As you may have guessed from my post on Monday, I’ll be OOO next week. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be writing and it definitely doesn’t mean you won’t hear about what I ate for dinner! When I return on 07/13, I’ll do a short overview of interesting things I consumed while away from screens. I bet food will taste better the longer I go without blue light, don’t you?
Today, a parting gift— a few hot tips for making pizza. Tonight I’m topping mine with pureed leftover ratatouille, mozzarella, feta and kalamata olives.
Store your dough in around container if you’re making a round pizza. That way you won’t be trying to coax a square into a circle.
Let your dough come to room temp before stretching.
After you smash it into a small disc, let it rest again. 5-10 minutes before you stretch it to its final size will prevent it from resisting too much.
The part of the crust that is just bread, no toppings, will rise A LOT! So make it smaller than you think is right.
If your stretched dough has an uneven thickness, use the back of a spoon and the slip of your sauce to gently press out the thicker parts.
Parchment paper is your friend. Turn a sheet pan upside down and line the top with parchment. Put your stretched dough on it, add your toppings, then slide the parchment and pizza off the sheet pan onto a baking stone. No peel required.
Use semolina for great texture! Lightly dust your parchment paper with semolina to get the bottom of a pizza extra crispy.
Oil the outer crust. It’s just so delicious and a fun opportunity to add extra flavor (hello, garlic)! It will also help a younger dough brown in the oven (older doughs often brown well without oil).
Salt ‘n’ squeeze any raw vegetables. To avoid a soggy pizza, let thinly sliced veg sit with salt for at least 20 minutes. Then squeeze out any excess liquid (or pat gently for something like tomatoes). Whatever oil you’re using for the crust, give the veg a light drizzle as well.
Let it rest, yes, AGAIN! Especially if your pizza comes out of the oven looking a little too wet or too greasy, a 3-5 minute rest before slicing may help it set.
Alright then, smell y’all later!