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PIZZA!
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Posts: 0 Just got here
"Italian pizza crust," my late aunt Peggy criticised in her thick-bound
notebook, "is that it becomes tough when cold. Pizza crust is not meant
to become cold, but eaten scorchingly hot straight from the oven when
pizza is at its absolute best." And then she wrote this lovely authentic
recipe for pizza dough and a delicious tomato sauce to accompany it. Plus many more recipes.
When feeling better and having spare time I will be posting a lot of her pizza recipes and hope these could become useful to you guys who enjoy cooking. Pizza is incredibly easy to make. It's nutritious, far cheaper than shop bought or takeaway ordered. Making it takes hardly any time at all. While the pizza dough is rising you can busy els.where.
10.5 oz / 3 cups / 300g unbleached strong white flour
1 heaped teaspoon salt
half teaspoon of active dried yeast granules, or, half-oz / 15 g fresh compressed fresh yeast
half teaspoon sugar
6 fl oz / 3⁄4cup / 175 ml hand-hot water
generous tablespoon fruity olive oil (I guess she meant extra-virgin olive oil)
Mix all the ingredients together though you may need a little more or a little less water depending on the absobancy of the flour. When the dough comes together, it shouldn't be sticky so add a little sprinkling more of flour. Finally coming to a ball, leaving the sides of the bowl clean, take the dough out and knead it on a lightly floured work surface.
The dough needs to take on a lithe and silky texture. Do this by pushing at the dough with the heels of your hands, turning it over and around rhythmically, pressing the dough like a cat kneading a cusion. Gradually the texture will change under your hands to become soft and elastic. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a clean bowl to rise in a warm draught-free place. Place a linen cloth over and wait.
Once the dough has expanded to become double in size, knock back the puffy ball of dough by gently punching the air out of it with your fist, then draw the dough together with your hands and knead it for a few more minutes. If you want to make 2 round pizze, break the ball of dough in half and flatten it into a disc with your hands, then roll it out with a rolling pin or press the dough with your fingers to the required shape. The thickness of the dough should be about one-eigth of an inch thick, thickening a little towards the edges. If you want to make pizzette, little individual pizze, divide the dough into twelve balls and flatten them out the same way.
Lay it on an oiled tin tray or an oblong tin tray, let the dough rise a little for the second time while the oven heats.
Baking with instant powdered yeast. If you wish to use this, simply mix half a teaspoon of it into the dry flour and salt, then proceed to add the olive oil and water and continue to follow the recipe as given above.
Dressing the pizza. The crust and the seasoning on a pizza shoulld fuse together in the heat of the oven making a juicy whole, so the seasoning should be nicely balanced in quantity neither meagre or overwhelming. The texture and flavour of the diverse ingredients must complement and enhance each other. A pizza is a complete dish in itself so the eater must not become bored by too bland a seasoning or overwhelmed from too spicy and rich. Above all a pizza is not a convenient dumping ground for all manner of odds and ends lurking at the back of the fridge. Excellent fresh ingredients chosen and used with discretion make a very good pizza.
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Aunt Peggy writes, "Italian canned tomatoes and also fresh ones can be improved quite simply to make a satisfactory juicy seasoning. The following recipe will provide enough tomato to cover a medium sized pizza. The tomato flavour is concentrated and enhanced by the olive oil."
2 tablespoons of flavourful green olive oil
1 clove of garlic crushed and chopped
2 or 3 turns from the black pepper mill
14 oz / 400 g can Italian peeled plum tomatoes, or 16 oz / 450 g of fresh rip tomatoes deprived of their skins, chopped
pinch of salt
Take a heavy saucepan and in it warm the olive oil over a low heat, then add the chopped garlic and the black pepper. Their purpose is to perfume the oil. Watch the hissing garlic with care to see that it does not brown, as this would alter the flavour of the pulp which must be fresh tasting.
After a scarce minute add the can of tomatoes or the chopped fresh ones. Stir the mixture round with a wooden fork or spoon to break up to tomatoes evenly. Add the pinch of salt. Now raise the heat a little and let the mixture cook until the liquid has reduced and you are left with a dense thick pulp.
As a rough guide, after about 6 or 7 minutes of cooking a 14 oz can (which will contain about 12 oz / 350 g of tomatoes) will reduce to about 8 oz / 1 cup / 240 g thick pulp. The cooking time for fresh tomatoes will depend on their juiciness.
"This cool perfumed sauce is excellent when poured over a hot crisp crust of a calzone."
3 tablespoons of fruity green olive oil
2 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
black pepper
one 14 oz can Italian 'San Marzano' peeled tomatoes, or 1 lb / 450 g fresh ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
half teaspoon salt
5 giant variety basil leaves or 10 normal sized ones
Take a heavy saucepan and in it heat the olive oil over a low heat, then add the chopped garlic and a spray of black pepper. Make sure that the garlic does not brown. After a scarce minute add the tomato and stir the mixture, breaking up the pulp evenly with a wooden fork or spoon. Add the salt and let the tomato stew for 6 to 7 minutes over a low heat. You do not want to reduce the mixture as for Polpa di Pomodoro.
Wipe the basil leaves, but do not wash them as this will only dissipate their perfume. Add them whole to the sauce and coook gently until the fresh tomato is soft and the basil has given up its flavour. Before serving the sauce allow it to cool and remove the basil leaves, which will now be dark and wilted.
To make 2 calzoni you will need all the dough from the standard dough recipe.
12 oz / 2 cups / 340 g of mozzarella
4 fresh porky Italian sausages though you can use good quality sausages
3 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and a little chopped hot red peperoncino, or red pepper flakes
Oven temperature should be 425 F / 220 C / Gas 7
Have your even heating up while you roll out the dough into 2 x 11 in/28 cm circles and let them rest on a floured surface. Cut the mozzarella into large chunks, remove the skins from the sausages and crumble the meat with your fingers.
When the oven is hot start to dress the calzoni. First, paint on 2 tablespoons of the olive oil all over the surface of the circles, then arrange the mozzarella on one half of each circle leaving a small border at the outer edges. Sprinkle the sausagemeat over the mozzarella and add a little salt and a spray of chopped peperoncino or red pepper flakes.
Next, fold the empty side of the dough over the filling and press the edges together. Turn the edges of the dough over and pinch them to make a firm join.
Paint the rest of the olive oil over the 2 closed calzoni and carefully lift them on to the oiled pizza tin, or onto a floured wooden peel with which you may slide them onto the hot tiles. Cook the calzoni for 20 minutes.
Aunt Peggy writes, "When buying cheeses, select the best quality that you are able to afford and don't be fobbed off with factory made industrialized cheeses with flavours as plastic as their wrappings. Seek out an Italian delicatessen and for mozzarella read its label carefully. Ask the Italian proprietor for his advice as to which mozzarella is best and which grade of parmesan he eats. If he has no pecorino, encourage him to stock it."
"A new generation of cheesemakers has sprang up in Britain and the USA making delicious and genuine cheeses. Experiment with them, remembering the basic rules - some cheeses must respond well to heat and form a smooth body (eg. reblochon when making tartiflette) whereas others must add rich or piquant notes to the general flavour. This is how recipes develop and grow."
Note, I miss Davidstowe Vintage Cheddar their No. 6 being the strongest, delightfully tangy and creamy. It would be lovely in this recipe if you can't get pecorino.
For a medium sized Pizza ai Quattro Formaggi pizza you will need sufficient dough from the standard dough recipe above. Plus about 2 oz / a little less than 1/2 cup / 50 g each of mozarella, fontina, gorgonzola, all diced into small pieces and the same amount of parmesan, freshly grated through the large holes in the grater. Also 2 tablespoons of green fruity olive oil, a little salt and a generous spray of freshly ground black pepper.
Oven temperature 425 F / 220 C / Gas 7
While the oven is heating, roll the dough into a circle and leave it to rest either on a lightly oiled tin or a floured wooden peel for the time method of baking.
When the oven is ready, dress the pizza. First smear some of the olive oil over the surface of the dough to encourage the chees to meld in with the base. Next sprinkle on the pieces of cheese, mixing them up together, then dust them all over with the grated parmesan and add a little salt and a spray of pepper. Finally dribble on the remaining olive oil.
Put the pizza in the oven, either in its tin or by sliding off the wooden peel on to the hot tiles. Let it cook for about 20 minutes on a middle shelf until the crust is golden. If the pizza seems to be cooking too fast and the topping is in danger of drying out, you can always turn down the temperature a little after about 12 minutes.
Aunty wrote, "This pizza is unfashionably thick and very soft and moist, but a delicious crust forms on the bottom, and the dough is the perfect creamy foil for rich toppings (especially tomato-based toppings such as leftover pasta sauce). I also love this pizza because it requires no kneading and can be stirred together in a couple of minutes."
200 ml boiling water
200 ml cold milk
1 teaspoon dried yeast
8 oz / 250 g leftover cooked polenta
14 oz / 400 g plain flour
1½ teaspoons salt
olive oil
Combine the boiling water and cold milk in a large mixing bowl – this should give you a good tepid temperature for the yeast. Stir in the yeast and leave for 10 minutes or so to activate.
Add the polenta and mash it into the milk until free of lumps. Add the flour and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Put a generous slosh of oil in a large tray (or a large skillet as I have used) – the larger the better, as you don’t want the pizza to be really thick – and spread the oil out. Spoon in the dough and spread it to the edges. Leave to rise in a warm place for 1–2 hours, or until it has almost doubled.
Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C / gas 6.
Put your topping on the pizza. Put the pizza into the hot oven and cook for about 30 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom.
Aunty wrote, "Fresh figs are often paired with prosciutto on a pizza, which is delicious, but this simple vegetarian combination is great too – just figs, feta, black pepper and a drizzle of unpasteurized wild thyme or lavender honey."
Use the standard pizza dough recipe. To which add when the dough has risen:
sliced figs
crumbled feta
black pepper
honey
olive oil
torn basil or parsley
To make the fig pizza, cover the base with sliced figs, leaving small gaps in between. Scatter generously with feta. Grind on some black pepper, and drizzle with a heaped teaspoon of honey. Drizzle with a little oil. Cook in a hot oven (or barbecue) until the base is golden and crisp. Scatter with the torn basil or parsley to serve.
You can use either the standard dough recipe above, or to serve 4 to 6 people this pizza dough recipe below.
4 cups flour (usinghalf white,half wholemeal)
2 teaspoons dried active yeast
1 heaped teaspoon salt
a little fruity green olive oil
splash of milk
warm water
thick slice of butter
3 leeks, sliced
salt and pepper
a thin sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese (or strong cheddar)
roast pumpkin
4 large anchovies, cut into small pieces
freshly grated nutmeg
extra-virgin olive oil
chopped parsley or torn basil
Put the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl, then add the oil and milk. Add enough warm water, stirring it in with your hands, until you have a slightly sticky dough. Knead on a work surface for 5–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Return to the bowl, cover, and leave to rise until doubled. This can take 1½ or more hours depending on the weather, so make sure you do it early enough in the day if the forecast is going to be hot.
Combine the butter and leek in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring regularly, for 10 to 15 minutes until soft. Season with around half a teaspoon salt (or more to taste) and some fresh ground black pepper.
Knock the air out of the dough and divide into 2 balls if making round pizzas. Roll out on a floured surface and place on oiled trays / tray.
Spread the leek over the top. Add a thin sprinkling of cheese. Dot with cubes of roast pumpkin. Scatter with the anchovy pieces, and sprinkle with a generous amount of grated nutmeg. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Cook in a hot oven (400 F / 200 C ) until the base is golden and crisp. Scatter with parsley or town basil if preferred, slice and serve.
Aunty Peg was so fond of pissadaliere that she drew pictures of this wonderful meal in her notebook in pen and black ink. It's not a lot different from that similar pizza known in Italy. In it, anchovies are used. These strongly flavoured fish are either loved or hated. So if hated, change to pieces of sun dried tomato* Pissadaliere can be eaten hot or cold.
* Note about sun dried tomatoes. Oven dring them is just as good and cheaper and taste far better than shop bought. See how at the bottom of this recipe.
* Note about olives. Most black olives are chemically treated unless from Provence where black olives grow naturally, otherwise use green olives with stone-in because only stone-ins have the best flavour. Be sure to warn guests of the stones!
Tip, make ahead. Aunty Peg suggests making the dough the day before and prove in the fridge overnight. The filling can also be made in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature before using.
Dough ingredients for Pissadaliere
1¼ cups warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dried active yeast
2½ cups flour
pinch of salt
a glug of extra-virgin olive oil
For the topping
4 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (not the very expensive stuff)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
100 gram jar of anchovies, drained, each fillet cut into 2-3 pieces
a few handfuls of green olives with their stones in
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
To make the dough mix together the warm water and sugar in a small bowl. Stir in yeast and set aside in a warm place for 5-10 minutes or until frothy.
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl, pour in the frothy yeast mixture and about a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix to a dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes. Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer with a dough hook for 4-5 minutes.
Return to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm. Set aside for 1-1½ hours or until it has doubled in bulk.
Now while the dough is rising, cook the onions gently in olive oil until soft but not brown. Stir in balsamic vinegar and fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cool.
Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2-3 minutes then roll out to a rectangle 25cm x 35cm. Place on a greased and lined baking tray. Spread onion mixture over dough. Scatter with anchovies (if using), olives and red-pepper strips. Brush exposed dough edge with oil. Leave uncovered to rise for 15-20 minutes.
Bake at 230ºC for 15-20 minutes or until golden and well risen. Cool on a wire rack.
How to oven dry tomatoes is very easy I used to watch Peg oven drying her tomatoes. It only took about 10 minutes and 1½ hours to cook
750g ripe vine-ripened or plum tomatoes
a little olive oil for greasing
1½ tsp sea salt
Preheat the oven to 240°C/fan220°C/gas 9.
Cut the tomatoes in half lengthways through the stalk end and place cut-side up in a lightly oiled shallow roasting tin.
Sprinkle over the sea salt and spray over some black pepper from the mill. Roast for 15 minutes.
Reduce the oven to 150°C/fan130°C/gas 2 and roast for 1¼-1½ hours more, depending on their size, until they have shrunk by about half but are still slightly juicy in the centre.
Remove and leave to cool. You can store the oven-dried tomatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
You can of course, double the inngredients. At my bed & breakfast we oven dry tomatoes at least twice a week. That's how popular they are among our guests!
* I should have a couple of home recipe for marinating olives, so will share it later.
1 kg. olives
a sprig of thyme
a sprig of oregano
1 lemon
5 cloves of garlic
1 bayleaf
a piece of fennel
a teaspoon of peppercorns
1 part of vinegar to 4 parts of water
Split the olives using a hammer or a wooden spoon
Put them in a bowl and cover with water.
Change the water every day until the olives become less bitter. It should take between 5 and 7 days
Put all the other ingredients into one large jar or plastic container (or several small ones) which can be properly sealed. Add the olives. Leave for at least a month, so that the flavours can blend before starting to use them.
i mean i have made my own pizza before. And when i say “made” i mean i brought the asda pizza base and then put the toppings on 😂and it did taste better
When i feel more creative tho. - I should try making the base myself and doing something like these
thanks for sharing
This lemon cordial recipe is much easier than most. The cordial can then be diluted with water, or spritzed up using fizzy tonic water or soda water.
Ingredients
675g / 1½lbs white granulated sugar
1.2lt (about 2 pints) filtered water, boiled then cooled
7 large unwaxed organic lemons
Tip: choose only thin-skinned lemons as they will contain more juice than thick skinned. Roll the lemons on the worktop. This gets more juice out of them.
1. First, boil filtered water and let cool in the kettle. Cooled it will retain the health giving Vitamin C of the lemons.
2. While the water cools, wash the lemons in warm water and pat dry.
3. Pour the sugar into a large heat-proof bowl.
4. Finely peel the lemons with a lemon zester, squeeze their juice and pour both over the sugar. Then pour the cooled water over.
5. Using a wooden spoon, dissolve all the sugar.
6. Pour the liquid into a clean, dry bottle, sealing securely and put in the fridge to chill down.
In the fridge the cordial will last up to 6 weeks.