396696 Sun Apr 29 20:00:17 -0700 2007 41 31 Home Cooking 0 2526378 I make a mean pizza, but cringe every time go to add mushrooms as the results are less than perfect. The mushrooms give off so much water that I end up having to sop up all of it with a paper towel before serving, and this also screws with the browning on the cheese. Any ideas? I would rather not saute before as i like the flavor of fresh mushrooms. Sun Apr 29 20:00:17 -0700 2007 54126 shiromaguro 1 2526397 How long do you cook the pizza for? Can you wait to the last few minutes of cooking before throwing the mushrooms on? Sun Apr 29 20:09:04 -0700 2007 2526378 16301 Non Cognomina 2 2526400 about 15 minutes at 500 degrees. that's actually a good idea! Sun Apr 29 20:10:24 -0700 2007 2526397 54126 shiromaguro 2 2527176 I second this. Throw your mushrooms on for the last five minutes of cooking. Mon Apr 30 08:04:35 -0700 2007 2526397 17481 QueenB 1 2526411 Buy yourself a pizza stone! :)KQ Sun Apr 29 20:15:02 -0700 2007 2526378 11934 Kitchen Queen 2 2526428 I have one and use it sometimes. How would that change anything? Sun Apr 29 20:22:20 -0700 2007 2526411 54126 shiromaguro 3 2526518 Cooks the bottom and keeps it crispy. If that doesn't work, slice shrooms and salt a little, put onto a paper towel and let them sweat a bit. The salt will pull out the water. Sun Apr 29 21:02:04 -0700 2007 2526428 11934 Kitchen Queen 1 2526519 I always sautee my mushrooms in olive oil and garlic first... It's an added step but I like the results of the mushrooms being really garlicky. Don't know if that helps... Sun Apr 29 21:02:21 -0700 2007 2526378 64003 bulavinaka 1 2526526 Two solutions. One is to cut the mushrooms *much* thinner. This allows for less moisture release and also allows the mushroom edges to crisp up a bit too. The other solution is to boil the fresh, sliced (1/8" to 1/4") mushrooms. You then allow them to cool in a colander, and squeeze the water out of them before putting them on your pizza. You'd be amazed how much water comes out of them by squeezing them in your hands or wringing them in a cloth towel. The trade-off is taste when using boiled versus fresh. IMO, both methods are good. Sun Apr 29 21:05:38 -0700 2007 2526378 10609 Cheese Boy 2 2526590 Ditto on Cheese Boy's Very Thin.raw. The first time I tried it, I worried about sacrificing a toothsome fullness, but the unique feel of the crisped edges, and a (dare we call it) carmelization of the sliced shroom was great Sun Apr 29 21:46:55 -0700 2007 2526526 17562 FoodFuser 3 2527948 Third this. Thin raw is the way to go... Mon Apr 30 11:29:39 -0700 2007 2526590 18466 a_and_w 1 2526633 I'd go with fewer mushrooms, personally. Sun Apr 29 22:24:05 -0700 2007 2526378 80141 ccbweb 2 2527943 Thanks to all for your tips. I went ahead and tried a combo of two different suggestions: very thin slicing and adding at the very end. It helped a bit, but there was still a bit of the unwanted moisture. I think very thin slices plus ccbweb's rec of fewer mushrooms might be the way to go. I think the mistake with this last experiment was my greediness: I want a lot of mushrooms on my pizza. For that reason i'll probably also try the boiling method. I'm guessing restaurant pizza doesn't have this problem due to the extremely hot ovens? Mon Apr 30 11:28:22 -0700 2007 2526633 54126 shiromaguro 3 2527959 Actually, I bet the hotter the oven, the more watery the mushrooms because it takes less time to cook the pizza. Come to think of it, you might try lower heat and longer cooking time. Counter-intuitive where pizza is concerned, but maybe worth a try. Mon Apr 30 11:32:10 -0700 2007 2527943 18466 a_and_w 4 2527968 Interesting. And worth a try, as I make pizza once a week, so plenty of opportunities to experiment. Thanks for the tip! Mon Apr 30 11:35:32 -0700 2007 2527959 54126 shiromaguro 4 4389513 I was going to say just the opposite. The OP said they cooked the pizza about 15 min. Mine is done in about 5 (pizza stone at 500) in a convection oven and I never have trouble w/ the mushrooms releasing water. I don't think they have TIME to start releasing water. I wonder if convection is the key to cooking fast and hot at home? Thu Feb 05 07:10:39 -0800 2009 2527959 10471 danna 3 2527986 I worked in a family run pizza joint all through college and we had problems with liquid from mushroom and also, sometimes, peppers. The guy who made the pizzas did this amazing thing where he'd pull the pie out on the pizza peel and tip it to pour off the liquid, then pop it back into the oven for a minute....came out perfectly, but I think that took a whole lot of practice! Mon Apr 30 11:39:49 -0700 2007 2527943 80141 ccbweb 3 2529198 How about slicing very thin and throwing on the mushrooms on when you take the pizza out of the oven? I'll bet the residual heat would be enough to barely "cook" the fresh mushrooms. Mon Apr 30 17:19:25 -0700 2007 2527943 16301 Non Cognomina 1 2528449 Several TV chefs say not to wash mushrooms becasue they soak up water like a sponge. They suggest brushing them. I've had 'wet' pizza problems, so I started using thicker sauce and dryer dough (harder to spread though) because almost everything on the pizza has moisture. Mushrooms are just the wettest. If you're a mushroom fan, it'd be a shame if your solution was putting on less mushrooms. Mon Apr 30 13:35:42 -0700 2007 2526378 59608 El Puerco 2 2528466 ATK did an experiment to prove/disprove the mushroom absorption theory. Result after washing muchrooms and weighing was that they did NOT absorb water. Instead of regular shrooms have you thought of using shitaki's. They seem to release less water. Mon Apr 30 13:41:02 -0700 2007 2528449 11290 jfood 3 2528871 I haven't tried shitakis on pizza, but I have substituted the standard white mushroom for crimini, and they seem to give off about half of the water as the former. As for washing them, I always do, and then dry them with a towel thoroughly. I was wondering if that might be a problem as well. Mon Apr 30 15:36:37 -0700 2007 2528466 54126 shiromaguro 3 2528921 Jacques Pepin is another who says that washing is okay... and NOBODY can flute a mushroom like Jacques. The kitchen myth of "use dry brush only" may have had more merit in previous days when mushrooms did not get to market as quickly, and a higher percentage entered the home kitchen as more mature, with open gills. Mon Apr 30 15:58:24 -0700 2007 2528466 17562 FoodFuser 4 2528958 I also think Alton Brown talked about the whole washing mushroom thing on Good Eats. He would soak the mushrooms in water for a certain number of minutes and check to see how much water was absorbed by the mushrooms. He found out that the water was negligible. I've tried using mushrooms washed and unwashed. I find that it doesn't really make too much of a difference. In that case, I would totally opt for washing. In term of the pizza, I would also saute the mushrooms before putting it on the pie to decrease the amount of water. Mon Apr 30 16:09:47 -0700 2007 2528921 10763 Miss Needle 4 2529389 And let's not forget the most important reason to wash mushroom, those two famous words - MUSHROOM SOIL Mon Apr 30 18:30:48 -0700 2007 2528921 11290 jfood 5 2529420 How troo, jfoo. In few other arenas of life is it so easy to deal with the bulls**t. Mon Apr 30 18:40:52 -0700 2007 2529389 17562 FoodFuser 6 4391749 Regardless of its composition, the mushroom soil has been fully sterilized before the mushrooms were planted in it. And if you say, "Doesn't matter, it's the IDEA of the thing," then I'll wonder why you'd allow yourself to be sickened by your own imagination, instead of limiting your vulnerability to actual toxins. Thu Feb 05 18:25:56 -0800 2009 2529420 11478 Will Owen 1 2528607 Well, too bad you want fresh, because proper NY mushroom pizza is made with canned mushrooms, which counterintuitively throw off less moisture than fresh.... Mon Apr 30 14:20:31 -0700 2007 2526378 13819 Karl S 2 2528716 Proper NY pizza uses canned mushrooms? Not in my experience... Mon Apr 30 14:46:19 -0700 2007 2528607 18466 a_and_w 3 2529000 I don't mean gourmet pizza, but a lot of old-style pizza joints used something (that is the food-service version) like canned mushrooms. Mon Apr 30 16:23:13 -0700 2007 2528716 13819 Karl S 4 4391763 The old guy who started the Casa Bianca pizzeria in Eagle Rock back in the '50s and who died this last year was unabashedly old-fashioned about his pizza, and insisted to his dying day that canned mushrooms were the ONLY proper mushrooms for a pizza. His descendants are preserving this legacy, while the battle frequently flares up on the LA Board: "It's DRECK!" "No, it's PERFECT!" That last quote was from me... Thu Feb 05 18:30:50 -0800 2009 2529000 11478 Will Owen 1 2528645 I cook pizza on an oven stone, both thick and thin crust, frequently with mushrooms, but have never had soggy pizza. Maybe the ovenstone does the trick? Mon Apr 30 14:29:04 -0700 2007 2526378 24126 amyzan 1 2529012 I always use canned mushrooms when I make pizza. Never have a problem. If I were to use fresh, I'd cook them first. Get as much moisture out of them as I could. I don't think I'd got to the trouble of squeezing the excess water out with my hands though. DT Mon Apr 30 16:25:28 -0700 2007 2526378 11291 Davwud 1 2536533 When making pizza with juicy veggies I bake it half way or more without the cheese, yank it out, toss the cheese on, and put it back in. Thin slicing helps. Things under cheese cannot evaporate. Even so, I saute mushrooms first. Wed May 02 19:12:23 -0700 2007 2526378 43399 atheorist 1 4389129 Its so easy - slice the mushrooms thinly, spread them or pile them out on a big tray or pizza pan, put them in the oven while it heats up - about 15 minutes - drain, squeeze, season and use . Perfect. Wed Feb 04 23:28:18 -0800 2009 2526378 263459 gordon50 2 4389978 I do something similar to this - I toss the mushrooms with olive oil, salt and spices and roast them in the oven - then add them to pizza. Also I never put cheese on top of the mushrooms, only underneath so the moisture isn't trappen by anything. Thu Feb 05 09:18:11 -0800 2009 4389129 85539 lupaglupa 1 4389541 Slice the mushrooms and nuke them till the juice runs. Drain and use. Or drain, saute till golden and then add to the pizza right at the end of baking. Thu Feb 05 07:22:48 -0800 2009 2526378 40746 Peg 1 4389762 I have found that the best way to add the flavor of mushrooms to pizza is to first make "Duxelles". http://www.thecitycook.com/cooking/recipes/data/000078 Thu Feb 05 08:25:24 -0800 2009 2526378 65804 grampart 1 4389809 This can be solved 2 ways. The first is a bit more expensive , but the taste it worth it. I am assuming that you are using white button mushrooms that are full of water. You don't want to submerge them in water when you wash them because that will add to their already considerable water content. I slice them very small and put them on the very top of the pizza where the moisture can evaporate. Leaving them uncovered in the fridge for a few days will allow them to lose some of their moisture and concentrate their flavor, but they don't look as nice, if that is a problem for you. A very hot oven (500°) with a stone speed the evaporation. I also like to blot them with a piece of paper towel before I add a topping of provolone cheese to the pizza. The second more expensive way is to use their genetic twin, the crimmini mushroom. They are stringer in flavor and have much less water, but they are about twice as expensive. Thu Feb 05 08:36:22 -0800 2009 2526378 22220 Kelli2006 1 4391685 Pre-cooking is the way to go. Mushrooms don't soak up as much water during washing as some ppl think... only a trace. They have a naturally high water content and the only real way to deal with it is to remove it first. Saute in a bit of olive oil then add to pizza. No moisture and better flavor. I do this with other ingredients - onion & bell peppers come to mind.. but I do it with anything that has an appreciable water content. This has the added benefit of these ingredients being cooked through because I find that onions & bell peppers don't cook through if added raw. Except tomatoes.. they get mushy when pre-cooked so I just drain the slices on a paper towel. Then I bake the pizza in a really hot oven (I think 475 or 500 is the highest for my oven). I have a pizza stone but find that I get better results baking directly on the rack. Carmelizing the onions makes it more like a tarte Alsace, which I love. Thu Feb 05 17:54:52 -0800 2009 2526378 10401 soniabegonia 2 4391761 I agree with the pre-cooking: slice mushrooms and brown on both sides in a very hot cast iron skillet; no oil; turning each slice by hand - one by one- as it browns. They'll have a lovely concentration of flavor - no excess moisture... then, add to your pizza. I guess I love the flavor of raw chopped green peppers added to top the pizza just before serving! Thu Feb 05 18:29:21 -0800 2009 4391685 13519 Cynsa 1 5198388 The key for me is getting my oven to 500 degress (convection or not) and then letting my stone preheaat with the oven, but let it sit in the hot oven at 500 for nearly 2 1/2 hours. HOT HOT HOT!!!! Also don't wash mushrooms, not a fan! And I do occasionally sautee (meaning jump in italian) the mushroom lightly for a minute or so , no oil needed:) Sat Nov 21 09:48:55 -0800 2009 2526378 1126324 walt55054life 1 5198413 I realize this thread has been going for awhile and curious why I'd not seen it before.. But I always make my own pizza and one of my faves is the veggie one. I include artichoke, olives, green pepper, red pepper, onions (red and scallions) a garlic and olive oil drizzle, and mushrooms. On the bottom I brush olive oil and then salt it and dried basil. The the tomato sauce which I use an inexepensive canned marinara, then a layer of cheeses, usually mozzerella, jack and fontina. Then more seasonings and then layer the veggies. I use quite a few and then more cheese and seasonings. I can recall the particular order, but sometimes mushrooms top it along with scallions. But if you think about it, all those veggies are loaded with moisture not just the mushrooms. I can't imagine having to use a paper towel to blot up the water! I bake it at 450 on the middle rack, and I use a pizza pan that's perforated. I always get a perfect crust, and never water or liquid. Perhaps your ovens not hot enough, or your getting liquid from your cheese(s). And I use fresh not sauteed mushrooms, in fact all the veggies are fresh. Are you using fresh tomatoes? They could be the problem too. Sat Nov 21 10:02:45 -0800 2009 2526378 50431 chef chicklet