PIZZA
I have been craving a decent pie lately, as it seems my neighborhood joints don't make it the way that sings to me. Sign of the times, when there aren't even some Italian Pizzaoila's living in New York. What is a deranged home baking chef to do? Make it himself! Since I found myself regularly feeding my levain, I was happy to make a pizza dough for Sunday. Puffy, soft and airy, even though I didn't make it with any "00 flour," it's not just that available or sitting around my kitchen. I used my Heckers unbleached A.P. and went to it, using a converted Neopolitan recipe spied on one of the holier-than-thou sites for pizza freaks. Then I cranked the Mick Hartley's conversion scheme and went at it!
My oven only hits 550 degrees. And because of safety concerns, I am not about to Jimmy-rig it like my recent guest Jeff Verasano. Also, I don't have a self cleaning oven. And it's bad enough my wife already hates it when I bake at about 460 F for my regular loaves. She told me this morning no more baking for two weeks, put the flour away! So my observation on this is pizza, good chewy, crusty dough if stretched very thinly, airy and with buffala mozzarella. A bit of parmesano. And you're in like Flynn! Oh, don't forget the Black Chocolate Stout or some Winter Ale, soda is for kids.
Pizza Napoletana
Straight dough
500g 00 caputo or A.P. flour
325g aqua (water)
20g sale (salt)
3gr livieto
Sourdough version
376 g flour
201g Water
247g starter
3g salt
"Up your leg" just means "Cheers".
Save one for me.
Mick
Posted by: Wolfman Mick | November 17, 2008 at 06:02 PM
Darn Mick,
All that fibre will definitley clean out the arteries and cheese, cream and tomatoe,how un-kosher
What is up your leg??? I always forget the colloquial English bits, like dog and bone!
Posted by: Jeremy | November 14, 2008 at 04:35 PM
Hey Jeremy,
Never mind my old pizza dough. Last night after a hard days baking I improvised a pizza with some left-over 5 Seed & Spelt dough, left-over sauce from the day's Special, Tomato & Chile Chipotle Bread, goat cheese, black olives & basil, few splashes of creme fraiche - HEAVEN (and hot enough for Hell).
Up your leg,
Mick
Bethesdabakers
Posted by: mick | November 14, 2008 at 12:10 PM
Margherita, still and always my favorite. Why aren't you allowed to bake for 2 weeks?
Posted by: Susan/Wild Yeast | November 12, 2008 at 03:35 PM
I don't know about you, but I have a hankering for English muffins (with those nooks and crannies) or a crisp baguette.
Posted by: Doughman | November 12, 2008 at 07:09 AM
Not likely my huge 3 pound loaf of German rustikale is almost gone, what to make next?
Posted by: Jeremy | November 11, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Looks great, Jeremy.. No baking for two weeks? Isn't that a bit harsh? :)
Posted by: Jude | November 11, 2008 at 10:55 AM