I make pizza using Trader Joe's pizza dough. I then take pictures and write about it. E-mail me at foodandpants@gmail.com if you have something to say.
February 25, 2010
“A man is only as good as his last pizza.”
Last evening I put my pizza skills to the test: I hosted a pizza party for a neighbor and her two kids (ages 10 and 13). To be a bit more precise, the pizza party was held in my neighbor’s apartment; however, I brought the ingredients and managed the cooking. At first I seemed to be having some problems - changing cooking environments really presents challenges. But, pizza genius that I am, I was soon able to adapt to my surroundings. I had a young helper, who we will call Clara Barton. Clara was a pizza prodigy and soon started pumping out pies of her own.
Due to the intense nature of this enterprise, I do not have a detailed list of the pies that we made, nor a picture of all the different stages of the pizza assembly line. However, a montage of the event should give you an idea of the situation.
Once again, thank you Trader Joe’s. And thanks to my sous chef, “Clara.”
Tonight I wanted to start exploring the differences between a straight-up provolone pie and a provolone/mozzarella pie. I used “Stella” provolone, a provolone I purchased from Westside Market. For the PM mix I used Polly-O, a packaged shredded mozzarella which I find to be quite tasty. To both pies I added some grated parmigiano reggiano, also purchased at Westside.
I’m still not sure which pie I liked better. I’m leaning towards the provolone-only pie. My roommate, who we will call Stonewall Jackson, preferred the p/m mix. He claimed the P pie didn’t have quite the right consistency. The PM pie had slightly more provolone than mozzarella, perhaps a 55/45 or 60/40 matchup. The mozzarella seemed to add a certain creaminess to the pie while still retaining a provolone taste.
Further experimentation is clearly needed with other types of provolone, mozzarella and PM ratios, experimentation that may prove disturbing.
Trader Joe’s pizza dough, otherwise known as the thing that has given my life meaning.
The instructions on the package kindly ask you to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before using. I think that waiting even a bit longer is desirable, but 20 minutes does the trick. I enjoy making pizzas that are a bit smaller, around 10 inches in diameter. I therefore take the ball of dough, cut in half, and then stretch each half.
Based on early reports, this dough seems to be better for making pies using aged, shredded mozzarella or other aged cheeses such as provolone. A “neapolitan” pie, using fresh mozzarella, may not be quite as suited for Trader Joe’s pizza dough, but further investigations will need to be conducted for a final verdict on this point.
- Thinly sliced provolone (“stella provolone”), placed on top of dough before applying tomatoes
- Crushed tomatoes on top of provolone
- Shredded mozzarella (Polly-O Whole Milk)
- Grated parmigiano reggiano
Notes
This was an excellent pie. This was my first time using provolone, and I must say, the results were superb. The provolone adds a certain mild pungency, a certain je ne sais quoi. The first pie I made this evening, which I sadly did not take a picture of, used the exact same ingredients. HOWEVER, I placed both the provolone and mozzarella on top of the sauce. Further studies comparing the difference between under-sauce and over-sauce cheesing methods will need to be conducted.
I’ve been making pizza with Trader Joe’s pizza dough for a few weeks now. I’m getting better, but the quest to create the greatest Trader Joe’s pizza is a never-ending one. I am an artistic genius and creating pizza is an obsession. What kind of cheese should I use? Should I use multiple cheeses on the same pie? In what proportions? What about toppings? In what quantities and proportions? Should I put on 13 red onion slices? How many pieces of sausage? What kind of sausage? And sauce? And I could go on.
