Why make pizza? The emphasis in American pizza is the gooey chewy cheese and all the toppings. I suggest changing the focus to the tomato sauce, fresh herbs and the taste of homemade bread. Substitute tasteless mozzarella with a light sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Homemade pizza simply tastes better.
This recipe is very easy and I suggest making a double batch of dough to store in the refrigerator. Use bread flour and your favorite toppings.
This is an edited recipe from The New York Times titled “Roberta’s Pizza Dough”.
The dough
153 grams bread flour (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
53 grams all-purpose flour (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons)
8 grams fine sea salt (1 teaspoon)
2 grams active dry yeast (3/4 teaspoon)
4 grams extra-virgin olive oil (1 teaspoon)
In a large mixing bowl, combine flours and salt.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together 200 grams (about 1 cup) lukewarm tap water,
yeast and olive oil, then pour it into flour mixture.
Knead with your hands until well combined, about 3 minutes.
Add more flour if necessary to form a ball.
Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
Knead rested dough for 3 minutes. Cut into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball.
Place on a heavily floured surface, cover with dampened cloth, and let rest and rise
for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
(If you refrigerate the dough, let it rest for 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature
before shaping it for pizza.)
Preheat the oven to 400° F and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Cover a shallow baking dish with parchment paper or use a pizza stone.
To make pizza, place each dough ball on a heavily floured surface
and use your fingers to stretch it, then your hands to shape it into rounds or squares.
Sauce
8 basil leaves, crushed
1 tablespoon oregano
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
Toppings
anchovies, mushrooms, olives, onions, sliced or chopped, 1/4 cup olive oil,
grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, pepper
To Assemble
Sprinkle olive oil over the top of the dough and spread evenly. Add the sauce and then the toppings. Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes or until the bottom crust is golden brown.
Tip
Measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy.
The equivalent measurements by volume are approximate.