Almost everyone likes pizza in one form or another. Food items sold as 'pizza' in Hungary greatly differ from ones sold under that name in Norway or the US. And while I've never been to Italy, I'm sure Italian pizza is yet another business.
However, as pizza happens to be my favorite person's favorite meal (in this statement pizza covers all popular kitchen interpretations of the word), I simply had to learn how to make it.
Living in various dorm environments with limited access to cooking equipment and a decent oven, the process took shamefully long. The initial versions consisted of a basic yeast dough liberally slathered with ketchup, topped with whatever cold cut and cheese we could snatch from the dining halls. My dorm mates always ate it with great gusto. I realized later that this did not reflect the quality of the final product. We were always hungry. Nevertheless, their enthusiasm served as sufficient encouragement to continue perfecting my skill.
Though I still don't have a good oven or a baking stone, the recipe shared here is the best and quickest of the many I have tried over the years. The original idea came from Tammy's blog (listed among my references).
It yields soft but crispy edges, the bottom is usually golden brown and the pizza is never soggy. Various toppings can be applied, here I'm going to describe a white pizza.
Pizza Dough
Ingredients
3/4 cup warm water
2tbsp olive oil
2.5 cups flour
1tsp salt
1tsp sugar
1tbsp dry yeast
Preparation
In a medium bowl mix 3/4 cup warm water, 1tsp sugar and 2tbsp olive oil. Add 1.5 cups of all purpose flour, mix thoroughly. Add 1 more cup of flour, 1tsp salt and 1tbsp dry yeast.
Mix and knead on a lightly floured surface for 2-3 minutes. The dough should be elastic but not sticky. Pour a spoonful of olive oil on the bottom of a medium bowl and turn the dough in it to lightly coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 45-60 minutes in a warm place. (Use 'new' yeast or one you know is functional, since this recipe does not call for proofing the yeast your dough will fail to rise if the yeast is dead.)
While the yeast is at work, you can prepare the topping.
Topping
Ingredients
12 garlic cloves
2/3 cup ricotta cheese (or turo)
300g (10oz) frozen spinach leaves
2tbsp olive oil
5-6 slices of bacon
200g of mozzarella cheese
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Peal 12 garlic cloves leaving only one layer of skin. Take a piece of aluminum foil and add the garlic cloves, a spoonful of water and a spoonful of olive oil to it. Toss the garlic to coat in the liquid and wrap it into the foil. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
When done, turn off the oven and remove the garlic. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Squeeze out from the skin and mash with 1 spoonful of olive oil. Set aside.
Take a few thin slices of bacon and cook until crispy. Remove from the grease and cut into 1cm (0.5 inch) pieces. Dispose of most of the bacon grease from the pan, leaving a tiny amount.
Microwave 300g (10 ounces) of frozen spinach until soft. Drain the liquid from the spinach and cook it with a bit of salt and black pepper in the pan coated with bacon grease. Set aside.
Take 2/3 cup of ricotta cheese and lightly spice it with your choice of spices. I used Piros Arany (a Hungarian spicy sauce prepared from crushed red peppers) and a little bit of salt.
When your pizza dough is ready, coat your pizza pan with olive oil lightly (I use a 15 inch pan to yield a medium thick crust). Pour the dough on the baking sheet without deflating it. Press it into the shape starting from the center and never deflating the edges. Fold over one half of the dough and sprinkle the pan with cornmeal or semolina. Repeat with the other half. Your dough should look like mine on the above picture (unless you are using a rectangular shape :-)
Spread the garlic paste on the dough and distribute your spinach and bacon bits on top.
Distribute dollops of ricotta cheese on the crust and finally top with mozzarella. Brush the edge of the pizza with a bit of olive oil. Place one of your oven racks on the very top slot, putting the pizza pan on the middle of this top shelf. Turn on your oven to 210°C (410°F). Don't preheat the oven!
After 12 minutes remove your pizza pan and rotate your pizza in it. Brush the edges with olive oil again. Cook for ~15 more minutes. By this time the bottom and top of your pizza should be golden brown. Ovens vary, so you will need to adjust these final steps based on your oven.
When done, slide pizza onto a cookie rack and allow to cool for a few minutes. Slice on a cutting board and serve.
Jo etvagyat! (Bon Appetit!)
I usually top this pizza crust with a tomato sauce, meats and veggies. I will share that recipe later. If you try some great toppings, or if you happen to have an ultimate pizza recipe, please share!
However, as pizza happens to be my favorite person's favorite meal (in this statement pizza covers all popular kitchen interpretations of the word), I simply had to learn how to make it.
Living in various dorm environments with limited access to cooking equipment and a decent oven, the process took shamefully long. The initial versions consisted of a basic yeast dough liberally slathered with ketchup, topped with whatever cold cut and cheese we could snatch from the dining halls. My dorm mates always ate it with great gusto. I realized later that this did not reflect the quality of the final product. We were always hungry. Nevertheless, their enthusiasm served as sufficient encouragement to continue perfecting my skill.
Though I still don't have a good oven or a baking stone, the recipe shared here is the best and quickest of the many I have tried over the years. The original idea came from Tammy's blog (listed among my references).
It yields soft but crispy edges, the bottom is usually golden brown and the pizza is never soggy. Various toppings can be applied, here I'm going to describe a white pizza.
Pizza Dough
Ingredients
3/4 cup warm water
2tbsp olive oil
2.5 cups flour
1tsp salt
1tsp sugar
1tbsp dry yeast
Preparation
In a medium bowl mix 3/4 cup warm water, 1tsp sugar and 2tbsp olive oil. Add 1.5 cups of all purpose flour, mix thoroughly. Add 1 more cup of flour, 1tsp salt and 1tbsp dry yeast.
Mix and knead on a lightly floured surface for 2-3 minutes. The dough should be elastic but not sticky. Pour a spoonful of olive oil on the bottom of a medium bowl and turn the dough in it to lightly coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 45-60 minutes in a warm place. (Use 'new' yeast or one you know is functional, since this recipe does not call for proofing the yeast your dough will fail to rise if the yeast is dead.)
While the yeast is at work, you can prepare the topping.
Topping
Ingredients
12 garlic cloves
2/3 cup ricotta cheese (or turo)
300g (10oz) frozen spinach leaves
2tbsp olive oil
5-6 slices of bacon
200g of mozzarella cheese
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Peal 12 garlic cloves leaving only one layer of skin. Take a piece of aluminum foil and add the garlic cloves, a spoonful of water and a spoonful of olive oil to it. Toss the garlic to coat in the liquid and wrap it into the foil. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
When done, turn off the oven and remove the garlic. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Squeeze out from the skin and mash with 1 spoonful of olive oil. Set aside.
Take a few thin slices of bacon and cook until crispy. Remove from the grease and cut into 1cm (0.5 inch) pieces. Dispose of most of the bacon grease from the pan, leaving a tiny amount.
Microwave 300g (10 ounces) of frozen spinach until soft. Drain the liquid from the spinach and cook it with a bit of salt and black pepper in the pan coated with bacon grease. Set aside.
Take 2/3 cup of ricotta cheese and lightly spice it with your choice of spices. I used Piros Arany (a Hungarian spicy sauce prepared from crushed red peppers) and a little bit of salt.
When your pizza dough is ready, coat your pizza pan with olive oil lightly (I use a 15 inch pan to yield a medium thick crust). Pour the dough on the baking sheet without deflating it. Press it into the shape starting from the center and never deflating the edges. Fold over one half of the dough and sprinkle the pan with cornmeal or semolina. Repeat with the other half. Your dough should look like mine on the above picture (unless you are using a rectangular shape :-)
Spread the garlic paste on the dough and distribute your spinach and bacon bits on top.
Distribute dollops of ricotta cheese on the crust and finally top with mozzarella. Brush the edge of the pizza with a bit of olive oil. Place one of your oven racks on the very top slot, putting the pizza pan on the middle of this top shelf. Turn on your oven to 210°C (410°F). Don't preheat the oven!After 12 minutes remove your pizza pan and rotate your pizza in it. Brush the edges with olive oil again. Cook for ~15 more minutes. By this time the bottom and top of your pizza should be golden brown. Ovens vary, so you will need to adjust these final steps based on your oven.
When done, slide pizza onto a cookie rack and allow to cool for a few minutes. Slice on a cutting board and serve.
Jo etvagyat! (Bon Appetit!)
I usually top this pizza crust with a tomato sauce, meats and veggies. I will share that recipe later. If you try some great toppings, or if you happen to have an ultimate pizza recipe, please share!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who has fallen prey to ricotta and spinach.
ReplyDeleteI've been a fan of spinach since I first had it in elementary school (no one ever used it at home). Ricotta is something new. I came across it during my search for a turo replacement.
ReplyDeleteDo you like it herbed and stuffed into pasta shells? That's pretty tasty too...
Speaking from experience I can vouch that, when dormitory students are involved, quantity of [insert food item] is much preferred to quality of said item. If said item happens to have ketchup, cheese and a decent amount of carbs, it's an instawinner.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong though, I can also vouch that the white pizza lacks no quality! I can subside of white pizza for days if not weeks :)