Passionate About Pizza: Making Great Homemade Pizza (31 page)

1 recipe New York-style Pizza Dough (see recipe
page 94
)
1 cup Basic Pizza Sauce (see recipe
page 113
)
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 – 6 ounces pepperoni or turkey pepperoni, very thinly sliced
Italian herbs
Romano cheese
unbleached all-purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)

Resting
–
After the dough has risen, punch it down with one fist, take it out of the bowl, and knead it briefly (about one minute) without adding any flour to release the large air bubbles. Make a dough ball then shape it into a flat circle about one inch thick. Sandwich the dough between two layers of plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator or on the counter for five to ten minutes before shaping it.

If you want very thin pizza, cut the dough into two pieces, create two dough balls, and make each one into a disk. Then shape each piece separately so you will make two thinner pizzas from one batch of dough.

Shaping
–
Hand stretching is the classic method used in most traditional New York-style pizzerias. Use the technique described in the section on stretching dough (see
page 60
).

Once the dough is close to the desired size, carefully lay the dough onto the prepared pizza peel. Gently configure the dough into its final shape. Remember not to squash the edge!

Assembly
– Spread an even layer of sauce over the pizza up 1/2 inch from the edge. If you prefer a wider rim then leave a wider area without sauce. The layer of sauce should be just thick enough so that you do not see bare spots through the sauce, but be careful not to use too much sauce. Spread the Mozzarella cheese and toppings evenly over the sauce. Sprinkle with herbs and Romano cheese, if desired. The sauce and toppings will migrate toward the center, so you should put a little less in the center; otherwise, the cooked pizza may be soggy in the center.

Baking
– Slide the pizza onto a preheated baking stone and bake at 500˚ for eleven to thirteen minutes. The actual baking time may vary from eight to sixteen minutes depending on the oven. You want to bake the pizza so that the crust is nicely browned and crunchy-chewy, but not overdone. The toppings should be heated through with the cheese and sauce bubbling slightly (it will almost look like it is boiling) over the whole surface of the pizza. This ensures that the toppings and sauce heat to the right temperature.

Serving
– After removing the pizza from the oven, let it stand for a few minutes on a trivet until the cheese stops bubbling and the pizza cools slightly. This allows the toppings and cheese to set prior to cutting. Cut the pizza into manageable size slices and serve while still warm.

If you have one, serve the pizza on a perforated pan. The holes in the pan let steam and sauce out so that the crust does not become soggy.

Variations

Dough
– Basic Pizza Dough, New York-style Dough, Slow Rise Dough

Sauce
– Basic Pizza Sauce, Chicago-style Sauce, Squashed Tomato Sauce, Fresh Plum Tomato Sauce

Toppings
– Most people need no list of toppings for New York-style Pizza; they just remember what they order in their favorite pizzeria. Remember that New York-style Pizza generally has sparse toppings. So, pick one or two of your favorites.

Assembly and Baking
– Do not change it; for it to be New York-style pizza, you must do it this way. Actually, you can customize this pizza any way you please. New Yorkers do not let anyone tell them how they must have their pizza and you should not, either!

You should think about one important variation. You can adjust the thickness of the crust by increasing or reducing the amount of dough you use and by how far you stretch the dough. If you want very thin crust, divide the dough recipe into two pieces after it rises and make two pizzas by dividing the toppings across the two pizzas. This will let you stretch the pizza dough until the crust gets as thin as you desire. Be careful when stretching the dough very thinly because it has a tendency to tear more easily as it thins out. See the section entitled Adjusting Pizza Thickness on
page 68
for further details.

California-style Pizza

We know Californians for innovation and they innovate in the pizza arena as well. The things you will find on a California-style Pizza may seem strange or at least exotic, but do not let that scare you.

California-style Pizza is a significant departure from most other types of pizza. It exercises the non-conformist spirit synonymous with California. California-style Pizza sized for the individual has a dazzling (or almost scary) array of different cuisines placed on top. Usually the cuisines are separate and each pizza might remind you of a different one of your favorite meals. Sometimes the California pizza chef mixes various cuisines and tastes together on a pizza in a way that leaves you scratching your head with the thought “Now, why did they do that?” You do not just get to choose what type of meat or vegetable to put with tomato sauce and Mozzarella cheese. You pick one of many taste experiences dreamed up by the pizza chef. You may see goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, seafood, Thai satay, crème fraiche, bean sprouts, Chinese duck sauce and more; usually not all at once, but in innovative combinations. The crust is light, airy, and frequently made with sourdough, rye, or whole wheat. The toppings and the whole pizza, all eight or nine inches of it, are apt to be made of fresh and healthy (even organic) ingredients.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Makes four eight-inch pizzas.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless duck
2 1/2 cups tomato-based barbecue sauce (I prefer Kraft® Original)
1 recipe California-style Sourdough Dough (see recipe
page 103
)
6 ounces smoked gouda cheese, shredded
6 ounces fontinella (or fontina) cheese, shredded
1 large red onion, cut into rings
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
unbleached all-purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)

You should plan to make the starter sponge one or two days ahead of time; it works well to make it before bed the day before you make the pizza. If you forgot, do not worry! You can make the sponge immediately before making the dough. If so, the dough will work out fine but you will not have the sourdough tang in the dough.

Toppings
– Lightly brush the chicken breasts (or duck) with barbecue sauce. Grill or broil them until they cook just through; this helps to keep the meat moist. When the cooked meat has cooled slightly, cut it into half-inch strips. Place the chicken (or duck) strips in a bowl and coat evenly with a quarter-cup of the barbecue sauce. Combine both grated cheeses in a bowl and mix well.

Resting
–
After the dough has risen, punch it down with one fist, take it out of the bowl, and knead it briefly (about one minute) without adding any flour, to release the large air bubbles. Divide the dough into four equal parts and make each one into a dough ball. Shape each ball into a flat circle about one inch thick. Sandwich each piece of dough between two layers of plastic wrap and let them rest briefly on the counter for five to ten minutes before shaping.

Since you will be making multiple pizzas on the limited space of your baking stone, you should shape, assemble, and bake two first, then repeat the process for the other two pizzas. You can let two pieces of dough rest in the refrigerator or on the work surface until the first two have started cooking. Then assemble and bake the other two so that you can bake them as soon as the first two finish cooking.