Asda freshly made pizzas

[clapham_gull]

I make my own pizzas with very good results

( you need a pizza stone )

If anyone wants to know how I do it I'll post it.

 

[bhaexpress]

Walmarts are great ! You can buy a week's shopping, buy a lawn mower, a CD with no swearing and a holiday all in one shop !

 

[Rangdo]

Walmarts are great ! You can buy a week's shopping, buy a lawn mower, a CD with no swearing and a holiday all in one shop !

Any shop where you can get everything you need for the week as quickly and conveniantly as possible is great.

 

[Lord Cornwallis]

Not an ASDA shopper myself - I've been turned against anything or anyone who has anything to do with Walmart - its going to take a lot for me to every shop there....

My missus [she's a yank] won't touch them either. Walmart was started with the promise that everything sold would be made in the usa and or by people on a proper living wage. I guess big profits clouded that vision.

 

[Gwylan]

Any shop where you can get everything you need for the week as quickly and conveniantly as possible is great.

Why?

I really don't understand this attitude at all. I would rather get good quality fresh food at a reasonable price. If it takes an hour or so more to do my shopping, then fair enough that's the price I'm willing to pay. I certainly don't see the point of going to supermarkets to pay more money for worst food, simply to save a few minutes every week. Sometimes, I'm forced to go to supermarkets but I do avoid them wherever possible.

And isn't the notion of 'freshly made' food in a supermarket rather weird?

 

[tedebear]

My missus [she's a yank] won't touch them either. Walmart was started with the promise that everything sold would be made in the usa and or by people on a proper living wage. I guess big profits clouded that vision.

I will admit to being a bit of a capitalist at heart but I have to draw a line when it comes to Walmart - just not ethical in my book - so that rules out ASDA....

 

[Highfields Seagull]

I make my own pizzas with very good results

( you need a pizza stone )

If anyone wants to know how I do it I'll post it.

Yes please.

Also, where can one purchase a pizza stone? Are they expensive? How do they work?

Ta

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

A short synopsis:

Sweatshops (Bangladesh, Honduras to name 2) where people are overworked, underpaid (43c a day) Walmart operated in these countries under free trade conditions hence providing no sales taxes, no input back into the community....

Union Busting - Firing its entire cleaning force in the late 90's and replacing them almost immediately with cheap labour - to avoid the threat of a union being formed in an attempt to ask for higher wages....


This recent ad in the press which also contains a short piece at the bottom in relation to some other of Walmarts faux par:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/13/AR2005051301423.html

Just to name a few - just do a goole for walmart and you'll see how many people can't stand them....

I for one don't wish to contribute to their $10billion profit on 2004 so I shop elsewhere - places where something is put back into the community - not simply the directors coffers....

They don't have to work if they don't want to,lazy bastards should be happy with 43cents a day ,better than a poke in the eye with a shitty stick,pepperoni plus for me tonight.

 

[tedebear]

They don't have to work if they don't want to,lazy bastards should be happy with 43cents a day ,better than a poke in the eye with a shitty stick,pepperoni plus for me tonight.

ahh well - the next asda they build will probably be on your house - you know they have plans for a further 3 in Sussex....enjoy your slice of Honduran sweat...

 

[Ccider]

I make my own pizzas with very good results

( you need a pizza stone )

If anyone wants to know how I do it I'll post it.

Start a new thread and tell us all ...

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Asda's indian take aways are also superb.

Very authentic, and reasonably priced compared to your usual local takeaway.

Anyone listen to that Radio Four programme this morning about Indian food?

Apparently "pilau rice" got its name from the "authentic" Spanish word paella.

And if I was looking for an "authentic" pizza, Asda is the last place I'd go to.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

My missus [she's a yank] won't touch them either. Walmart was started with the promise that everything sold would be made in the usa and or by people on a proper living wage. I guess big profits clouded that vision.

And ASDA started as a co-operative of Yorkshire farmers, ASsociated DAiries.

Why do multinational corporations insist on achieving growth by crushing good, local ideas? When Wal-Mart wanted to establish themselves in the UK, why didn't they just open their own stores, rather than kill off their potential opposition in the process?

Multinational capitalists would have us believe that "competition" and "choice" are their founding principles. I think not.

 

[clapham_gull]

ok - YOU NEED A PIZZA STONE.

They are actually made of ceramic I think, basically a big round stone tray ?

Why -your domestic oven doesn't really get hot enough for a professional results but the stone makes up for the inadequacies.

1. It gets hot and retains its heat. This means your pizza will cook quickly.

The base will be cooked through, but the toppings will not dry out.

2. It aborbs moisture, whether you like a thin or thicker crust (I usually go thin - but home made thick is good as well) it will be nice and crispy on the bottom.

Anyway - no measurements here - just trial and error.

For the base - don't worry if you've never made bread before. This is far less exact.

Ingrediants

STRONG WHITE BREAD FLOUR

( thats important. Very easy to get now - anywhere. Anything that says flour for bread makers will be fine too. It's the same thing )

PACKET OF DRIED YEAST
PINCH OF SALT
WARM WATER

So, a couple of handfuls of flour into a bowl and a packet of dried yeast. A few pinches of salt - but try to ensure that the salt isn't actually touching the yeast too much at this point (because it will kill it)

Then added enough WARM water to make a loose dough.

Get you hands in there, mix together and kneed until very smooth and elastic - prob about 10 minutes.

Now you'll need to let this rest in a warm place for about 30 mins or so, in the bowl covered preferably with some oiled cling film. Don't need to seal the bowl - just over the dough to stop it drying out on top.

It will double in size. What I usually do is put the oven on for a few minutes - turn the oven off, put the door ajar and bung the dough in there to rise.

When the dough is risen - just put to one side.

Now important - turn your oven on to the HOTTEST it will go and put the pizza stone on the top tray. Your pizza isn't going to burn here because it will be cooked in minutes.

You've gotta let that oven heat up as well.

Now beat the air out of the risen dough and roll it out to whatever thickness.

( Remember to get some flour underneath where you're rolling )

Remember that the dough will actually rise in the oven as well. So if you like thin and crispy - You're talking of a thickness of about 4 millimetres.

Now prepare your toppings. You'll need something tomato for the base - chopped fresh tomatoes won't have enough flavour. Tomato puree will have too much. What I go for those little cans of chopped tomatoes in juice. Try a premium brand - you'll only need a little tin. Sainsbury do a french variety which is perfect (*)

Get some good mozzerella, olive oil, dried oregano - and the rest is up to you.

So - carefully (very carefully) take the stone out of the oven.

.. AND SHUT THE OVEN DOOR TO KEEP THE HEAT IN !!!

The stone usually comes in a frame so you place it down somewhere without burning the worktop. Anyway get prepared - its f*cking hot and you'll need to find a suitable surface.

Sprinkle a little flour on the dough base - fold in two and again, and quickly transfer the base onto the pizza stone and unfold.

( It will start to cook now even though the stone is out of the oven )

Spread the tomato onto the dough - remembering to leave a crust. Then the cheese, dried oregano and salt and pepper.

Then toppings of your choice - but remember to be liberal with the toppings. Less is more - don't pile it up, try not to overlap anything - it wont cook properly.

Drizzle olive oil over and place back in the oven on the top tray. It will be ready in 10 minutes or less.

When out of the oven I usually throw on some fresh rocket, parmesan shavings and a little more olive oil (of the chilli variety)

Is that OK ?



(*) cant remember the name, but they are tomatoes in a puree I think.

Also try sun dried tomato paste.

Chopped fresh tomatoes give a very disappointing result.

Alternatively knock up your own thick tomato sauce.

 

[rool]

Ooooh I make my pizza dough in a bread machine but cook it in metal pizza trays in an oven at 200 degrees with unsatisfactory results where they are either doughy in the middle or over cooked.

One of those pizza stones looks like the answer.

 

[clapham_gull]

Ooooh I make my pizza dough in a bread machine but cook it in metal pizza trays in an oven at 200 degrees with unsatisfactory results where they are either doughy in the middle or over cooked.

One of those pizza stones looks like the answer.

Personally do it by hand - because you'll get a more "rustic" dough - and nice little air bubbles that explode and go crispy

But - I use the bread machine to make fresh pasta - wouldn't do it any other way now.

.. and dont be afraid to roll your dough out paper thin.

 

[clapham_gull]

.. if you're entertaining serve the pizza ON THE STONE !!

It will keep it warm...

 

[Normal Rob]

This is going to sound ignorant incredibly insensitive to whatever political/social reason there is for this, but what on earth is wrong with Wal-Mart? I just got back from America and I thought it was brilliant - Dickies t-shirts for $5? Awesome!

just wait until they force your business to close by refusing to pay a fair price for products just so that their customers can 'pocket the f***ing difference' - their margin doesn't alter one jot.

Also if a Walmart opened in a town in the USA the average wage of people living there would fall by 20% as all the local shops were forced out of business and had to take jobs in the Walmart!

 

[Highfields Seagull]

Wonderful Clapham, just wonderful

 

[clapham_gull]

For those with a sensitive disposition to cooking utensils - A pizza stone is one of those things that you CANT WASH.

Because it absorbs water ! - unless you like fairy liquid flavour pizza.

And rolls out your dough no bigger than the tray (*) - discarding dough to the bin if you've (invariably) made too much.

(*) then you're in trouble !

 

[jevs]

Garlic deep pan pizza from Asda....top banana !!!

Get it home and add mushrooms, onions, pineapple, peppers, ham and sweetcorn....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm