TheLoneRider
a seeker in search of Easter Eggs
Pizza Peoplescape

Pizza Nite Canada
Thailand     Canada

Pizza Nites (Canada)

What is Pizza Nite?
Friends BYOI (Bring Your Own Ingredients - crust, sauce, cheese, toppings...and drinks) and take individual turns making their "prize winning" pizza for sharing. Everyone helps out on clean-up. It's a gathering of friends for fun, laughs and pizza.
How to make pizza dough

Pizza Dough

Three ways to bring your pizza dough to Pizza Nite:
  1. buy uncooked pizza dough from a pizza joint (easy and fun)
  2. buy a ready-made cooked pizza crust from the grocery (easy but not fun)
  3. make your own pizza dough from scratch, as follows: (challenging and most fun)

    Ingredients:

    • 3 1/2 cups flour
    • 1 cup warm water (between 85° and 115° F)
    • 2 tbsp yeast (I like my dough a little yeasty. You can use less)
    • 2 tbsp sugar or honey (I use Muscovado sugar)
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1/2 tsp salt

    Preparation:

    1. Making the sponge/poolish
      Mix water, sugar, yeast and 1 cup regular flour in a bowl. Cover until it starts to bubble (first rising, around 45 mins). This can now be used. However, if you want a more flavorful pizza dough, keep this covered in the fridge overnight or a full 24 hours.
    2. Kneading
      Mix the rest of the ingredients (flour, salt and oil) and start kneading (tip: press on with your body weight, not just your arm power). The dough should be soft without being sticky. Too sticky, add flour. Too hard, add water. You're done when the dough bounces back when you poke your finger onto it. Cover until double in size (2nd rising, around 45 mins).
    3. Scaling and shaping
      Punch the dough to take the air out. You can cut it up and use only what you need. You can cut it up into 3 and shape them into balls - one of those balls should be good to make one 13" regular pizza. You can freeze the 2. Flatten one ball into a circular shape. I usually flatten it on the same tray I will bake on so I don't have to make a transfer - I just apply a little oil on the tray before flattening. Using both hands, one on top of the other, press from the center outwards to stretch it in all directions. You can flatten it more by using a rolling pin (or wine bottle). Take a fork and put puncture holes all over the dough to keep it from bubbling up while cooking (which also holds the sauce in place). Wait until double in size (3rd and last rising).
    4. the dough is now ready for baking

For a more complicated pizza dough but much better, here's a video by Vito Iacopelli

How to make pizza sauce

Pizza Sauce

Two ways to bring your pizza sauce to Pizza Nite:
  1. buy a ready-made pizza sauce from a pizza resto or from the grocery
  2. make your own pizza sauce from scratch, as follows: (challenging and most fun)

    Basic Pizza Sauce

    Ingredients:

    1. ripe fresh tomatoes (use just enough for sauce consistency)
    2. fresh peeled crushed garlic (according to taste)
    3. bunch of fresh basil (in Thailand, there are 3 types...use the sweet basil with green stem, not purple) or oregano
    4. 1 small can, tomato paste (great thickener and holds the sauce together)
    5. teaspoon of sugar (not to sweeten, but to reduce acidity)
    6. pinch of salt
    7. fresh ground pepper
    8. generous amount of olive oil (quarter cup? really, up to you for consistency)

    Preparation:

    1. puree the fresh tomatoes in a blender and strain on a sieve. Keep the liquid and the pulp.
    2. combine basil leaves, garlic and the tomato liquid in a blender and liquify. Transfer all to a pot and heat up. Remove immediately the moment it boils. Strain the liquid and discard the pulp
    3. add the liquid, sugar, the tomato pulp, salt, pepper and tomato paste in a blender and puree again
    4. on slowest blender setting, start pouring small amount of olive oil into the sauce until well blended. Adding oil last prevents the oil from separating
    5. sauce is ready. Pack in serving size containers and freeze



Pizza Nite with the OM / Burningman Crew Jan 24, 2004

Pizza Nite with the OM / Burningman Crew

Location Google Map: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Burners and OMies
It's been awhile since the last pizza nite. Time to gather once more and share that good vibe between friends - from OM and from Burningman. Some regulars and others, pizza nite virgins. It's all good.

Pizza Nite with the OM / Burningman Crew
Pizza Nite with Shan, Ben, Ann-Marie, Julia Blue, Tiger, Khatbleau Lisa, Galia, Hermie, Nigel, Jordan and Marta

Ending Thoughts
Pizza Nite is always fun but this one was a tad more fun than the usual. Maybe a generation apart, but on the fringes of the grid just the same.

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit Yoga by Gigit | Learn English Learn English | Travel like a Nomad Nomad Travel Buddy | Donation Bank Donation Bank for TheLoneRider



Reader Comments:

Ann-Marie (Jan 29, 2004)
Thanks for sending out all those photos. I had a Fun Pizza night!!!! Thanks again for inviting me to join you. It was really great to meet your friends and very cool that they were open to jamming and playing! I really enjoyed myself and felt very, very well fed afterwards!!! Make sure you let me know when your next Pizza Night is!!! Sending you a big hug!

Rashelle (Jan 29, 2004)
It looks like you had a wonderful time. sorry we couldn't make it.. i'm feeling much better now though (but my cold+migrane lasted all weekend til tuesday). take care and hopefully see you soon!

John (Jan 26, 2004)
Thanks for the great pizza night on Saturday! Lisa and I had a great time and are looking forward to the next one.

Leave a comment?

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  17. Pizza Nite + Slack Line + Hammock Jul 23, 2021
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  20. Savouring Villagio Pizza Oct 19, 2017
  21. Pizza-Making Party in Camotes Islands Mar 25, 2017
  22. Clam Chowder Pizza from Scratch on a Rice Cooker Feb 15, 2017
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  25. Neva's Pizza Apr 28, 2010
  26. BMK Apizza opens to the Public July 15, 2005
  27. Pizza Nite with Friends April 10, 2004
  28. Pizza Nite with the AIM Crew April 4, 2004
  29. Pizza Nite January 24, 2004
  30. Pizza Nite with Colleagues November 21, 2003
  31. Pizza Nite with Hanka, Galia and Jordan Oct 22, 2003
  32. Pizza Nite with Angele, Julia, Dos Amigos, Dev, Jordan, Galia, Sarah Oct 3, 2003
  33. Pizza Nite with Tamara, Dev, Jordan and Sarah Aug 8, 2003
  34. Pizza Nite with the AIM e-Biz Crew Jan 25, 2003
  35. Pizza Nite with Julia and Chris Jun 8, 2003
  36. Pizza Nite with Miss Jen and Carrrie Apr 26, 2003
  37. Pizza Nite with Jen, Emylee, Fr. Gallagher Jan 25, 2003
  38. Pizza Parteeee with Angele, Amir and da Dos Amigos Crew Apr 6, 2002

Next Pizza Nite:

Pizza Nite with the AIM Crew II food Pizza

Pizza Nite with the AIM Crew II

(Apr 4, 2004) It was time again to touch base with my ex-colleagues and fill each other on what's up. Good thing they're partial to pizza making. It's always good seeing officemates in a different environment and talk about things NOT deadline related.....more »»

Next Peoplescape:

Next Time You Use my Car, Walk my Dog Slice of Life Lucid Thoughts Peoplescape

Next Time You Use my Car, Walk my Dog

(Jul 31, 2004) I developed a wonderful and meaningful connection with my half-brother upon my return to the Philippines. He looked after me, taking me to his gigs, and introduced me to his friends. That was all shattered when he uttered this one foolish, needless and reckless line - that next time I use his car, I should walk his dog. The ramification of that statement had catastrophic repercussion.....more »»

Next story:
Toronto Climbing Academy Feb 27, 2004

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