Pizza

It has been a long time since my last post.  I feel so guilty.  I apologize to my blogging friends that I have not been to your blogs lately.  Sometimes, life gets crazy, and that is how it has been for me.  Not problems..thank goodness.  Just crazy, busy life stuff.  My son just received his confirmation this past Sunday.   That is when a person is confirmed into the Catholic religion as an adult and of their own accord.  It is a special day in our faith, and as I sat there in church, I could not believe how grown-up my 16-year-old son seemed.  The chubby little infant that I cuddled in my arms, the adorable toddler I read books about dinosaurs and trucks to, and the sweet boy with whom I sat and listened for hours on end to him explain to me in detail all about Pokemon stood there at about 5 feet 7 inches (that is tall in Italian families..lol).   I had to fight back the tears.   Anyway....sniff...sniff,  I hope to get back on track now and will be visiting all of your blogs soon.

Let's talk pizza.  I love it.  I think we would be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't.  For years, I have been trying to make it at home.  I have tried family recipes, cookbook recipes, etc., but I have never really been satisfied.  The dough just never really tasted like the dough  you find at a pizza shop.  I was determined to make one that was great and I did. 

First of all, I purchased a pizza stone.  If you like to make pizza and bread, it is a great investment.  The stone absorbs some of the water from the dough while it is cooking making a really nice and crispy dough.  The second thing I found is that if you use bread flour, you definitely get a more bready flavor (obviously) that will make your dough taste just like a pizza shop. 

I have also perfected my sauce, and I think it is pretty darn good.  Give my pizza a try.  I think you will be pleased.

To make the pizza, early in the day prepare the dough, or at least an hour and a half ahead of time.  Start by placing 1/2 cup of warm water and one tablespoon of active dry yeast in a small bowl, mix together and set aside for six minutes.  The mixture will become foamy.  

 Meanwhile in a separate large bowl, mix together 2 1/2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt.  When the yeast mixture is ready, add it to the flour and mix with a wooden spoon.

  Add another half cup of water.  Mix thoroughly until the dough comes together.  You really do need to mix it with a wooden spoon.  It sounds difficult but it comes together pretty easily and quickly.  I tried to cheat and put this in my mixer, and the result was not the same.   If the dough is really dry still, you can add another 1/4 cup of water.   If you have added all of the water and the dough is sort of shaggy and not forming a ball, just squish it together with your hands.

 Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about ten minutes.  The dough should be soft and slightly elasticy.  Add more flour by sprinkling flour on top of dough as you are kneading if the dough is too sticky.   Place the dough in a large bowl.  Drizzle with some olive oil.  Turn to coat the dough in the oil. 

 Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free place for about one hour.  It should double in size.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready use.

To prepare the sauce, preheat oven to 400.  Place five cloves of garlic on a square of tinfoil.  Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. 

 Close the tinfoil into a square packet sealing the garlic inside.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the garlic is golden brown and soft.   It should be so soft that you can mash it with a fork.  If it is not browned and soft enough.  Put it back in the oven for a few more minutes until it is.  Remove from oven.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet.  Add a small onion that has been chopped and saute for about four minutes. 

 Add one can of tomatoes and one cup of water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Add salt and pepper, a pinch of red pepper, two pinches of oregano, one teaspoon of sugar, and a bay leaf. 

 Once the garlic has cooled a little, (it will be soft and browned slightly), place on a cutting board and mash and chop the garlic into a paste. 

  Add it to the tomato sauce.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes. 

When dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and stretch it into a pizza shape.  You can make two smaller ones if you like.  If you are using a pizza stone, sprinkle a pizza peel or baking sheet that is open on one end generously with cornmeal.  If you are not using a pizza stone, sprinkle a large baking sheet generously with cornmeal.  Transfer dough to baking sheet or pizza peel.  

 Top pizza dough with one cup of sauce.  You can freeze the rest of your pizza sauce for the next time you make pizza.  Spread sauce evenly over dough. 

 Sprinkle with about one 1/2 to 3/4 cup of grated parmigiano reggiano cheese and top with thin slices of fresh mozzarella and slices of basil or any toppings you prefer. 

 If using a stone, transfer the pizza to the stone which has been heated in the oven and covered generously with cornmeal.  If not using a stone, place pizza in oven.  Bake on 475 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until edges are crisp and golden brown and cheese is bubbly.  Enjoy!

This slice looks different than the above pizza because I put more cheese on this pizza and did not put basil on this one.

PIZZA
dough:
1 tablespoon of active dry yeast
1-1 1/4 cups of water (divided)
2 1/2 cups of unbleached bread flour
1 teaspoon of salt
Olive oil
Cornmeal

pizza sauce:
5 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of olive oil (divided)
1 small onion, diced
1 can of 28 ounce of tomatoes
1 cup of water
salt and pepper
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 pinches of oregano
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 bay leaf

pizza toppings:
1 cup of pizza sauce, above
1/2-3/4 cup of finely grated parmigiano
8 ounces of thinly sliced fresh mozzarella
Basil leaves, thinly sliced


Early in the day, or at least 1 1/2 hours ahead of time, place 1/2 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast in a small bowl.  Mix together and set aside for six minutes.  The yeast mixture will become foamy.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together flour and salt.  When yeast mixture is ready, add to flour mixture.  Add 1/2 cup of water and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.  Add an additional 1/4 cup if the mixture is too dry.   If the dough is still not forming a ball at this point and is shaggy, just squish it together with your hands. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface.  Knead for about ten minutes, adding flour if dough is too sticky by sprinkling flour on top of dough and kneading in.  The dough should be soft and slightly elasticy when ready.  Place dough in a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Turn dough to coat all sides.  Cover bowl with a kitchen towel, and place bowl in a draft-free area for one hour.  The dough will be doubled in size.

To prepare the sauce, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place a square of tinfoil on a baking sheet.  Place five cloves of garlic, skins removed, on top of tinfoil.  Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt.  Seal garlic in tinfoil.  Bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until the garlic is golden brown and soft.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. 

In a large skillet, heat remaining two tablespoons of olive oil.  Add onion.  Cook for four minutes.  Add tomatoes and water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Add salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of red pepper flakes, two pinches of oregano, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1 bay leaf.  

When garlic is cooled slightly, transfer to a cutting board.  The garlic will be soft and slightly golden brown.  Chop and mash garlic into a paste.   Add to pizza sauce.  Simmer sauce for 20-30 minutes. 

When dough is ready, preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  (If using a pizza stone, you will need to preheat oven to 500 degrees F and heat stone for 20 minutes.)  Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and stretch into desired pizza shape.  Transfer dough to a baking sheet that has been thoroughly coated with cornmeal.  Top with one cup of tomato sauce, parm cheese, mozzarella, and basil.  Keep on baking sheet or transfer to a pizza stone generously sprinkled with cornmeal.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden and crisp and cheese is bubbling.