Easy Italian Recipes

I normally use strong flour for making pizza, but this does make the dough so elastic that when you roll it into shape it can spring back. I gleaned a tip from Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall to help avoid this: mix strong and plain flours (or `0' and '00' flours) together.

Many pizzaioli make pizza balls the night before and leave them in the fridge overnight to rise slowly. This gives a better flavour to the dough and reduces work next day.

Pizza are usually baked at 400`C, but in a domestic oven just turn it up as high as you can. Don't forget that you are trying to imitate the wood-burning pizza ovens of Italian restaurants! Put a baking tray or a pizza stone into the oven first to get really hot, which will help to get the base crisp. If you turn the baking trays upside down so that there is no lip, you can slide the pizzas easily in and out of the oven.

To make pizza bianca just drizzle hot pizza bread with your best olive oil, a little chopped garlic and some sea salt. For other pizzas it is important that there is not too much topping, or the base will be soggy. But too little topping and your pizza will be dry...

In Naples, pizza is often made with fior di latte mozzarella made with cow's milk. This is because the very fresh mozzarella, traditionally made with buffalo milk, is very watery and would make the pizza soggy. I still like using buffalo mozzarella, but I let it drain first in a sieve.

 MAKES 12 inch (30 cm) pizzas

2 packages active dry yeast (about 3 teaspoons)

4-4 ¹/2 cups (20-22 ¹/2 oz/625-705 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, plus more for dusting

2 teaspoons salt

Olive oil

Semolina flour for dusting

Pour 1¹/2 cups (12 fI oz/350 ml) lukewarm water (100^°-110°F/30°-43°C) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let stand until foamy, 5 minutes. Place the bowl on the mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add ¹/2 cup (2¹/2 oz/75 g) of the flour and the salt; mix until combined. Add the remaining flour, about ¹/2 cup at a time, continuing to mix until all of the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Knead with the dough hook until the dough is smooth but not sticky, about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, divide into 4 portions, then shape each into a ball.

Rub each ball with oil, and lightly oil a baking sheet. Place the balls on the baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, 2 hours. Use as directed in the recipe. Alternatively, shape the dough into a large round, coat with oil, then place in a zippered plastic bag. Place in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 4 equal balls. Transfer the balls to a baking sheet and allow to come to room temperature, about 1 hour. Use as directed in the recipe.

Buon appetito !

Pizza History

Flat breads are an ancient tradition round the Mediterranean. Perhaps of ancient Persian origin, such bread was introduced to Magna Graecia (southern Italy) by its earliest Greek colonists.

Pizza arguably has its first literary mention in Book VII of Virgil's Aeneid: 'Their homely fare dispatch’d, the hungry band/Invade their trenchers next, and soon devour,/To mend the scanty meal, their cakes of flour./Ascanius this observ’d, and smiling said:/“See, we devour the plates on which we fed.”' In the 3rd century B.C., the first history of Rome, written by Marcus Porcius Cato, mentions a "flat round of dough dressed with olive oil, herbs, and honey baked on stones". Further evidence is found in 79 A.D. from the remains of Pompeii; archeologists excavated shops that closely resemble a present day pizzeria.

The tomato was first believed to be poisonous (as most other fruits of the nightshade family are), when it came to Europe in the 16th century. However, by the late 18th century even the poor of the area around Naples added it as an ingredient to their yeast-based flat bread, and the dish gained in popularity. Pizza became a tourist attraction, and visitors to Naples ventured into the poorer areas of the city to try the local specialty.

The earliest pizzeria opened in 1830 at Via Port'Alba 18 in Naples and is still in business today. Pizza was still considered "poor man's food" in 1889 when Rafaele Esposito, the most famous pizzaiolo of Naples, was summoned before King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy to prepare the local specialty. It is said that he made two traditional ones and additionally created one in the colours of the Italian flag with red tomato sauce, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil leaves. The Queen was delighted and "pizza Margherita" was born.

An Italian immigrant to the US in 1897 named Gennaro Lombardi opened a small grocery store in New York's Little Italy. An employee of his, Antonio Totonno Pero (also an Italian immigrant) began making pizza for the store to sell. Their pizza became so popular, Lombardi opened the first US pizzeria in 1905, naming it simply Lombardi's. In 1924, Totonno left Lombardi's to open his own pizzeria on Coney Island called Totonno's. At this point in time in the U.S., pizza consumption was still limited mostly to the Italian immigrant crowd.

The international breakthrough came after World War II. Although the birthplace of modern day pizza is Naples, local bakers were at a loss to satisfy the demand from American soldiers. While the American troops involved in the Italian campaign took their appreciation for the dish back home, the millions of Italians called to help rebuild the damaged economy introduced their cuisine to the rest of Europe.

With the rising popularity in the 1950s, especially in the US, pizza became a component of the growing chain-restaurant industry. Some leading early pizza chains were Shakey's Pizza (which invented the term pizza parlor; formerly, the term pizzeria was preferred) and Pizza Hut (now owned by Yum! Brands, Inc.), both founded in 1954, the former in Sacramento and the latter in Wichita. Some later entrants to the dine-in pizza market were Happy Joe's, California Pizza Kitchen, and Round Table Pizza. The pizza business today is dominated by companies that specialize in home delivery (or serve it that way exclusively), including Domino's Pizza, Little Caesar's, and Papa John's Pizza. Even Pizza Hut has shifted its emphasis away from pizza parlors and toward home delivery. These national pizza chains often coexist with locally owned and operated pizza chains and independent restaurants. Because pizzas can be made quickly and are easily transported, most pizza restaurants in the United States offer call-in pizza delivery services. The lack of such delivery services at the time in England was the focus of an extended passage in the Douglas Adams novel The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul.

In most developed countries, pizza is also found in supermarkets as a frozen food. Considerable amounts of food technology has gone into the creation of palatable frozen pizzas. The main challenges include preventing the sauce from combining with the dough and producing a crust that can be frozen and reheated without becoming rigid. Modified corn starch is commonly used as a moisture barrier between the sauce and crust; traditionally the dough is somewhat pre-baked and other ingredients are also sometimes pre-cooked; lately, frozen pizzas with completely raw ingredients have also begun to appear.

 MAKES 4 12 inch (30 cm) pizzas

For the dough
- 2 packages active dry yeast (about 3 teaspoons)
- 4-4 1/2 cups (20-221/2 oz/ 625-705 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Olive oil
- Semolina flour for dusting
For the sauce
- 1 can (28 oz/875 g) Italian plum (Roma) tomatoes, crushed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 lb (500 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced, well drained, and blotted dry
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated pecorino romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- About 30 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

You will find at least one pizzeria-and usually more-in every Italian town, and the best have wood-burning ovens twice as hot as the average home oven. They asso have talented pizzaioli (pizza makers) who pull and twirl the balls of dough to the size of a plate and to a thinness that ensures a crisp crust. Just three ingredients, tomato, mozzarella, and basii, top this Neapolitan classic, which was created in the late nineteenth century to commemorate the visit of Queen Margherita.

To make the dough, pour 1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz/375 ml) lukewarm water (100°-110°F/ 30°-43°C) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let stand until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes. Place the bowl on the mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz/75 g) of the flour and the salt; mix until combined. Add the remaining flour about 1/2 cup at a time, continuing to mix until all of the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Knead with the dough hook until the dough is smooth but not sticky, about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, divide into 4 portions, then shape each into a ball. Rub each ball with oil, and lightly a baking sheet. Place the balls on the baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm piace, such as on top of the stove, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Alternatively, shape the dough into a large round, coat with olive oil, then piace in a large zippered plastic bag. Press out any excess air, and piace in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake the pizzas, remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 4 equal balls. Transfer the balls to a rimmed baking sheet and allow to come to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a blender or food processor, purée the tomatoes until smooth. Pour into a fine-mesh lieve placed over a bowl and let drain for about 30 minutes. Pour the drained tomatoes into a bowl and stir in the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place a pizza stone or unglazed ceramic tiles on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) about 30 minutes before baking. Lightly flour a work surface. Place 1 of the dough balls on the work surface, leaving the others under the plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk. Turn the disk over, sprinkle with additional flour, and, using your hands, stretch the dough into a 12-inch (30-cm) round, turning it over and dusting it regularly with flour as you work.

Dust a baker's peel or rimless baking sheet with semolina flour. Gently lay the dough round on top. Cover evenly with one-fourth of the tornato sauce, one-fourth of the mozzarella, and one-fourth of the pecorino. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, scatter with some of the basil leaves, and serve at once. Bake the remaining pizzas in the same way.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 6 Calzone

For the dough
- 2 packages active dry yeast (about 3 teaspoons)
- 4-4 1/2 cups (20-221/2 oz/ 625-705 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons sea salt Olive oil
For the filling
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 or 3 small red beli peppers (capsicums), seeded and thinly sliced
- Sea salt
- 1 Ib (500 g) Italian sweet fennel sausages, casings discarded and meat crumbled
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated pecorino romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

The most classic Italian filling for calzone, essentially a stuffed folded pizza, is ricotta and mozzarella, sometimes with the addition of prosciutto. Calzone lends itself to an array of fillings, in this case a spicy blend of fennel sausage, sweet red peppers, and salty pecorino. Experiment with different meats, vegetables, and cheeses, but make sure your filling is somewhat dry or you will end up with a soggy crust.

To make the dough, pour 11/2 cups (12 fl oz/375 ml) lukewarm water (100°-110°F/ 38°-43°C) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let stand until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes. Place the bowl on the mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add 1/2 cup (21/2 oz/75 g) of the flour and the salt; mix until combined. Add the remaining flour about 1/2 cup at a time, continuing to mix until all of the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Knead with the dough hook until the dough is smooth but not sticky, about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, divide into 6 portions, then shape each into a ball.

Rub each ball with oil, and lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Place the balls on the baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm piace, such as on top of the stove, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Alternatively, shape the dough into a large round, coat with olive oil, then piace in a large zippered plastic bag. Press out any excess air, and piace in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake the pizzas, remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 6 balls. Transfer the balls to a rimmed baking sheet and allow to come to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the filling. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the

olive oil. Add the peppers and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon water, cover, and cook until the peppers are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Add the sausage meat and the red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until the meat is browned. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) about 30 minutes before baking. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly flour a work surface. Place 1 of the dough balls on the work surface, leaving the others under the plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk. Turn the disk over, sprinkle with additional flour, and, using your hands, stretch the dough into an 8-inch (20-cm) round, turning it over and dusting it with flour as you work.

Place one-sixth of the filling in the center of the dough round and sprinkle with about one-sixth of the cheese. Lightly brush the edge of half of the dough circle with the egg mixture. Fold the dough in half over the filling and transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 5 dough balls. Crimp the edges with a fork and cut vents into the top of each. Brush the tops gently with the egg mixture. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven until the crust is crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Serve at once.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 4 pizzas or 4 servings

- 2 packages active dry yeast (about 3 teaspoons)
- 4-41/2 cups (20-22 1/2 oz/ 625-705 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, plus more for dusting
- Sea salt Olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, oregano, or thyme leaves

The beauty of pizza bianca, literally "white pizz", is in its simpiicity. A staple of Roman cuisine, this sublime flatbread is soft inside and golden brown on the outside. It is found on nearly every street corner in Rome, and is often split horizontally and stuffed with fresh ripe figs and prosciutto, mortadella and fresh mozzarella, arugula (rocket) and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, or tuna and artichoke hearts.

To make the dough, pour l'h cups (12 fl oz/375 ml) lukewarm water (100°-110°F/ 38°-43°C) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let stand until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes. Place the bowl on the mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add 1/2 cup (272 oz/75 g) of the flour and 2 teaspoons salt; mix until combined. Add the remaining flour about cup at a time, continuing to mix until all of the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Knead with the dough hook until the dough is smooth but not sticky, about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, divide into 4 portions, then shape each into a ball. Rub each ball with oil, and lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Place the balls on the baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm piace, such as on top of the stove, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
Alternatively, shape the dough into a large round, coat with oil, then piace in a large zippered plastic bag. Press out any excess air, and piace in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake the pizzas, remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 4 equa) balls. Transfer the balls to a rimmed baking sheet and allow to come to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) about 30 minutes before baking. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly flour a work surface. Place 1 of the dough balls on the work surface, leaving the others under the plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk. Turn the disk over, sprinkle with additional flour, and, using your hands, stretch the dough into a thin rectangle, turning it over and dusting it regularly with flour as you work. If the dough becomes resistant, let it rest for about 5 minutes before continuing.

Transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Brush the dough gently with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Using your fingers, dimple the dough all over, then sprinkle evenly with salt and about one-fourth of the garlic and rosemary.
Bake on the bottom rack of the oven unti] the crust is crisp and golden, about 7 minutes. Serve at once. Bake the remaining pizzas in the same way.

Buon appetito !