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| My husband and I recently returned from our first trip to Tuscany. We were on our own, not part of a tour group, and most of the trip was wonderful but sometimes it was horrible. It was Italy. Our credo was “We’re just here for lunch. If we see a few frescos and an occasional Madonna, that’s a bonus. But we’re really here just for lunch.” That’s a good philosophy to have when you’re stranded in Poggibonsi because the last bus driver has stolen your return tickets back to Sienna. You have lunch. And what a lunch it was. Everywhere we went the food was wonderful. Now that we are home, I have been trying to duplicate some of that fabulous food. I thought that I made pretty good pizza before we went to Italy but the pizza we had there was quite different and even better. After a few misses, I have finally been able to duplicate the taste and texture of the real stuff. Italian pizza has simple extremely thin crust, minimal toppings and fresh whole milk mozzarella. The cheese was the key. Forget trying to make the best pizza with most supermarket cheese. That low fat plasticized lump with a two-month shelf life just doesn’t have the right flavor. Fresh mozzarella is softer, almost like a firm ricotta and has much more flavor. It is sold in eight-ounce balls, packed in whey and has a much shorter shelf life. It is available at Costco and Whole Foods. Sue Kleber |
Crust 2 tsp yeast 2 tsp sugar 3/4 cup warm water 3/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cup bread flour Dissolve the sugar and the yeast in the warm water and allow to proof for ten minutes until it bubbles. Put one cup of flour and the salt into the bowl of a mixer with a paddle beater and add the liquid. Beat on low until the mixture forms long strands which will happen as the gluten develops. Switch to a dough hook attachment and add flour until you have a very soft dough. Machine knead for about ten minutes, adding flour if the dough sticks to the bowl. Put 1/4 cup flour in a zipper plastic bag, seal and shake to distribute the flour. Add dough ball and put the zipped bag in a bowl of warm water to rise. Punch down after an hour and allow to rise again. Sauce 14 1/2 oz can peeled diced tomatoes in juice 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp crushed dried oregano 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes Drain tomatoes and chop finely. Put tomato pulp into a bowl and add spices. Allow 10 minutes for flavors to develop. Assembly Put a pizza stone on the top shelf of your oven and pre-heat at 475 for at least 20 minutes. Divide dough into two portions and roll one into as thin a circle as possible. Transfer to a peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread on half the sauce and eight ounces of cheese and a few shreds of fresh basil. Bake for about 12 minutes. |
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Courtesy of:
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Real Estate & Living
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www.somocorealestate.com
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