my dad and i took a pizza making class at pizza a casa in nyc. the creator of the school, mark bello, has been perfecting his craft for years, and his work has paid off. below is a margherita, but feel free to make whatever kind of pizza you like. some of my favorite toppings include sausage, roasted red peppers, ricotta cheese, etc., etc. we also made a dessert pie with nutella and bananas. ah-mazing. the dough recipe yields four pies, so get creative.
the ingedients:
for the dough:
1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
3 1/2 firmly packed cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Kosher or sea salt
two pinches sugar (optional, to encourage a fast rise)
for the toppings:
1 jar of passata
3 cloves of garlic
fresh basil leaves (julienned)
fresh mozzarella (torn into small pieces)
the method:
combine the yeast with the warm water and stir to break up lumps. let it sit for five to ten minutes or until yeast starts to become foamy and separate. combine the flour, salt and oil. Fold in the proofed yeast mixture until the dough just comes together and turn it onto a well-floured surface. knead for at least five minutes. divide the dough into four even-sized balls, and pinch any folds shut for a seamless surface. let sit at room temperature in a tighly sealed container to rise for 45 minutes.
preheat the oven with the pizza stone inside to 500 or 550 (as high as it will go).
grate the garlic cloves, and stir them into the passata. set aside.
place the dough on a well-floured surface. press around the edges until you have a roughly 5″ round. pick the dough up, and carefully stretch it out with your hands until it’s roughly 12 to 14″ in diameter. dust the surface of the pizza peel with the semolina flour (if you’d like), and carefully place the dough round on top.
dab the prepared passata on top of the dough; it does not need to cover the entire surface as many wrongly assume (myself included until i took this class). squeeze any excess moisture from the fresh mozzarella with a paper or dish towel. add the cheese in the same manner. the picture above should give you a good sense of the amounts. pop the pie into the oven on the pizza stone.
check the progress of your pie after four minutes. if you can do so using the oven light as opposed to opening the door, it’s a better alternative. with the oven at such a high temperature, opening the door dramatically alters the heat in the oven. when you feel your crust is golden enough, remove the pie from the oven using the pizza peel. transfer to a cutting board, and top with the basil and a drizzle of olive oil. slice using a pizza cutter. move to a serving platter, and mangia!
courtesy of pizza a casa.
IHeartFood 