The best "store-bought" pizza dough ... discovered!

Mrs. Metro makes a great home-made pizza using "professionally-made" dough and a pizza stone.
 
She pre-heats the stone to 450 while she rolls out the dough Neopolitan-thin on lightly floured granite.  The stone is taken from the oven, placed on a rack,dusted with corn meal, and covered by the dough.  She pinches the edges, adds the sauce & toppings, and puts it back intothe oven for 12 minutes.  The result is always decent and sometimes most excellent, depending on the dough.
 
With few exceptions most pizza restaurants will either "comp" dough or sell it to you for a few bucks of you ask as you pay your bill.  But, of course, you aren't going to rush home and make another pizza so you put into the fridge for the next day.  The best such dough we have gotten for the next day was from Grimaldi's and a local place called "Sauce on the Square".  As my wife is a big Whole Foods fan (no one is perfect!) we often use theirs with so-so results.
 
Then yesterday I hit the mother lode in, of all places, our local Tom Thumb (for some reason Safeway trades as Tom Thumb and Randall's in Texas).  In their weekly ad my wife saw them offering a "new product":  fresh pizza dough from their deli.  Following orders, I went over and for 99 cents got a plastic baggie of their "Traditional Italian Style" and the one who must be obeyed rolled, pinched, topped, and baked it soon after I returned home. 
 
Bar none (and we've tried a bunch I haven't mentioned) it was by far the best we have ever tried!  Even my last piece didn't sag a bit as I gripped it by the edge. (I resist a Viagra joke here).
 
So, whose "ready-made" dough works best for you?
 
If you try Safeway's, am I exaggerating?  Or did I just hit a "lucky batch"?

I'll have to check our Safeway store down the road and see if they carry it. Sounds good. Will report back

Jim, The venerable old Tom Thumb stores in the DFW area are indeed now owned by Safeway. Not that that's a bad thing. I'll look for the pizza dough you mentioned and see how it compares to the $1.00 raw pizza rounds I get from Brothers Pizza a block from my house in Dallas.

We Italians also use pizza dough to make
Pizza fritte aka fried dough  tear dough into pieces  stretch drop into hot oil after brown sprinkle confectionary sugar or the sugar mixed with cinnamon
Sausage or pepperoni rolls stretch dough cover with meat of your choice then mozzerella. roll like a jellyroll pinch ends together brush with an egg wash cook at 350 to golden brown. some people add fried peppers or greens cooked in oil with garlic when making sausage rolls

Twinwillow


Jim, The venerable old Tom Thumb stores in the DFW area are indeed now owned by Safeway. Not that that's a bad thing. I'll look for the pizza dough you mentioned and see how it compares to the $1.00 raw pizza rounds I get from Brothers Pizza a block from my house in Dallas.

Yes, the label on the dough at "my" Tom Thumb reads (like a lot of other stuff in the store) "Safeway Select".
 
 

Our Vons/Pavilions must be Safeway as their ice cream is labeled Safeway Select.  I'll have to give it a try. Thanks!
 
On a side note, I've tried the pizza dough from Trader Joe's and did not like it.

Marlene,
Von's was acquired by Safeway around 1997. Safeway even went "shopping" here on the east coast - they bought the Genuardi's chain in the Philadelphia area a few years ago. Interestingly, that Safeway Select ice cream is made in a Safeway-owned plant and makes it all the way to the Genuardi's stores on the east coast.
 
I see those dough balls are also in the ad for the Safeway stores in Maryland/Virginia (but not at Genuardi's). Might get some on the next trip down there.

THanks for that information, David.
 
I must buy a bag!

I've never run into a particularly bad bag of pre-made dough from any grocery store around here, but I don't buy it very often. I will more often buy a bag of small flat bread rounds, lightly coat them in olive oil (both sides), add the sauce, cheese, and any toppings. It's not exactly like traditional pizza crust, but it tastes good and has a good bite to it. They keep longer than raw dough also.

I had a friend come visiting from Virginia, so I asked him to pick up  one of those Safeway Select dough balls. It was labeled Traditional Pizza Dough. He says there at least two other varieties, White Wheat and Garlic and Herb. Regular price is $1.69.
For a supermarket deli pizza dough ball, this one is really good. There are some chains on the east coast that sell dough balls made in the NYC area that come out close to NY slice joint pizza. The Safeway Select also came out fairly close to NY slice joint pizza. It handled beautifully and had a good taste.

Publix pizza dough is good, it's more like $2.35 a bag though.  Haven't seen it on sale yet but aren't always looking either.
 

In Central New York, the grocery storesnot only sell their brands but bags of dough from the local bakerys

Trader Joe's has an excellent pizza dough. Other good sources are local Italian run bakerys. When we travel to RI, up on Federal Hill is Scialos bakery which has a great pizza dough (that can be frozen at home for later use)

I do not like Trader Joe's pizza dough at all.  I find that it makes for a real tough and quite tasteless crust.

David_NYC


I had a friend come visiting from Virginia, so I asked him to pick up  one of those Safeway Select dough balls. It was labeled Traditional Pizza Dough. He says there at least two other varieties, White Wheat and Garlic and Herb. Regular price is $1.69.
For a supermarket deli pizza dough ball, this one is really good. There are some chains on the east coast that sell dough balls made in the NYC area that come out close to NY slice joint pizza. The Safeway Select also came out fairly close to NY slice joint pizza. It handled beautifully and had a good taste.

 
We have the same three varieties down here in Texas; same price, too.
 
Glad to know that they approximate a NYC slice. 

valboy


I do not like Trader Joe's pizza dough at all.  I find that it makes for a real tough and quite tasteless crust.

We felt the same about Trader Joe's dough back when we lived near several TJ's in McLean, VA.
 
If I had to guess, their dough was frozen, then thawed for sale.
 
We are still waiting for a TJ's in Dallas!

Here's a question - we have tried many different store-bought doughs, with varying results from excellent to just ok.  I always find the dough to be very difficult to stretch (e.g. snaps back), yet watching many of the pizzerias or on TV pizza places seem to push their dough out and it stays that way ;-) Wondering if anyone has any ideas? We've tried adding flour, different temps, etc.

TnTinCT


Here's a question - we have tried many different store-bought doughs, with varying results from excellent to just ok.  I always find the dough to be very difficult to stretch (e.g. snaps back), yet watching many of the pizzerias or on TV pizza places seem to push their dough out and it stays that way ;-) Wondering if anyone has any ideas? We've tried adding flour, different temps, etc.

 
What the "pizzaoli's" do by tossing, Mrs. Metro achieves by using a 24" French rolling pin on a lightly floured granite counter.  When the dough is rolled out to her desired thickness, she trims the excess to a size that will more than cover (the excess used to pinch into the edges of the pizza) the pre-heated to 450, lightly covered with corn meal, 16" stone.  Top and back into the oven for 12 minutes. 
 
When the pizza is done, cut into slices and place on a cookie rack for serving.  that keeps the crust crisp right doen to the last slice.

room temperature works best

ynotryme


room temperature works best

By that, do you mean to let the dough (which is purchased from the refrigerated deli case) come to room temperature before beginning to "work it"?
 
We'll give that a try.  Thanks.

Tried it again.  Same great result.

Has anyone else tried the Safeway Traditional Italian Pizza Dough?

I used to use a 1lb loaf of frozen Italian bread dough for Calzones. I would thaw, cut into three or four pcs and roll thin. Place you favorite pizza toppings/cheese/sauce on one side of the dough and bring the other end over the top and seal the ends. I would then egg wash the top and cook in a hot oven until golden brown. One of my favorite calzone fillings was Ricotta cheese, Spinach and Mozzarella cheese................have fun.,.........pnwc..

ynotryme


room temperature works best

Mrs. Metro says (from experience) that store-bought dough is:
 
a) easier to work when it is chilled and
b) the chilled dough yields a crisper finished product.

Ever try Thomas's English Muffins for mini Pizzas? Pretty good eats!