Masterclasses Displaying items by tag: pizza bianca
Pizza and Tips
Romans baked a flat bread known as picea; centuries later it was still popular, but had changed from a plain bread to something similar to the pizza we know today.
Ferdinand II, the Bourbon monarch, loved the pizzas of famous pizzaiolo Don Domenico Testa so much that he made him a monzu (from the French word monsieur), which in 18th-century Naples was an honour normally reserved for the great French chefs who cooked for the rich. Ferdinand even had pizza ovens built in his garden so that he and guests could enjoy this Neapolitan delight.
In the book Usi e costumi di Napoli e contorni, published in 1858, Emanuele Rocco wrote that pizza, as it was called by then, could be finished with an assortment of toppings, such as basil, fish, cheese and oil. If you were to fold this over it would be known as pizza calzone.
In 1861, Umberto I, from the House of Savoy, came to the throne of Naples and visited the city. His wife Margherita was presented with a pizza by the chef Raffaele Esposito which was topped with ingredients in the colours of the -unified Italy - red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil - hence the Pizza Margherita.
Pizza, like everything else, differs across the country. In Naples, the crust is thicker than elsewhere in Italy. This helps keep the filling inside the parameters of the circle of dough. They are also more generous with their toppings in Naples. In Rome, the pizzas have thinner bases or are often made as tray pizzas.
Tips
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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.
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...
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Pizza Bianca
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MAKES 4 pizzas or 4 servings
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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. |
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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. 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. Buon appetito ! |
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