Pizza for the People

Do I really need to say anything in praise of pizza? I think not. Just look at it!


But this is a blog full of writing, so I will say a few words in praise of my boyfriend's pizza making abilities. J is a transcendent pizzaiolo, and I'm not exaggerating. Around my house, we use J's pizza as currency. We use it to bribe people, to impress new friends, and to secure our spot in the Foodie Social Hierarchy.


J's culinary masterpieces are descendant from the Neapolitan tradition (his mother's legacy), and occupy the perfect middle-ground between thick and thin crust pizza. His pies are neither greasy nor watery, and somehow manage to be satisfying without being guilt-inducing. It's a staple and a necessity in our kitchen.


So, I'd like to offer up some general pizza-making tips, J's standard pizza recipe, and some thoughts on topping the perfect pie (including delicious vegan combinations).


Pro-Pizzaiolo Tips: Flour, Stones, and Simplicity

• In pizza, as in bread, the flour is everything. Generally speaking, use the highest quality flour you can afford. (King Arthur brand produces consistently high quality flours and are readily available throughout the country.) It is more than possible to make pizza with 100% whole wheat crust, but whole wheat flour has lower gluten (and thus the dough has less elasticity and is harder to stretch), so J prefers to use a combination of white and white whole wheat flours. His perfect ratio is 4:1, white flour to white whole wheat flour.

• You need pizza stones to make great homemade pizza. There's no getting around it. You can get affordable pizza stones at stores like Bed Bath & Beyond for about $15/stone. Obviously, if you want to spend a bundle ($50+/stone) you can, but my $15 stones have been doing a fabulous job for years.
• Keep your recipes and ingredients simple. When making homemade pies, the fresher the ingredients the better. The goal of homemade pizza should be balance, not decadence. The dough, sauce, and toppings should compliment each other. There's no need to use overly complex recipes to achieve incredibly delicious results. Each of your ingredients should be able to shine without overpowering the others. 

J's Basically Amazing Pizza: Dough, Sauce, and Toppings

These basic, no-frill recipes never fail to drop jaws and win friends. Good luck!

Basically Amazing Pizza Dough (Makes Two - 16'' Pizzas)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups warm water
• Cornmeal for sprinkling on the pizza stones

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF, with the pizza stones inside. 
2. Mix the flours, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add the water (for accurate measure of water temperature, see the Basic Bread Recipe), and mix until the dough begins to firm up.
3. Turn the dough out onto a flat, floured surface, and knead with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
   

   

   
   
4. Return to the bowl, and allow to raise for 30-45 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size.
5. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface, and knead for another 5-10 minutes, making sure that there are no air bubbles in the dough.
6. Split the dough into two even balls, and set one aside. You are about to shape your pizza!

   

   
   
7. The following video demonstrates how to form your pizza shell. J- narrates for your convenience!Written directions follow. 
   

   
   
8. Press the dough down with your fingertips, starting in the center and working outward toward the edges.
9. Stretch the dough in this manner until it is about an two inches wider in diameter than the pizza stone you are using
   

   
   
10. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pizza stones to prevent sticking. Gently lift the dough and place onto the pizza stone. Do not press down on the dough while it is on the stone or else the cornmeal will sink into the dough, and the pizza will stick to the stones.
11. Fold the edges over and pinch them together, forming the crust.
12. Use a large spoon to spread the Basic Pizza Sauce (recipe follows)  onto the pizza shells. Add the toppings (suggestions follow) of your choice (except the fresh mozzarella if using).
13. Repeat with second pizza, and place in the oven. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes.  Remove the pizzas from the oven, top with fresh mozzarella cheese if using, and return to the oven, rotating the pies between the top and bottom rack.
14. Return and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until the pizza crust is thoroughly brown and the cheese is melted.

Basically Amazing Tomato Pizza Sauce ( Makes enough for Two - 16'' Pizzas)

Ingredients:

• 24 ounces canned tomatoes, crushed or diced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse a few times until the tomatoes are blended to your taste. Alternately, if you prefer a chunkier sauce, place ingredients in a bowl and mix with a large spoon until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
2. Spoon onto the pizza shells as described in Step 12 of the Basic Pizza Dough Recipe.

Toppings: Options Abound! 

Red Bell Pepper and Kalamata Olive Topping - Before Mozzarella 

The possible topping combinations are almost endless, but the following are some of my favorite vegetarian combos. All are delicious when paired with the Basic Tomato Pizza Sauce, but are also good with a simple white sauce of olive oil, oregano and salt:

• Basil and Fresh Mozzarella (the classic Margherita Pizza)
• Spinach, Gorgonzola/Blue cheese/Feta, and Fresh Mozzarella
• Sliced Baby Portobello Mushrooms, Pepperoncini, and Fresh Mozzarella
• Roasted Red Peppers, Red Onions, and Fresh Mozzarella
• Kalamata Olives, Pineapple, and Fresh Mozzarella
• Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Blue Cheese, and Fresh Mozzarella
• Roasted Garlic, Fresh Tomato Slices, and Fresh Mozzarella
• Sun dried Tomato, Pesto, and Fresh Mozzarella

If you're vegan, you don't need to feel left out on pizza night. You will be very surprised at how delicious these pizzas taste without cheese. You don't even need it! (In fact, one traditional Neapolitan pizza is cheese-less, and topped with tomato sauce, garlic, anchovies. However, J doesn't like anchovies so we've been topping it with just tomato sauce and garlic since long before veganism or vegetarianism even entered into our lifestyle.) Here are some awesome cheese-less topping combinations:

• Roasted Garlic and Basic Tomato Pizza Sauce
• Pine Nuts, Pesto, Artichoke Hearts, Olive Oil, and Oregano
• Kalamata Olives and Roasted Peppers, and Basic Tomato Pizza Sauce
• Sliced (Cooked) Potatoes, Rosemary, Diced Red Onions, Olive Oil and Oregano
• Portobello Mushrooms, Red Onions, and Basic Tomato Pizza Sauce
• Caramelized Onions, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Arugula, Olive Oil and Oregano