Rustic Tomato, Mozzarella, and Thyme Pizza

For me, it is the crust that makes a pizza perfect or not.  What I love is a crispy and savory crust with just the right amount of olive oil and sea salt.  Inspired by a favorite authentic Italian restaurant’s pizza, Il Fornaio, I decided to come home and research the technique behind making good pizza dough.  It’s actually so simple.

Make the dough the night before using type 0 or 00 wheat flour (not whole wheat), or a mixture of both; natural yeast or brewer’s yeast;  sea salt and water.  I love to add olive oil as well.  Knead the dough by hand or with a low-speed mixer using the dough hook attachment.  For this recipe, I used a technique called delayed fermenting which requires the dough to be wrapped in plastic and placed in the refrigerator overnight.

After the rising process, form the dough as much as possible by hand, reserving the rolling pin for necessity.  Make it as thin as you can.  Hand tossing is the best method to stretch the dough, but it is an art.  While I’d love to paint the picture for you that I was tossing the dough in the air like a professional; truth be told (and one flour finger printed glass of red later), it’s an art that I haven’t come close to mastering.  C’est la vie.  A pizza stone is preferred to create the crispiest crust, although I didn’t have mine with me and it turned out surprisingly well! And, the oven must be set to maximum heat. Keep an eye on it because it cooks fast.  Once cooked, it will be crispy and fragrant.

My philosophy with pizza toppings is the simpler the better.

Pizza Quattro Formaggi:  tomatoes, and the cheeses mozzarella, stracchino, fontina, and ricotta. Basically, you want  a balance of cheeses that have a soft, creamy texture with a mild and delicate flavor; contrasted by hard cheeses with a fairly pungent intense flavor.  With this in mind, substitute as you like.

Pizza e Fichi:  olive oil, sea salt, rosemary, and fresh figs.  There is nothing quite like the unique taste and texture of fresh figs. They are lusciously sweet with a texture that combines the ripe juiciness of their flesh, the smoothness of their skin, and the crunchiness of their seeds.

Pizza Margherita, named after Queen Margherita of Italy:  mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil. Classically made with San Marzano tomatoes which grow in the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius and mozzarella di bufala Campana which is made with milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio in semi-wild state.  It is pure and simple.

I used a wonderful Italian tomato paste  mixed with good olive oil.  It is an all natural concentrated paste that has an intense rich tomato flavor.  I topped it with fresh mozzarella and a hearty English thyme.  It was quick and divine.  What’s not to love?

If you are near an Il Fornaio, mostly located out West, it is an authentic Italian culinary experience that I highly recommend. Early morning brings rustic, European bread and Italian pastries hot from the oven and the rich scent of fresh brewed espresso.  In the afternoon, handmade pastas and earthy sauces simmer while meats and vegetables roast in a coal burning oven.  Bottles of wine, from small artisan regional wineries, are beautifully paired and uncorked to compliment the dishes.  Perfectly finished with a sampling of Italian gelatos.

I’ll be back with another pizza dough recipe soon using the traditional rising technique which is covered with a cloth and rises overnight at room temperature.   It is a recipe that has been in the family for generations.  It is closer to a flat bread in texture.  We make a sweet and savory version using the same dough.  The sweet version is called figasetta and the savory figassa.  My grandfather made it and always served it with hard Italian salami and a collection of cheeses.  My father makes it perfect in every way, too, and has continued the tradition when we gather for the holidays.   There is only one problem, there is no recipe. It’s one of those that is taught and to be made simply by the feel of the dough.  With that said, i’ll be working on developing the recipe.  So until then, my friends, pour a glass of wine and savor some time in the kitchen.  I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions regarding this recipe.

Rustic Tomato, Mozzarella, and Thyme Pizza

Ingredients:

For the dough:
4 1/2 c unbleached wheat flour, chilled (not whole wheat)
1 1/2 t salt
1 t yeast
4 T Fustini's Leccino Olive Oil
1 3/4 c water, ice cold
medium grind cornmeal for dusting

For the toppings:
1/2 c double concentrated Amore Italian tomato paste
1/4 c Fustini's Leccino Olive Oil
24 ounces fresh mozzarella
a generous bunch of fresh thyme, destemmed

Directions:

In a mixing bowl with the dough hook; stir the flour, salt, and yeast. Add in the oil and the cold water until the flour is completely absorbed. Mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes or until the dough is smooth. The dough should just come off the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, add a sprinkling of flour just until it clears the sides. The dough should be elastic and a bit sticky.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter. Divide the dough into 2 large or 6 small pieces. Lightly dust your hands with flour. Gently round each piece into a ball. Put a few tablespoons of olive oil on each ball. Place each dough ball in a ziploc and refrigerate to rest overnight or up to 3 days.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator a couple of hours before making the pizza. Dust the counter and each ball lightly with flour. Press the dough into 1/2 inch thick rounds and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap. Now, let it rest for a couple of hours.

Meanwhile, mix the tomato paste and olive oil in a bowl. Set aside. Thinly slice fresh mozzarella and pat dry with paper towel to soak up any water. Remove thyme leaves from the stem. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 500-800 degrees (basically, the hotter the better) 45-60 minutes before making the pizza. Not all stones are created equal, so be sure yours can withstand high heat. For gas ovens, place a baking stone on the floor of the oven. For electric (heaven forbid, I've got one at the moment, cry with me) place on the lowest rack in the oven. You can use a sheet pan, but do not preheat it. Every oven's heat varies. If the crust is cooking faster than the cheese, move the stone up a rack.

To hand roll the dough: flour a clean surface with medium grind cornmeal, hand roll dough as thin as possible. It will shrink back up a bit due to its' elastic nature.

To hand toss the dough: flour your hands well and gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by working the dough in a circular motion on your hands, stretching it with each round. Reflour your hands, then continue shaping it. Once the dough is about half stretched, move to a full toss. If you have trouble, let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes and try again.

Place the stretched dough on a generously cornmeal floured stone or sheet pan. Top your pizza with whatever toppings you like. I prefer to keep it simple: good italian tomato sauce, olive oil, fresh herbs, fresh buffalo mozzarella. Too many toppings weigh down the pizza and make it harder for the crust to cook evenly and crisp up.

Place in the hot oven and after a few minutes rotate 180 degrees for even baking. It will only take 4 to 8 minutes to bake, so keep a close eye on it.

Remove the pizza from the oven. Allow a few minutes before slicing as it is coming out of a very hot oven. Slice and serve.

Yields 2 large or 6 individual pizzas

Recipe adapted from Peter Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice, Napoletana Pizza Dough Recipe