Pizza Margherita
Pizza Margherita
A traditional Napels Pizza Margherita
2.5 cups warm water
7 cups flour (In Italy Doppio Zero flour/in America all Purpose will work)
2.5-3 tbsp fresh yeast (If using dried yeast use 2 tbsp)
6 tbsp olive oil (Extra virgin)
1.5 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
Combine yeast into medium bowl containing warm water. stir until yeast dissolved.
To be a true Italian place all the flour on the table in the shape of a volcano.
Pour the warm water and yeast mixture into the center of your flour volcano.
Kneed ingredients together for 10-15 minutes until a smooth yet elastic dough is formed. be sure to keep your surface floured to avoid your dough sticking to the counter.
In another bowl coat the sides with the olive oil, place the dough inside, turning the dough to ensure the top is covered too.
Cover and proof for 4 hours
Preheat oven to 400 F/ 200 C
Remove dough from bowl and place on floured surface. Kneed and fold dough ensuring you get all of air bubbles that may remain in the dough.
Divide the dough and let it sit for 15 min.
Roll each section of dough into a circle roughly 12 inches in diameter. Less if you are wanting a thicker crust.
Place dough on oiled baking sheet
Add sauce to the majority of the pizza leaving a portion toward the edge to brush with olive oil for a nice crust.
Bake pizza with only the sauce for 10 minutes. Add mozzarella and optional toppings you may want and return to oven until cheese has melted and the crust is browned on top and bottom.
Once the pizza is browned pull from oven and garnish with basil. Most importantly Enjoy!
You can't think of Italian food without thinking of the classic Italian pizza. Pizza Margarita gets t name from an Italian Queen of the same name. As she traveled through Naples in 1889 when she came across this newly created dish. At the time "pizza" as we know it today consisted of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. Queen Margherita contributed to the popularity and branding of the new dish.
In Italy there are two camps for pizza lovers. The Neapolitan-style pizza and the Roman-style pizza. The Neapolitan call for a thicker and fluffier crust. This tends to make the pizza itself smaller due to the limited amount of rolling out of dough required. Where the Roman style pizza crust is thin with a hint of a crunch. This style is larger in circumference and lighter on the belly.
As a rule of thumb however when in Naples you will go with the Neapolitan-style pizza. likewise when you are traveling through Rome , Roman style is the way to go.