incorrect through the QDRO process. Often the ex-husband or ex-wife can intentionally adjust the situation and place up hurdles to dividing the retirement. This is known as economic coercion, and it is a tactic often used by residential abusers just who attempt to further control and penalize a present or previous romantic lover.

“you’ll change from well-off to impoverished in a pulse,” Emily mentioned. “Divorced ladies and survivors of domestic assault are more likely to take poverty within advancing years.”

After mastering of a retiree’s split up, most pension programs will place an 18-month hold on tight benefit distributions. In the event that previous partner doesn’t submit a QDRO during this screen, the hold is removed, and there’s a threat the previous wife won’t obtain their share on the benefits since complete benefit was already distributed on the retiree.

If you fail to discover or afford an attorney to write a QDRO, you can view if the pension plan supplies a model QDRO. After that children law or legal help attorney is able to let you fill it. Often the company will waive the distribution cost for those who make use of the model QDRO.

“In a great world where everybody recognizes exactly how this works, you can get separated, the separation decree splits the benefits, you find someone to write a QDRO available, the QDRO is recognized from the program, and then you get the advantages at the appropriate time,” Emily mentioned. “although it doesn’t usually operate just how it really is designed to work.”

Widows & Widowers Automatically obtain Survivor Benefits

The procedure for claiming pension legal rights as a widow or widower is comparatively simple. In most retirement ideas, so long as you were hitched toward individual who gained the benefit as he or she retired, you’re eligible for continue getting month-to-month benefit repayments well worth at least 50percent of what your wife was getting every month while lively.

The spouse of a deceased individual immediately gains usage of the program’s accumulated benefits. However, she or he should notify the program the benefit-earner features died, considering that the survivor’s advantage is usually yet another amount of cash.

Those funds is yours — unless you’ve waived the straight to survivor advantages, or your spouse has chosen to simply take a lump sum in place of an annuity (these alternatives are indicated from inside the standard election paperwork the benefit-earner has got to fill out at retirement).

Under 401(k) ideas along with other individual-account kind projects, partners of retirees will also be safeguarded. Typically, 401(k) plans shell out advantages out as a lump sum payment, and (unlike in a retirement strategy) a retiree can identify any person as recipient for anything remaining into the profile following the retiree dies. Federal law says that a married retiree must list their wife as recipient unless the wife indicators a waiver type allowing the retiree to call somebody else as beneficiary.

Many personal and community strategies call for spousal permission for these choices, therefore you should know very well what choices are available to you. Some spouses choose to signal a survivor waiver type as it will increase the amount of money the plan pays out monthly as the benefit-earner still is alive. However, it also mean the thriving spouse will never be eligible for cash as soon as the plan’s primary benefit person dies.

Sometimes extenuating conditions lead people to waive their survivor benefit. Possibly there’s an age or wellness huge difference, and therefore individual doesn’t anticipate to end up being a widow/widower. Possibly the person has actually another supply of important retirement income, and then he or she doesn’t have the pension money. Long lasting cause, waiving the legal right to survivor benefits is incredibly tough to undo once the benefit-earner dies, as a result it should not be used softly.

Emily mentioned she’s got heard from a lot of people just who finalized the waiver and lived to be sorry. Some do not also remember signing the waiver. “individuals don’t usually think of the full, long-lasting effect,” she said. “My personal advice for partners approaching pension is usually to be innovative whenever deciding whether to waive your own survivor benefits.”

It could be appealing to take your retirement in a lump sum payment, but professionals declare that getting an annuity — fixed-income throughout the rest of yourself — is a far better expense for many individuals.

“generally speaking, an annuity will offer more safety than a lump sum,” Emily said. “you will want to speak with a monetary adviser, research thoroughly, and think about your possibilities before making a decision.”

Thoughtful activities Today will save you cash Tomorrow

Retirees with retirement benefits enjoy higher income safety, but merely 31per cent of Us americans over 65 have a pension that will pay a guaranteed earnings for life. One other problem is that over 30per cent of personal market staff members don’t have use of an employer-sponsored retirement program. Consequently, based on the Bureau of work studies, only 50per cent of private-sector staff members be involved in a workplace your retirement program.

It is vital that people don’t generate short-term choices which can come to be high priced after they’re willing to retire. an economically secure your retirement demands long-lasting preparing and several individuals just don’t focus on your retirement cost savings or retirement programs until these include near retirement.

Given that child boomer generation retires for the coming decades, the country’s pension products should be analyzed because they’ve not ever been before, and thousands of people could crank up impoverished and not able to keep their own lifestyles in retirement.

Partners need to make decisions to offer for each some other, but their shortage of comprehension in regards to the legislation can stand in just how. The Pension liberties Center has accumulated lots of personal stories from seniors dealing with these difficulties.

No matter what get older you are, its never too early to start preparing in advance. You ought to carry out what you can now to get ready for pension and problems dealing with elderly people.

The first step is to find down in case your workplace provides a your retirement program and if you’re entitled to engage or you must generate benefits to sign up. Remember that companies frequently accommodate worker efforts to 401(k) ideas. In the event the company needs plans, you can find out about causing an IRA (Individual Retirement Account). If you’re in a pension or retirement plan, look at the strategy rules to make best of the pros provided obtainable plus family members.

You’ll browse the Pension liberties Center’s internet site for answers to standard questions, you can also discover free appropriate assistance on specific issues pertaining to retirement strategies. The Pension liberties Center works together with six federally funded retirement counseling projects that have aided seniors in the united states take action and receive the advantages they usually have generated during the period of a very long time.

“the middle always has actually a close look on the future, determining developments being rising and assisting develop innovative solutions for the next day’s generation of retired people.” â€” Karen Friedman, PRC Executive Vice-president

The Pension liberties Center is on a mission to see to it that Us americans know their own liberties, plan in advance, and ensure they (and their spouses) should be well taken care of when the time will come.

“Retirement the most vital and underappreciated problems in community,” Emily said. “regrettably, lots of people do not think about pension until they get to retirement age — when it is too-late.”

The PRC Prepares Americans for Retirement

Over the decades, the Pension liberties Center has established itself as a trusted expert on retirement benefits and your retirement strategies. The nonprofit offers free of charge educational and appropriate methods to guide singles and couples approaching retirement, and its particular staff is continually fighting to really make the whole procedure of making an application for and getting attained advantages more straightforward to control and comprehend.

Whether you’re single, cheerfully hitched, or recovering from a divorce case, you can discover about what comes next from Pension liberties Center and set yourself upwards for a happy and prosperous pension. The nonprofit collaborates with retirement plans, companies, federal government authorities, ladies’ rights teams, along with other organizations to boost the standard of existence for seniors around the world.

“the guts tries to ensure that after forever of work, all older Americans have enough income to retire with self-respect,” stated Karen Friedman, PRC Executive Vice President and coverage Director. “the middle recognizes issues, offers a platform to individuals in need of assistance, moves expeditiously to produce solutions and, with partners from varied businesses, advocate for modification.”

How To Make Home Landscaping Much Easier

 

 

Have you ever looked at a neighbor’s beautifully landscaped yard and wondered how they did it? If so, you’re in the right place. This article will teach you the basics of home landscaping, so that you can create your own beautiful yard. Soon you will be the envy of all the other homeowners in the neighborhood.

 

To update your current landscape cut a new clean edge with soft curves. A curving bed offers a more contemporary look than the classic square and rectangular planting areas. If you invest the time in putting new, curved edges on your plantings and flower beds, you may be surprised by the significant impact this affordable alteration can make.

 

Consider native plants when creating a landscaping plan. When you are landscaping your garden, try to use shrubs, flowers and tress that are in your local neighborhood. These varieties will thrive in your soil and temperature conditions, resulting in the need for less work from you to keep them beautiful.

 

When planning a landscaping project for your home, be sure that you try to completely estimate all of the costs involved. This is critical. Not only do you want to make sure that you are not stuck on a project that you cannot finish, but you also will be able to plan out what materials you need before going to the store.

 

Before you buy anything, take the time to draw a detailed sketch of your garden. You should know exactly where things go in addition to which order you will proceed to create your landscape. Give yourself a few weeks to review your sketches and make a few changes, if you need to.

 

Now that you’ve learned some techniques for landscaping, check out your neighbor’s yard again with the eyes of a professional landscaper. You might be able to get some ideas for your own yard or even see things you could improve on. Have fun using these new landscaping techniques to create the yard of your dreams.

 

You can also visit our other website and post your article.

 

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Online Business

What Is Remote Closing?

If you are thinking about selling a home, you might be asking yourself, What Is Remote Closing? This type of closing is a way to do the final paperwork without personally attending the actual conclusion. However, it is important to have some background information before starting the process. A real estate agent with experience in remote closings can negotiate the deal fairly and find acceptable properties. Regardless of whether you are selling or buying a home, a real estate agent with experience is the best choice.Online Business

Crypto Crew University offers training courses in remote closing. This method allows remote closers to earn more money from high-ticket sales without working as hard in a traditional office environment. All instructors earn a commission on the sale, which means that a remote closer’s earnings are directly related to the number of deals they close. Those who complete the program can earn a small fortune very quickly. However, it is essential to understand that this business model is not for everyone.

As a real estate investor, you probably know the 1% rule, which states that the rent must be greater than the mortgage payment. This way, you can break even with the property without spending extra time traveling. Besides that, remote closing is also quicker than traditional closing. However, you should check the laws in your area to be sure that you will be able to complete them in a timely manner. If you want to learn more about remote closing, check out Mashvisor. They offer a free trial and 15% off for life.

A remote closing career requires good communication skills, problem-solving skills, and negotiation skills. It is not for naturally outgoing people. However, people with these skills will be successful in the remote closing field. The average salary is about $35,000 a year. If you have good negotiation skills and are willing to sell, you could make a small fortune. This type of work is definitely not for everyone. But it is a great career option for those who are good at people-handling and convincing.

This training course will teach you the basics and advanced techniques that are necessary for remote closing. Besides selling products, you can also learn how to close prospects via a remote closing course. This will help you to convince people to buy your products and services, usually through commission payments. And if you’re looking for a high-paying job, remote closing is definitely worth checking out. So what are you waiting for? Get the course now!

Before you start your remote closing process, you should pre-qualify for a mortgage. This is a great way to make the process faster, because you don’t need to visit a notary. You can also receive your documents ahead of time, which will give you ample time to review them. However, it is important to ask any questions you may have before signing anything. There are a lot of benefits to remote closings, and if you’re not sure which one to choose, you can always start with a free trial of Mashvisor. You can save 15% off your lifetime with Mashvisor if you use the roading code.

Although most states allow remote closings, some don’t. This is partly due to laws and slow adoption. Some states require a real estate attorney to be in the room during the closing. Moreover, some mortgage laws don’t allow remote closings. You should always double-check your state’s laws on this topic before closing a real estate deal. The new law is also beneficial to buyers. It is a great way to save time.

What Is Remote Closing? is a great way to get a job from home while earning a high-ticket commission. You can also use the internet to earn a commission and sell products. The commissions are great, and it’s ideal if you have a product or service that’s worth selling. However, it’s not for everyone. It takes time to learn the techniques and get the sales you’re looking for.

As with any sales career, remote closing has advantages and disadvantages. Despite the challenges involved, remote salespeople must have good communication and problem-solving skills. You should be resourceful and have a positive attitude. If you don’t have these qualities, remote closing may not be for you. If you’re confident and can overcome rejection, you may be able to achieve financial freedom. So, if you think you have what it takes, you should go for it.

Is Pizza Yeast Special?


is pizza yeast special

Yeast is an important ingredient in pizza dough. It’s responsible for the fermentation process, which helps to create a light and airy dough that can be topped with anything from cheese to vegetables. But when it comes down to yeast, what are you looking for? There are a variety of types available at your local grocery store or bakery. And some have even been specially formulated specifically for pizza making!

Another really key aspect to yeast in pizza dough making is using the right amount. Careful measuring is essential to ensure that your dough will rise properly and have the right texture. Also the pH levels of the water you use can effect the results of your dough.

If you’re looking for a little more flavor, there are also yeast varieties available with different flavors like garlic or onion.

If it’s pizza night at home tonight but don’t know what type of yeasts to use in order make an amazing crust then check out this article.

Which Yeast Is Best For Pizza?

Most people think yeast is yeast but you can buy yeast that is specially formulated for pizza making. This yeast is called “pizza” or sometimes “bread machine” and it has a higher percentage of active dry baker’s, which makes the dough rise faster than regular bread-making yeasts do.

The difference between these two types can be seen in their rising times: if you use standard baking/dough raising time (about an hour) then your pizzas will have more air bubbles because they’ve had longer to ferment.

Ideally you want a yeast that will make your dough rise quickly so it can be cooked before the yeast has time to ferment.

The best type of pizza/bread machine yeasts are those that have a higher percentage active dry baker’s, which makes them more suitable for quick rising times and will produce less air bubbles in finished pizzas because they’ve had shorter fermentation periods than standard baking or bread-making types do – but you’ll need an additional ingredient called “filler” (usually sugar) if using this kind as well.

What Is Special About Pizza Yeast?

So if making pizza dough ideally we want to use pizza yeast but what makes pizza yeast so special?

Pizza yeast is a type of dry active baker’s yeasts that have been specially developed for making pizza dough. They are usually in the form of packets, jars and sometimes loose-leaf varieties too which can be added to flour when kneading it into your own homemade pizzas from scratch!

The best types will make quick rising times so you don’t need long fermentation periods – but they’ll require an additional ingredient called “filler” (usually sugar) if using this kind as well because standard baking/bread machine kinds take longer fermentations than these do before their finished product has risen enough).

Pizza Yeast also needs less time at high temperatures during cooking compared with other breads like bagels etc.

Can Pizza Yeast Be Used For Bread?

I’m often asked if pizza yeast can be used for bread. The answer is yes, but it will need to ferment at a higher temperature than normal because the dough needs more time and heat in order to get enough rise before its baked.

Pizza yeast also has less gluten so you’ll want an extra egg or two added if using this kind of pizza yeast. Just like with other types that are only used by bakers who make their products on site (rather then those sold pre-packaged). This type should last about six months.

How Long Does Pizza Yeast Last?

All yeast has shelf life and pizza yeast is no different. The shelf life of this type will vary depending on the manufacturer, but it should last about six months if stored in a cool dry place like your pantry or fridge (not freezer).

Its important to only use yeast that is fresh because it will have a better rise and flavor.

Pizza dough is obviously an important element of pizza making, but yeast can be just as vital to the final product if not more so then other ingredients like flour or water! Yeast needs heat in order for its natural enzymes that break down starches into sugars which are used to create a good structure to the dough and give it a nice fluffy texture.

Yeast is also responsible for the flavor and aroma of pizza dough, so its important to use fresh yeast if you want your pizzas tasting their best. If stored correctly in an airtight container with some sugar or honey as food source then this type can last up six months without any issues at all.

What Type of Yeast do Professional Pizza Chefs Use?

Professional pizza chefs use a type of yeast called “compressed fresh cake” or CFC. This is the most common form used in professional kitchens and it has been specifically designed for pizzas, breads with long fermentation periods like sourdough starters as well other types that need to be fermented at low temperatures.

Most home cooks use a different type of yeast called “active dry yeast” or ADY. This is the most common type of commercial grade, so it’s also what you’ll find in grocery stores and supermarkets.

A third option for home cooks are instant yeasts which have been designed to be mixed with water before adding them into a dough mixture.

It is possible to buy fresh live yeast which is a type of yeast that is alive and can be used to make dough.

This has the advantage over ADY or instant yeasts because it will produce more bubbles in your pizza crust, giving you an extra crispy base with lots air pockets for maximum flavor release.

The only challenge with using fresh live yeast is that its much harder to find and it can be expensive. If you do have access, then this type of dough will produce a better tasting pizza.

Conclusion

Yeast is an important aspect to making pizza dough. There are three types of yeast that can be used to make pizza dough: active dry, instant and fresh live. Active Dry Yeast is the most common type found in grocery stores but it produces less bubbles than other yeasts which means a denser crust with little air pockets for flavor release.

Fresh live yeast makes a great pizza dough. It is more difficult to find and can be expensive. It produces the best tasting pizza dough with lots of air pockets for maximum flavor release, but it’s hard enough just finding fresh live yeast let alone trying out a new recipe.

If you have to go with ADY then choosing a pizza specific brand like Red Star or Fleischmann’s is a good idea. They have higher levels of yeast than other brands and the dough will rise better with more bubbles for flavor release.

It does often boil down to what is easy to get in your area. If you can find fresh live yeast then it’s the best choice but as we have said it can be expensive and also tends to come in large blocks with a limited shelf life. So bear that in mind before you buy it. If you only make pizzas occasionally then this might be a waste.

Pizza Oven vs Oven

pizza oven v oven

Many people dream of owning a pizza oven but in reality, this isn’t always possible. But that doesn’t mean that you cannot make tasty pizza at home. It is perfectly possible to cook pizza in convection ovens and a lot of people do this.

But the question still remains; what is better, a wood fired pizza oven or your home oven? In short, both types of oven are great for making pizza but it largely depends on the type of pizza that you will be making. Some are more suited to a wood fired oven whereas others would only burn in this extremely heated environment. If you want to make the best pizza possible, it is vital that you choose the right appliance for baking it.

In this guide, we will be taking a look at the pros and cons of both and discovering which will give you the best pizza.

How Is A Pizza Oven Different From A Regular Oven?

If you have ever used a wood fired pizza oven then you will know that the cooking time is massively reduced and this is the main difference between a wood fired pizza oven and your regular home oven.

The reason for this is that the temperatures inside a brick oven are massively hotter than the heat in convection ovens. As soon as the pizzas land on the wood oven floor, the residual heat begins cooking them from the bottom up, giving you a crust that is fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside.

If you prefer the thin crust pizza style, the wood fired oven will deliver this perfectly and is one of the reasons that you will see a wood fired oven being used in a pizza restaurant.

Another key difference between brick ovens and normal cooking ovens found in the kitchen of almost every home cook is that you end up with a different flavor. This has nothing to do with the temperatures in the oven but more in the way that the cooking happens.

You see, the cooking environment in a wood fired pizza oven is filled with wood smoke and this caramelises the pizzas, thus changing the overall flavor of the pie.

The appearance of the pizzas is vastly different when cooking in a wood fired oven compared to a gas oven. If you have ever seen a traditional Italian pizza, you will know that they have a kind of spotted appearance. This is known as leopard spotting and is one of the key differences of a cooking a pizza in a wood fired oven.

Finally, since the temperatures are dramatically difference in a wood deck oven, this causes what is known as oven spring which is where the faster cooking causes the crust to rise making it larger. You may be familiar with this when going to a pizza restaurant where the crusts look incredibly fluffy and this is something that a lot of domestic cooks strive to achieve.

Which Type Of Oven Is Best For Pizza?

The types of oven that are used for cooking pizza do vary. There is no denying that deck ovens give beautifully cooked pizza but that isn’t to say that you gas oven won’t come in handy, especially if you use a pizza stone.

If you are cooking an NY style pizza then using a gas oven may work better. In this case, you would increase the cooking time and end up with a thick, fluffy crust that can be loaded with your favorite toppings.

Furthermore, a gas oven will have far more benefits than a wood pizza oven when making a Detroit pizza. This is because the temperature in wood pizza ovens is far too high for the thickness of this pizza. Various places will cook them differently but on the whole, a Detroit pizza will be anywhere between 1/2 inch and an inch thick. Putting this into a pizza oven would burn the base before the inner parts were properly cooked.

But it doesn’t need to be a huge task, the answer is to bake the pizza at a lower temperature such as those created in your regular kitchen oven.

However, for other types of pizza, wood fired ovens tend to produce the best results. Again, this is in relation to the temperature inside a wood fired brick oven which the heating element in a gas oven simply couldn’t reach.

This is especially important if you want to make Neapolitan pizza. The only way to get a great result with this type of pizza is by cooking them in wood fired ovens. This is because this very thin pizza requires fast cooking at a high heat. Even the smallest temperature change can drastically alter the end result, with Neapolitan pizzas that have not been cooked correctly being too dry and lacking in flavor.

Although with all of this in mind, some pizza companies will use conveyor ovens. Conveyor ovens are great when there are a lot of hungry customers clamoring for a delicious pizza. They feature conveyors that move the pizzas through the radiant heat of the oven cooking them quickly which is super convenient for a restaurant.

That being said, we would still back using wood fired pizza ovens as this is all part of the fun of recreating an authentic experience.

Why Are Pizza Ovens Better?

Some people will always prefer brick ovens to a regular oven and this is largely down to personal preference. While we do love cooking in a an outdoor oven, neither type is superior as they both serve different functions. However, there are some things that set wood fired ovens apart from the rest.

As we have discovered, the hear inside a wood fired pizza oven is far hotter than that of gas ovens. The maximum heat will depend on the fuel source but in the main, you would use wood.

The type of wood that you use will affect the heat, the flavor and the burn time but the great things about wood fired ovens is that once the heat subsides and you have finished making pizza, the oven will remain warm enough to slow cook other foods for a good 24 hours. This makes them very diverse and convenient to use.

What’s more, when you cook pizza in a wood fired pizza oven, you end up with a much more even result. While the baking time may only be a few minutes, the high temperature under the base cooks the dough quickly while the heat around the top of the oven will cook the toppings. This is not possible in gas ovens and unless you use a preheated stone, you will find that the food doesn’t cook as evenly.

That being said, one of the major benefits of the stone is that it can somewhat mimic the conditions of a wood fired oven.

One of the main problems with a gas or electric oven is that they need to cook the pizza for a long time. As a result of this, the dough tends to dry out leaving you with crusts that are more crunchy and brittle than crisp and delicious like the New York pizzas you are used to eating in your favorite pizza chains.

Conclusion

The science of making pizza is something that chefs all over the world have been trying to perfect for years. There are many different styles of pizza, each with their own unique taste and texture.

Some of these can be successfully cooked in an electric or gas oven and have an excellent quality, especially when cooked on a baking stone. However, there are a few types of pizza that have to be cooked in pizza ovens to get the best result. Most importantly, Neapolitan pizza must always be cooked in a pizza oven in order to get the taste and texture that is so commonly associated with this style.

If you want to enjoy a very traditional and authentic pizza experience, then used a wood fired pizza oven is one of the best ways. But a lot of home chefs do not have access to pizza ovens and that’s OK, especially if you want to make NY or Detroit pizza as these won’t be well in a wood pizza oven.

Best Water For Pizza Dough | Does It Make Any Difference?


best water for pizza dough

The type of water you use to make pizza dough can affect how it tastes and bakes. It is important to know what the different types of water do to your dough, so that you are able to produce a high quality pizza time after time. We will cover off on the difference in taste between hard and soft water, as well as the effect it has on yeast levels in your dough.

Does Water Make A Difference In Pizza Dough?

Water is an important ingredient in pizza dough. It affects how it tastes and bakes, so knowing what type of water to use can be a big help when making your pizzas time after again!

The first thing you need know about different types or levels on pH for this post are that hard water has a higher pH than soft ones (usually around 12-14).

Hard water usually contains more minerals like calcium carbonate which make them alkaline while softer sources tend towards neutrality with less mineral content – they’re not as acidic but also don’t give off any extra yeast nutrients.

It makes a difference which type of water you use because it can affect the taste and consistency of your pizza dough.

In general, hard water is better for yeast-based recipes like breads while soft sources are best to use with quickbread or cake mixes that don’t need as much leavening agent (like baking powder).

This means it’s important not only what type you have but also how long ago a particular source has been used in order get consistent results when making pizzas!

So if one batch turns out different than another – check which kind was being added this time around first before looking at anything else because there might be an easy fix right on hand without having any other changes made between batches…just change up where they’re getting their H20 from next round instead so everything comes out consistently for you.

What Does Water Do To Pizza Dough?

When you add water to the flour it starts a process in the dough called hydration. This process is what makes the dough pliable and stretchy, which can make it difficult to work with if you have a low water content in your flour mixture or too much liquid added at once without adding more dry ingredients as well (which will cause an imbalance).

The type of pizza that’s being made also has some impact on how wet/dry they need their pizzas so this needs consideration when making them for any particular kind – like focaccia might be drier than something else while still maintaining its shape better because there are no toppings involved but other types may benefit from having less moisture since sauce adds enough already!

As well as effecting the hydration it also has an effect on the yeast. Different pH levels will alter the results from the yeast.

The best water for pizza dough is the one that you can control and will give consistent results with every time!

The secret to good, perfect crusts comes from controlling your ingredients – not just by using a different type of flour or yeast but also in how much liquid they use when making their pizzas too which means it’s important what kind (or types) are used as well if possible so there aren’t any surprises later on down this path.

What Is The Secret To Good Pizza Dough?

For me the biggest issue I had was getting consistent results every time I made pizza dough.

I had a lot of trial and error with different types, brands or amounts but it wasn’t until I started paying attention to the water that was being used in my recipe (and how much) as well which is what led me down this path!

It’s not just about using more yeast either because you can overdo things there easily enough if your other ingredients are off balance so for example adding less liquid will mean needing less flour – something else we need to control when making our pizzas at home every time.

The secret to good pizza dough is getting the water right.

The type of water you use can alter the results that are obtained in your pizza dough making and it’s important to know what effect different types or levels have on this process so we’re not left guessing when trying something new out for ourselves!

In my experience, I found hard tap-water had a tendency towards more yeast which is great if using less liquid but too much will make our pizzas tough – while soft (or distilled) waters made them taste really bland with no rise because there was just nothing happening at all during fermentation time due lack off any acidity from minerals like calcium carbonate present as well…so how do they compare?

Hard Water In Pizza Dough

Lets talk about the effect hard water has on pizza dough.

Hard water seems to dull the effect of the yeast which is why it’s a good idea to add more yeast if using hard water.

The downside of this approach, however?

The pizza crust will be tougher and less elastic than desired because the dough can become over-fermented due too much liquid or not enough flour in relation with how many times you kneaded your bread mixture before adding any other ingredients such as salt etc.

Its also difficult to judge the amount of yeast to add to the dough because you can’t rely on your usual measurements.

The end result is that hard water pizza crusts are often heavier and denser than desired – not a good thing for those who want light, fluffy bread with lots of air bubbles in it! This type off effect may be less noticeable if using soft or distilled waters but its still worth bearing this mind when making any kind of pizza whether at home or professionally as an artisan baker…or even just someone cooking up some homemade pizzas from scratch every now again like me
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The secret here? You either need more yeast or you need to use a softer water.

Soft Water In Pizza Dough

Soft water on the other hand obviously has the opposite effect. It means that you need less yeast in your pizza dough to get the same results as with hard water, which is good news for those who want a lighter and more airy crust.

This type off effect may be even MORE noticeable if using distilled waters but its still worth bearing this mind when making any kind of pizzas whether at home or professionally – especially because it can affect how much salt needs adding too. We all know what happens then right?

You’ll end up having salty bread instead of light fluffy ones. So make sure not to add extra table sugar (or honey) unless absolutely necessary.

Conclusion

Yes water does matter and its often the overlooked ingredient in pizza dough. It can have a huge effect on the final product and its worth experimenting with different types of water to see which one you prefer for your pizzas.

Best Pizza Dough Scraper


best dough scrapper

There are a lot of things needed to make a pizza; raw ingredients, a pizza stone, a hot oven, and let’s not forget the pizza dough scraper. These tools help to manipulate raw dough but they can also be used as a pizza dough cutter, making them pretty versatile.

Any good pizza chef will tell you that this in an important kitchen tool for making dough balls into pizza.

However, when it comes to choosing the right product, people can get quickly confused, owing to the large number of pizza dough scraper options. In this guide, we will be showing you the best deals to get a dough scraper that would fit right in in your favorite pizza restaurant for use at home. Let’s get started!

What Is A Pizza Dough Scraper?

Dough scrapers, sometimes called a bench scraper, are used for working with raw dough balls. You would use a dough scraper to scrape the dough off the surface on which it has been rolled but these products also have many other uses.

For instance, you could use a pizza dough scraper to cut the dough balls and to manipulate the raw dough. Dough scrapers are also excellent for scraping any left over dough off the work surface. While you may cover the surface with flour, some of the dough may still stick but with these kind of tools, a person can easily clean up and avoid wasting any of their dough.

Furthermore, pizza dough scrapers have a sharp blade and some like to use these to cut other foods such as vegetables.

How To Choose A Dough Scraper

Before you start your search for a dough scraper, it is important to remember that there are loads of products like this on the market. A quick Google search will yield a list of hundreds, if not thousands of products, so how can you know which are the best brands?

The best thing to do is to take a look at the features of each item and get a feel for what you need before you commit to a purchase.

Dough scrapers are typically made from one of two materials; plastic or stainless steel. Stainless steel is by far the most durable but plastic will be more protective to your surfaces and reduce the risk of scratches. Stainless steel is not as flexible as plastic products but it will have a better aesthetic appeal. While they are different from each other, they both have their pros and cons; which one you choose will depend on your preference.Before your purchase your dough scraper, it is important to look at the handles. A good handle will have excellent grip. Furthermore, you should look at what the handle is made from; typically it will be plastic or wood, it isn’t very often you will find one made from metal.You might consider buying a set of pizza dough scrapers. Some may come with other scrapers, perhaps those made from different materials and others may come in a set with another tool like a knife, pizza cutter etc.The good thing about the pizza dough scraper is that it is a relatively inexpensive tool. There isn’t a huge price difference between products and you can likely pick one up for close to the price of a bag of flour! You may get an even more affordable purchase in the sales. However, regardless of the prices, make sure that the equipment is up to scratch and will perform as expected.

The Best Dough Scraper

You mixed your flour, yeast, water and salt and you have created a beautiful pizza dough that you cannot wait to craft into a tasty meal. But even with flour on the tray or kitchen surface, you will still need a dough scraper to help clean the kitchen and manipulate the dough. Let’s take a look at some of the high-quality bench scraper items that impressed us!

Nana Home Bench Scraper For Baking


What initially caught our eye about this product is the versatility. From pouring the first grains of flour into your mixing bowl to the kitchen clean up, this pizza dough scraper has a lot to offer.

You get an additional tool, one made from plastic and one made from stainless steel. The stainless steel dough scraper features a handy table of measurements for your flour, water and other ingredients and is great for cutting the dough. The stainless steel blade is sharp and reliable giving you great results every time. Further more it has a plastic grip handle for ease of use.

The plastic pizza dough scraper is used for cleaning the dough off the kitchen surfaces, the base of bowls or other items and has a soft edge that offers great flexibility.

When you are finished in the kitchen, one tool slides inside the other for easy storage. This would make a great set to give as a gift to the pizza lover!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Pizza Dough Bench Cutter


There is no denying that this is a great tool; the reviews speak for themselves. But reviews aside, we can back this item as it is a robust, reliable and easy to use pizza dough scraper.

It comes with a wooden handle that offers good grip and looks fantastic. If you like your kitchen equipment with a pleasing aesthetic, this is an excellent scraper.

The blade is made from stainless steel which offers excellent sharpness right out of the box. Printed on the stainless steel are measurement equivalents making this a great tool for getting the right amount of flour, water, sugar and everything else you need for your base recipe.

The stainless steel design gives excellent durability plus stainless steel is dishwasher safe so keeping the tool clean is a breeze!

Rating 4.5 stars

Dough Scraper Set


If you are looking for something that will serve you in the kitchen in more ways than one then this is one of the ones you should be looking at.

Not only do you get a robust and reliable stainless steel dough scraper but you are getting a biscuit cutter and pastry scraper too. If you are someone who has a long list of baking favorites, then you need more than just a couple of tools to hand.

In the box, each item is made from stainless steel which will not rust and are great for heavy duty use. The manufacturer has fitted the pizza dough scraper with a tough, non-slip plastic handle that is not only practical but also compliments the metal blade.

The edge is sharp and efficient and will glide through dough easily and without any stickiness. What’s more, these high-quality tools come at a great price. However, you will need to consider shipping. In the case of shipping to the United Kingdom, you wold need to be prepared to pay a little more.

Rating 5 stars

Conclusion

Pizza is one of the most well-loved foods i the world, and it is fun to make at home. However, you must make sure that you have the right things for the job and a pizza dough scraper is a must.

The pizza scraper will help you cut and manipulate the pizza dough from the moment it comes out of the box. But its benefits don’t end here. It will remove excess dough from the baking sheet, bowls and your kitchen surfaces and can also be used to cut other foods.

They are typically made from metal or plastic and each has its own pros and cons. These were some of our favorite dough scrapers and we are sure that you will be just as impressed as we were at the quality and reliability of each product.

How To Fix Undercooked Pizza Dough


fix undercooked dough

If you have spent time crafting a beautiful pizza dough, lovingly choosing your favourite pizza toppings and then waiting for your pizza to cook in the oven, you will be terribly disappointed if the end result is not what you expected.

One of the biggest issues is that even if your follow your pizza dough recipe to a T, your pizza base comes out of the oven undercooked. This is a huge disappointment but quite often, the reason is to do with the temperature of the baking surface. This is why all professional pizza chefs use pizza stones.

In this article, we will be giving you some helpful tips on how to fix undercooked pizza dough, so that next time you take your pizza out of the oven, you can feel confident that you won’t have a problem.

How Can You Tell If Pizza Dough Is Undercooked?

Sometimes, you may not realise that your pizza isn’t cooked properly until you take a bite of the pizza crust. However, it is pretty easy to determine whether the pizza dough is undercooked by looking at the bottom of the pizza.

Typically, when it is cooked correctly, the pizza base will be crisp and golden brown. If there are any raw patches, this is a sign that you have undercooked pizza dough and you may need to think about how you are cooking your pizzas.

Furthermore, there is a term in the pizza work known as gum line; this refers to a gummy, gooey layer between the tomato sauce and toppings and the pizza base. This is formed when the pizza is loaded with cold toppings or cheese and then cooked from the underside in a raging hot oven. For this reason, it is always advisable to leave your ingredients at room temperature for a little bit before cooking.

Why Do I Always Get Undercooked Pizza Dough?

It can be hugely frustrating to find that you have an undercooked, soggy pizza that is a million miles away from anything you expected. But you aren’t alone, this is one of the most common pizza problems.

In the main, the issue lies in the oven temperature or the temperature of the cooking surface. Furthermore, this problem is often caused because the pizzas are not left in the pizza oven for long enough.

The key to getting a great pizza crust that is fluffy inside and crispy on the outside is to blast it with high temperatures for a short time. Let’s take a closer look at each way your pizza may be ending up being undercooked.

Pizza Oven Is Not Hot Enough

Usually, pizzas are cooked in a pizza oven. As they go through the cooking process, heat is delivered from under the pizza as well as radiating around it. The oven cooks it from underneath, giving you a beautiful pizza base as well as from around it, melting the cheese and cooking the toppings.

However a lot of us don’t have the luxury of a pizza oven and that’s OK, you don’t need to have one to enjoy delicious homemade pizza. You can use the home ovens found in kitchens across the world. But, you will need to try to mimic the conditions of a wood-fired oven as best as your can. More on how to fix this issue later.

Baking Surface Is Not Hot Enough

Another issue is that the bottom of the pizza is not being exposed to enough heat. Pizza baking is something of an art but most of the time, the issue is in the equipment you are using.

A baking sheet is never going to be enough to effectively cook the bottom of the pizza while still allowing the radiating heat to cook the time in the same amount of time. Home ovens do not get anywhere near as hot as pizza ovens and this can be part of the problem.

A baking sheet is normally made from aluminum or steel which does not hold heat very well. This means that even if the tray is pre-heated, it still wouldn’t get hot enough to be cooked from top to bottom in your home oven.

Cooking Time Is Too Short

As a general rule, rather than increasing the time you leave your pizza in the oven, you should aim to increase the temperature. This is a type of food that requires a high heat source rather than a lengthy cooking time and this is the reason that a lot of people struggle to get their pizzas just right.

When you make pizza, your aim is typically to achieve a crust that is fluffy on the inside while being crispy on the outside. This is much better achieved with a hot temperature and quick cooking time. That being said, you don’t want to take the pizza out too early and undo all of your hard work that went into preparing the pizza dough.

Too Many Toppings

One of the greatest things about pizza is that there are so many choices when it comes to toppings. You can create any flavor profile you fancy and enjoy a meal that it totally tailored to your taste. However, too many toppings on top of the pizza can often be a cause of soggy pizza that is undercooked and not very appetising.

For the most part, people put too much pizza sauce on the pizza dough and this results in the dough becoming overly moist. The reason that your crust and base go so crispy in the oven is because much of the water is removed; this will cause that mouth-watering texture we all know and love. However, too much sauce can take it in the opposite direction and you are left with soggy pizza.

In another case, you might put too many toppings on the pizza and especially those that contain a lot of water will cause that water to go into the pizza dough. Fewer toppings means less water and less water means a more crispy crust.

Dough Thickness

If you are making a thick crust pizza then of course, the dough is going to need to be a little thicker, this is what will help to create that beautiful fluffy crust. However, there are a lot of pizza styles such as the Neapolitan pizza that are very thin. Is there a reason for this? The answer may seem obvious; it is to prevent too much moisture in the dough allowing it to cook much more evenly and easily.

Even when you are making a thicker pizza, you should be mindful not to make the dough too thick as this is likely to have an adverse effect. If you follow the instructions on your recipe, you will likely find that you get it right.

How Do You Fix Undercooked Pizza Dough?

Now that we understand why our pizza dough is not cooking thoroughly, it becomes a lot clearer as to how we can fix it. Of course, making sure that your dough is the correct thickness is the first port of call. Secondly, you will want to make sure that you don’t overload your toppings or tomato sauce. While you can use any combination to make a unique pizza with a taste that you will love, be sure to keep it to a minimum and just put a few things on top.

Aside from this, we need to consider the cooking process and while we now understand the right cooking conditions, let’s take a look at some tips to help with this a bit more.

Getting An Even Bake

So, if you do not have access to a wood-fired oven, the best way to avoid pizza problems like being undercooked is to replicate the conditions in your kitchen oven.

Rather than just letting the hot temperature come from the bottom of the oven, turn on the grill or broiler which produces heat from the top of the oven. This gives you the chance to cook the bottom of your pizza as well as providing plenty of heat to the top to melt the cheese and cook the toppings.

One important thing to remember is that you should place your oven rack as close to the top of the appliance as possible. This is because the grill heat can’t travel as far.

Using A Pizza Stone Or Pizza Steel

A pizza stone or a pizza steel is imperative in the baking of pizza at home. All the top pizza chefs in the world use a pizza stone and this allows you to give your pizza dough an instant blast of heat from the moment it goes into the appliance.

A pizza steel is designed to work in your home oven and will yield excellent results however, a pizza stone will be the best way to mimic the conditions seen in wood-fired ovens. That being said, a steel is typically easier to clean and more lightweight. Both will help to create a crispy base and crust by sending heat through the dough from underneath.

But whichever option you choose, it is vital that you pre heat the pizza stone or steel before placing the pizza onto it. If you keep it at room temperature, the cooking process will be dramatically slowed down. Just put the pizza stone onto the oven rack and leave it in for 30 minutes to reach the right temperature.

Cooking Time

You should make sure that you check out your oven settings if your dough keeps coming out undercooked.

You will need to make sure that you place your pizza in the center of the oven and the more quickly you can cook it, the better. As we have discovered, pizza needs to be cooked from the bottom to get a nice crisp crust but also will benefit from radiating heat. In order to achieve the perfect cook, make sure that you set the appliance to a hot temperature and reduce the cooking time. This is preferable to cooking for longer at a lower heat.

That being said, always ensure that you leave the food for long enough to avoid undercooked dough.

How Do You Soften Pizza Dough?

From time to time, you may also find that your dough is too hard. You might be tempted to start adding copious amounts of water but as we have learned, this won’t help the cooking process and could result in the dough being undercooked if there is too much moisture.

Instead, you can add a few drops of olive oil to the dough. This is the best way as it will hydrate the dough without making it too moist. Don’t go crazy right away though, add a little and knead the dough. If you find it is still too hard, you can add a little more olive oil and repeat the process.

It is then important to let the dough rest for a while before attempting to stretch and bake it.

Is It Safe To Eat Undercooked Pizza Dough?

If you have taken your pizza out of the oven only to realise that you have cold dough, you might be tempted to eat it anyway. But this might not be a good idea.

There are bacteria found in flour which can cause food poisoning. These germs are killed as you cook the pizza but if the dough is undercooked, some may remain. So always make sure that you fully cook the dough.

Conclusion

Making yummy dough for your pizza at home is a very rewarding experience, however, sometimes you may find that the dough comes out undercooked and not only is this not safe, it can also be very unpleasant to eat.

But don’t panic! The cause is likely down to the cooking temperature and by adjusting this and ensuring that your pizza is cooked on a pre-heated steel or stone in a hot oven, you will achieve perfectly cooked pizza every time!

Why Does My Dough Shrink When I Roll It? ( Am I Doing It Wrong )


pizza dough shrink

If you’re into making homemade pizza then there are some things that can become a bit of a problem. One of the most common issues experienced by home pizza chefs is that their dough just won’t stretch out, no matter how hard they try. This can be incredibly frustrating when all you want is to tuck into your tasty pizza.

However, quite often, there is a simple fix to this problem and in this post, we are going to be giving you some top tips on what to do if your dough keeps shrinking back as you try to roll it out.

So, let’s get started!

What Causes Pizza Dough To Shrink?

Getting your dough rolled out is one of the most important parts of creating a thin crust pizza but you aren’t alone as a pizza lover. Pastry dough, bread dough, pie dough and various other types of doughs can all experience similar problems.

Where pizza dough is concerned, you should be considering the gluten network of the dough. To get a nice texture for your crust, you don’t want the gluten strands to be too tightly connected. In short, if the gluten network is too strong, your pizza won’t be easily rolled out to form a nice crust.

What’s The Deal With Gluten?

When you look at pizza recipes online, you will notice that one thing every recipe has in common is that it asks you to knead your dough and let it rise. This is all part of the process that gluten has to go through before the dough can be formed into a pizza base and crust.

Your pizza bread flour contains gluten in a dry form and when this is mixed with water, the gluten begins to stretch and become elastic. Kneading the dough helps this process and gives you a pizza dough that will easily form into a nice base.

On top of this, for a fluffier crust, you will need your pizza dough to rise. A key ingredient of any dough recipe is yeast. Yeast feeds on the gluten, altering its structure during the proofing process. Your pizza dough will rise and double in size. The point of this is that you will end up with a fluffier, thicker and more tasty crust.

How Do I Stop My Pizza Dough Shrinking?

Whether you are making apple pie, bread, pizza or anything else, many home chefs experiences problems when it comes to stretching their dough into the right shape. As we have discussed, the issue with pizza dough often lies in the gluten structure being too closely knit. But we have some great tips to improve its elasticity and help you to get something much easier to roll. Take a look at the steps below.

Follow The Recipe Closely

All pizza dough recipes contain similar ingredients; flour, yeast, water, salt, oil and sugar. There are many great ways to improve the stretch of your dough but you should start from the beginning and the first step is always to make sure that you use the correct amount for each ingredient.

Flour is a considerable issue here because a lot of the recipes you see online will tell you to add so many cups of flour. This is all well and good but depending on who is measuring the cup of flour, it may be more compressed than when someone else measures it.

For this reason, it is essential that you weight your flour and other ingredients in order that you get the mixture exactly as it should be from the get-go. Follow each step of your recipe and use weighing scales to get just the right measurements.

Consider The Protein In Your Flour

A lot of people think that you can use any old flour to make dough for a pizza pie crust but in truth, the type you use does make a difference. Most notably, you should consider the protein content of the flour.

There are different types of wheat flour, some contain more protein but these are typically bread flours and owing to the higher level of protein, they tend to have more gluten. Less gluten content flours work much better for pastries and lighter baked goods.

If you are looking for a deep pan, chewy crust pizza then using a lower protein flour is 1 of the first things you should think about. The protein should only be around 12%. Once you create your dough ball and let it rest, you will notice that it proofs much more nicely.

Increase The Proofing Time

It can be tempting to return to your batch of pizza dough and try to stretch it before it is ready. The whole point of the proofing process is that you give the dough time to rise; this is a very important step and should never be rushed.

During this time, the gluten will relax and this will make the dough much more stretchy. If this doesn’t happen for long enough, you will find that the pizza dough simply won’t stretch how you want it to.

If you are going to follow any of these tips, this should be at the top of your priority list. You will often see recipes online that give you advice on how to rush the proofing process and while you will end up with a half decent pizza dough at the end of it, you will also find that the crust is not quite what you expected; the texture and flavour will not be anywhere near as good as if you allowed your dough to proof for the full time.

As a rule of thumb, if you are proofing the dough at room temperature, you should allow it to proof for at least 90 minutes but for the best results you can keep it at room temperature for a few hours in a process known as slow proofing.

Any longer than this and your dough will need to be proofed in the fridge. You should place the dough into a mixing bowl, cover it over and pop it in the fridge for 24 hours.

Don’t Try To Stretch Cold Dough

Of all the ideas people have about how to make good pizza dough, stretching out cold dough is not a great idea.

When the dough is cold, it will snap back much more easily that when it is warm. You don’t need massive amounts of heat but if you take the dough out of the fridge, you will need to let the dough rest at room temperature first.

How long you do this will depend on the temperature of the air. If it is pretty warm and humid, you will need less time than if it is cool.

How To Stretch Your Dough

In order to get the best pizza pie crust, you will need to stretch the dough by hand. Many bakers will tell you to use a rolling pin, but typically, doing the stretching by hand will deliver better results. A pin will remove a much of the air inside the dough and this will result in a denser and less textured pizza pie crust. What’s more, it’s much more fun and a great way to get the kids involved in the cooking process.

Furthermore, when you do it by hand, you are able to hold the dough in position for a few seconds to give it chance to adhere to its new shape.

To get the best shape, put the dough onto your work surface. You should make an indent of about an inch around the edge of the dough; this will form the pie crust. Next, you just need to flatten the inner portion using your fingers.

The next step is to use the flat of your hand in an upwards motion to pull the dough and move it until you reach the desired size. Once it is at the right size, pop the dough over your knuckles and allow it to fall so that any thicker parts will even out.

Now put your base onto some parchment paper or a pie plate or pan lightly coated in fat or oil, cover it in toppings and pop it into the oven until it is cooked.

Conclusion

There is nothing quite like a hot homemade pizza, but getting from your raw ingredients to the finished product does take some hard work. The main issue for many home bakers is that their dough won’t stretch and keeps shrinking. This is typically because the gluten network is too tight.

There are several ways to rectify this issue and we have looked at some great tips to get you on your way to creating a wonderful pizza dough that will always deliver a delicious finished product! Bon appetit!

How To Cook Pizza Over A Campfire ( Pizza Stones & Equipment needed )


campfire pizza

The stars are out, the crickets are chirruping, you have set up your camping spot and now, you’re ready to eat. One of the best things about going on a camping trip is experiencing dining in the great outdoors but most of us still want a hearty and delicious meal.

When you are camping, you might want to try your hand at a campfire pizza recipe and then good news is that just because you are out in the wild, it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your favourite pizza recipe. In fact, pizza has quickly become a camping staple for many adventurers, you just need to make sure that you have the right equipment.

In this post, we are going to be showing you one of the easiest campfire pizza recipes that is easy to make and a great food option for camping meals.

How Do You Cook Pizza On A Fire Pit?

While pizza may not be a traditional camping meal, it is certainly becoming a staple for families who might have a picky kid or who want some home comforts while they enjoy their camping trip.

Even if you decide to go for an adult meal that follows more traditional campfire recipes, with this easy to make campfire pizza, you won’t need to put yourself out.

What Do I Need To Make Campfire Pizza?

The great thing about campfire pizza is that you don’t need a whole host of pizza ingredients and you are free to make the recipe as simple or indeed as complex as you would like.

Cast iron skillets or a cast iron pan are a great cookware option for camping recipes like the campfire pizza but if you don’t have one, you can use just as about pan you have to hand. Many people will use their Dutch oven which is typically also made from cast iron. That’s the beauty of being out in the wild, you make do with what you’ve got.

In a nutshell, you will need pizza tomato sauce, your favourite pizza topping such as cheese, red onion, ham; whatever you like and of course, pizza dough. This is often the most difficult thing to make on a camping trip but the good news is that you can make the dough from scratch at home and keep it chilled for up to three days.

That being said, if you want to , you can take your ingredients on the road and make your dough around the campfire. However, when doing this, we should point out that the prep time for pizza dough will include, mixing the flour, olive oil, water, yeast, salt and sugar before kneading the dough and then allowing it to rise for at least an hour. So, if you are going to make the dough when you go camping, be sure to give yourself plenty of prep time. Check out our quick pizza recipe:

2 cups flourRapid rise yeast (1 packet)2 tsp salt1 cup warm waterOliveoil (5 tablespoons)Your favorite toppings

Start by mixing the dry recipe ingredients in a bowl with a fork until they are blended. Next, add in the wet ingredients, retaining 3 tablespoons of the oil for later on (this will be used to coat your pan so that the pizza dough doesn’t stick while cooking . Mix thoroughly with your fork.

Knead your pizza dough well; this is one of the most important parts of the recipe. In a home kitchen, we would suggest kneading for a total time of 20 minutes but around teh campfire you could reduce this to 5 minutes if you are very pushed for time.

Now allow the dough to rise. Again, at home the total time for proofing would be 90 minutes at room temperature, but for campfire pizza, you could cut this to half an hour.

Cooking Pizza On A Campfire

One of the great things about being at home is that you can make your pizza dough, load on the pizza sauce and toppings and pop it in the pizza oven for a total time of around 2 minutes or around 20 minutes total time for pizza made in a kitchen oven.

However, when you go camping, you don’t have your oven so you need to alter the way you cook these camping recipes. For us, that’s all part of the excitement.

There have been many people who have experimented with cooking pizza on a grill but in order to do this over your campfire, you would need to have a proper grate which isn’t always possible. So, this is why we suggest using a cast iron pan. Using a cast iron skillet or cast iron pan allows you to cook in various ways which is ideal for when you want to make pizza in nature.

To begin with you will need to shape the dough in your cast iron skillet. You may have kneaded the dough on a cutting board but it is easier to shape it in the pan. Start by pushing it out to form the crust and forming the entire shape of the pizza around the pan.

Now you are ready to start cooking. How you do this will depend on the type of heat you are using. A lot of people will make campfire pizza on a traditional campfire, however, some people like to use a propane stove. Either way is fine but if you are opting for the propane stove, you will need to keep moving the cast iron pan around so that the heat cooks the pizza dough evenly.

For a fire, you won’t need to worry about this as the fire will typically envelop the pan and distribute heat evenly. You should also keep in mind that cast iron will hold heat for a long time even after you remove from the fire. For this reason, we would always urge you to be careful when handling the campfire pizza cooking equipment.

The dough will cook from the bottom and as such, you want to make sure that you remove from the fire once the base is cooked underneath. It doesn’t matter if the top part of the dough is not yet cooked as you will be giving it some more cooking time on the fire once the toppings have been added. If you leave it any longer at this point, there is a chance that the recipe will burn and you will have to start from scratch.

Once it is off the fire, you can flip the pizza base over and add your pizza sauce and your favorite toppings; meats, veggie toppings; anything you like. Most people will use tomato sauce but you can make pizzas with BBQ sauce or any other flavour.

Now you can return the food to the fire but this time, make sure that you cover the pizza with either a cast iron lid or some aluminum foil. This will keep the heat inside and allow the cheese to melt. Once the cheese has melted, you can remove the foil. This will prevent the pizzas form becoming too moist and ultimately soggy.

The cook time, 15 minutes, is usually enough to have another pizza base prepped and ready to go since you will need to cook each of your pizzas separately.

Once it is ready, transfer the campfire pizza to a cutting board and cut it into pieces.

Can You Use A Pizza Stone On A Campfire?

If you love to cook pizzas then you will know that a pizza stone is a great way to make pizza that is evenly cooked and delicious. Not only this but the residual heat of the stone could reduce the total time you need to cook. For example, in a pizza oven, pizza only requires around 2 minutes cook time.

You can use a pizza stone to make pizza on a campfire. Just keep in mind that this will be another piece of equipment that you need to take camping. These items can be quite heavy and may weigh you down if you are hiking from campsite to campsite. However, on the plus side, they do offer the best way to create an authentic and well-cooked pizza.

To use your pizza stone for campfire pizza, you will replace the cast iron pan that we discussed earlier on and use the stone instead. You will need a grate or rack to place this on. With this in mind, let’s take a look at how you can make campfire pizza recipes using a pizza stone.

Begin by placing the pizza stone onto the grate, above the fire. You will need to give the pizza stone time to heat up so while this is happening, you can get to work on other aspects of your campfire pizza.Take your pizza dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into your desired shape and thickness (it may shrink in size a little when you stop shaping it) (it may shrink in size a little when you stop shaping it). You can do this following the same process we discussed when you make pizza directly in the pan.Now, place the dough onto the stone and leave it to cook for around ten minutes. This, of course, may vary so you should keep an eye on the food during the cooking process and remove it sooner if you need to.When you’re ready, take the pizza off the fire and begin spreading on your pizza sauce and toppings. Just like before, spread the food onto the cooked side of the base.Now return it to the fire and give the food another ten minutes, covered in foil. As we mentioned earlier, once the cheese melts, fell free to remove the foil for the rest of the cooking time to allow any excess moisture to be released.When you remove the campfire pizza, you can now leave it to cool for a few minutes before cutting it into pieces and enjoying it around your campfire.

Can You Cook Frozen Pizza On A Campfire?

There are some of us that do not want to make recipes from scratch and so taking a frozen pizza on your camping adventure is a great alternative. But one of the main problems with this compared to a ‘homemade’ recipe is that if you try to cook your pizza over the campfire, the base will burn before the toppings have cooked through.

But this is a problem that can be solved by cutting the frozen pizza into smaller pieces and placing it inside a pie iron. You can then hold this over the fire until the pizza is cooked. You are not running the risk of your food burning and it almost always turns out great.

While you can get pie irons made from other metals, we would always suggest using one that is made from cast iron. Not only do they retain the heat and offer a more even cooking result but they often make the food taste a lot nicer, regardless of what you are cooking.

Conclusion

Camping is one of life’s little pleasures; getting out into the open, enjoying the fresh air and taking the time to prepare a meal to enjoy with the family. But pizza isn’t typically something you would see on the menu. Until recently, when more and more people are taking their homemade recipes and bringing them out into the wild. This tells us that it is perfectly viable to make pizza on a campfire.

This is most easily done using a cast iron pan or skillet and cooking the dough from the bottom up before turning it over, popping on your toppings and continuing to grill until the cheese melts and you have a delicious camping pizza fit for even the most demanding adventurers. What’s even better is that if you don’t have your own fresh recipe, you can just as easily heat up a frozen pizza while you are camping.

So, light that campfire and enjoy a pizza style menu on your next camping trip.