Pizzer
We love pizza and live in a town that has NO good pizza. Not one slice. My friend Marie used the say, “The best pizza in the Keys is DiGiorno.” And we tried that too. But still, not GOOD pizza. Our favorite place in the world to get pizza was five minutes from our marina in East Boston- Santarpio’s. Anyone in the Boston area who hasn’t tried the sausage and garlic pie should make a bee-line for this old-school awesomeness. I’d order one on the way home from work and pick it up via the backdoor of the kitchen. Cash only. Always amazing.
But back to us. Our first homemade pizza recipe appeared on the old blog almost 3 years ago. It’s still a great recipe. Problem is, we’re about to move aboard and use an oven that can’t accommodate a traditional cookie sheet. When I saw the America’s Test Kitchen deep dish recipe using cake pans, I knew we had our next experiment. I’ve made it three times and it gets better and better. Try it, you won’t regret it. And the old, healthier recipe is also below.
Deep Dish Pizza
Makes two 9-inch pizzas serving 4 to 6
Dough:
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup skim milk plus 2 additional tablespoons, warmed to 110 degrees
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for counter
1 package instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Topping:
1 1/3 cups tomato sauce
1/2 pound shredded mozzarella, along with bits of any other cheese you like. I use cheddar, Parmesan, Asiago, fresh mozzarella, any of it.
I haven’t experimented with toppings beyond cheese. But I aspire to. Some Zen master says somewhere, “There’s always another pizza.”
1. Mix milk, sugar, and 2 tablespoons oil in measuring cup. Mix the flour, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, then pour the milk mixture into the well. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the dough becomes shaggy and difficult to stir. Turn out onto a heavily floured work surface and knead, incorporating any shaggy scraps. Knead until the dough is smooth, about 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the top and spin ball of dough to coat thoroughly. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for about an hour.
2. Oil two cake pans with 3 tbs. olive oil each (non-negotiable). Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, divide in half, and lightly roll each half into ball. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll and shape dough into 9 1/2-inch round and press into pan. Cover with towel and set in warm spot (not in oven) until puffy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Remove towel. Ladle 2/3 cup sauce (I use jarred pasta sauce, and occasionally make my own) on each round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 cups cheese and any toppings. Bake until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let pizzas rest in pans for 1 minute. Using spatula, transfer pizzas to cutting board and cut each into 8 wedges. Serve.
Pizza Sophia
dough:
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tbs dried yeast (or 1 packet, if that’s what you’ve got!)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs honey
1 tbs flaxseed meal (optional)
1 tsp salt
2 1/2- 4 cups unbleached white flour (I rarely measure anymore)
Combine the yeast, water, honey, and olive oil in a big bowl. Stir to dissolve yeast. Wait about 5 minutes, until yeast bubbles. Add salt, flax, and work in flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until dough comes together. It shouldn’t be dry- slightly sticky is what you’re looking for. Knead until dough it is smooth and has some ‘give.’ Drizzle with oil and turn to coat, then cover with a damp towel and put in a warm place. I have a big mixing bowl and having worked with bread on the boat, I try never to take it out of the bowl!
When it’s risen (about 2 hours later), sprinkle with flour and stretch it onto a cookie sheet or pan of your choice. We then spoon on some jarred pasta sauce (Newman’s Own Organic is good), thinly. Then break up about a 1/2 pound of fresh mozzarella cheese (Squeeze the excess moisture out with a paper towel so the pizza isn’t sopping wet), sprinkle over the top. When I have it, I’ll sprinkle on some Pecorino or Parmesan, freshly grated. Sharp cheddar is also delicious. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until cheese is golden. Cool for 10 minutes, season with fresh pepper, salt, and fresh herbs if you’d like, and devour. Oh we love this.
