Just about everyone likes pizza. But every one's idea of a good pizza is different. Some people like their pizza very simple with only one, maybe two toppings and some like their pizza chock full of different tastes and flavors. There are many different styles of pizza - thin crust, thick crust, deep dish Chicago style, Italian (which you can further vary by Neapolitan, Sicilian, etc), New York (I'm not even going to go into the different styles up and down the East Coast!), California, St. Louis ... this list can go on and on. I have two dough recipes that I use when I make pizza, it depends on who I am making the pizza for and what kind of toppings that I want to use. One is a thin crust and the other is a thicker crust. It is all about what you like.
I was lucky enough to live in Italy, and had access to the thin crust Neapolitan style pizza just about everywhere I went. With only a few toppings, this pizza is so wonderful. But I will be honest that while we lived there, the American in me did miss the thicker crust pizza with more toppings every once in a while. The most popular thin crust pizza is the Margherita which has the colors of the Italian flag - tomatoes, buffalo milk mozzarella and fresh basil. Another really excellent one to try is the Primavera, with fresh arugula leaves added after the pizza has come out of the oven.
But when I make thin crust pizza, I have to make at least one with mushrooms and garlic. In Gaeta there was a restaurant called "The Bunny Pub". We would go out with friends, and have dinner enjoying several bottles of wine. The first time I went there with Crystal, she told me that I had to try the mushroom and garlic pizza. I tried a mushroom and garlic pizza once before, but I had forgotten how the flavors meld together so wonderfully.
I am not going to give you exact measurements for the toppings, just some rough ideas. Please use your imagination and personal taste to decide what you want on your pizza! The dough for this pizza is from Todd English's cookbook "The Fig's Table". It makes 4 pizzas which serve 1 -2 people per pizza. This dough is much wetter than you are probably used to. Try to use as little flour as you can, and try not to overwork the dough. You can wrap the balls of dough in plastic wrap to freeze for future use (up to two weeks).
I have not always had a stand mixer, a baking stone or a pizza peel. You can easily mix the dough by hand and use cookie or pizza sheets to bake the pizza on.
Fig's Pizza Dough
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
2 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 2/3 cups lukewarm water
Place the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a mixer fitted with a dough hook. While the mixer is running, gradually add the oil and water. Knead on low speed until the dough is firm and smooth, about 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into four balls. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place two balls on a sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let them rise in a warm spot until they have doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
To roll out the dough: Dab your fingers in flour and then place 1 ball on a generously floured work surface and press down in the center with the tips of your fingers, spreading the dough with your hand. When the dough has doubled in width, use a floured rolling pin and roll out until it is very thin, like flatbread. The outer border should be a little thicker than the inner circle. Pick the dough up with a spatula or the back of a knife, allowing it to fold up almost like an umbrella and transfer it to a paddle. Do not worry that the pizza is not round, you are looking for an 8 - 10 inch shape, a cross between an oval and a rectangle. If you get a hole, simply pinch the edges back together.
To top and bake your pizza:
One hour prior to cooking, place a baking stone in the oven and preheat it to 500F. Roll out your dough and place it on a pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal. The cornmeal helps the pizza slide off the peel. Cover the surface of the dough with 1 teaspoon of olive oil to prevent the dough getting soggy.
Now comes the fun part, use your imagination to what types of cheese and topping you would like. Here are just a few examples:
- My Favorite - with a simple tomato sauce, sliced mushrooms, thinly sliced garlic and mozzarella cheese, and a shaking of hot pepper flakes on top (I sometimes add additional cheeses, depending on what I have on hand)
- try different sauces - besides a typical pizza or marinara sauce, you can use pesto sauce, or no sauce, just cheeses for a white pizza
- try different types of cheese - fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, Asiago, Cheddar, Provolone is really popular here in St. Louis
- sliced or diced ham, pepperoni, salami, prosciutto, smoked turkey, cooked and crumbled sausage
- sliced onions, peppers, olives
No comments:
Post a Comment