Pizza & My Obsession with it

2008-08-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. It's been done a million times, so why would I devote my first post to it? It's a good question - pizza is probably one of the most overdone food items in America. It's hard to think of a city in America where you can't pick up the phone and have a hot Pizza at your door within an hour. I've always had an affinity for pizza - I mean what's not to like? Bread and cheese is a combination that's hard to beat.

When I was quite young my mother would always force me to cut up onions or any other prep-cook like tasks. I never enjoyed it and resented the "You'll thank me later" attitude. It wasn't until I was on my own that I realized I truly love creating something from beginning to end.

Actually, I think pizza is what got me interesting in cooking in the first place. In college, a room mate and I decided that we should make some pizza, so off to the store we went. Looking back on it now, I'm surprised I had the gall to suggest Boboli crust as our foundation, which was quickly shot down. How on earth were we going to make a pizza from scratch when my previous best efforts left the most important part to a pre-baked pizza skin? Just like any other food-related question I had, Google would be the answer! Well, apparently not, as the standard 2tbsp of yeast and 2 hours of waiting dough recipes produced flat tasting and dense crust. Everyone that tasted it enjoyed it, which is the great thing about pizza tinkery - even the failures are quite edible.

About 20 pizza dough recipes later, I was starting to understand why so many shy away from baking. So many variables that you truly can't reign in until you've failed many a time.
Well that was years ago and this is now - so on with the show!

I enjoy the simplicity of the standard margherita - it's usually what I make and it's what I'm going to illustrate here. Here's my basic recipe, the dough is a bit on the salty side because I like to really taste the product of a long fermentation.

DOUGH:
Enough for 2-3 pizzas depending on size,
& maybe a batard or baguette of bread from any leftover dough.

1000g White Bread Flour (King Arthur if you can)
600g Filtered Water (60% of flour weight)
120g Ripe Sourdough Starter (7.5% of total weight, flour+water+salt)
23g Kosher Salt (2.3%)

Mix together flour, water, & starter. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Add salt and knead until it passes the windowpane test.

Let sit for an hour or so, then stretch out either side the ball and fold in on itself.

Do this again after another hour or so.

Leave to rise overnight @ about 64-70 deg F (usually 12-14 hours before next step)

Turn dough mass onto counter, & let sit for 30minutes to an hour.

Portion into dough balls about the size of a softball.

Leave to rise for another 2-3 hours before baking.

SAUCE:

Enough for 2-3 pizzas

1 28oz can of DOP San Marzano tomatoes
Salt as desired

Top of basil plant if desired

Under running water, take out each tomato and rip out the top along with the core.

Wash the seeds out and place into a bowl.

Take about 3/4 of the tomatoes and add to a blender along with enough juice from the can (if it's not too acidic, water otherwise) to facilitate smooth blending.

Blend until its uniform in texture, should take about 20-30 seconds.

Take the other 1/4 of the tomato and crush it by hand, add to the already blended tomato.

Slowly add salt, tasting along the way, until you reach your desired level of seasoning. It might need more salt than you think if you prefer to lightly dress the pizza.

If you want a bit of basil flavor, cut the top off a basil plant and submerge into the sauce. Remove this before using (durrr).

CHEESE:
Yes, somehow I feel it necessary to detail my cheese handling methods

1/4-1/3lb whole milk mozzarella per pizza

A few hours before baking the pizzas, take the mozzarella out of the fridge and put it in a strainer or sieve over a bowl or glass.

It's necessary to get whatever water/whey out of the cheese possible. We don't want to water down the pizza

I like to cube it up into random size cubes from 1/4" to 1/2" in dimension. This way you get some puddles of nice white cheese and some areas of well melted and slightly browned cheese.

AND FINALLY
Do the damn thing

Bake in a 550° oven on a pre-heated baking stone until cheese is melted (but not browned too much) and crust has browned nicely (black in some spots).

Pane e Formaggio

Pizza & My Obsession with it