If you have watched the sitcom Friends, then chances are you must have heard of ‘Joey’s special’. In the famous American television drama series, a character who is of Italian origin – Joey - loves to add pepperoni and sauces to his pizza. He orders a one-plus-one pizza and that is known as Joey’s Special Pizza.
Joey’s version aside, pizza is an all-time favourite – be it when watching a game, celebrating or just craving some cheese overload. Therefore, we got cracking on bringing a little backstory and a detailed on this popular staple.
Italians owe the popularisation of pizza to Americans, brought there by immigrants from the European nation. Otherwise, this flatbread was hardly known outside of its birthplace – Naples, in Italy.
Within Italy, a pizza in Naples, will taste different from a pizza in Rome. For instance, Pizzerias in Rome use olive oil in their dough to stretch it thin. Whereas, in Naples they exclude the oil and stick to the essential ingredients, which comprise flour, yeast, water and salt. This makes a Napoletana pizza, soft and chewy as compared to a crisp and crunchy Romana pizza.
If you were to eat a pizza in Rome, it would be served by the slice. In Naples, the Napoletana pizza would come folded (in four) wrapped in paper called portafoglio.
“For us, pizza is more like a street food, like what a burger is for America,” explained Italian Chef Francesca Busso from the German domestic appliances and commercial equipment brand Miele. “In fact, pepperoni pizza is not Italian, nor is a pineapple pizza.” Nor the Chicago deep-dish pan pizza!
“For us, pizza is more like a street food, like what a burger is for America,” explained Italian Chef Francesca Busso from the German domestic appliances and commercial equipment brand Miele. “In fact, pepperoni pizza is not Italian, nor is a pineapple pizza.” Nor the Chicago deep-dish pan pizza!
Coming to one of the most popular - Margherita Pizza
According to wonderopolis.org, Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples in 1889. There, an Italian chef and owner of a tavern called Pizzeria di Pierto e basta cosi was asked to make a pizza. The chef topped the pizza with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. The queen loved it and declared it as the best pizza she had ever tasted. And that’s how Margherita Pizza got its name.
Food historians believe that pizza was a poor man’s food meant for feeding large families in Italian villages. They usually topped the bread with seasonal toppings or of leftovers. It was only much later that cheese was introduced.
If in Naples, you can walk into Port ’Alba, which is the first pizzeria. If you are in New York, then Lombardi is the pizzeria that opened its door first for pizza.
Here is a step-by-step guide to making pizza at home by Chef Francesca Busso
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce:
400 gms tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp oregano (if not available, substitute with a combination of dried basil and thyme or Italian seasoning)
A pinch of salt
For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup water, room temperature
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry yeast
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups shredded mozarella cheese
Method
1. In a bowl, add all-purpose flour.
2. Add dry yeast into the bowl and begin mixing them together.
3. Add olive oil into the bowl and give it a good mix.
4. Slowly start adding water and begin kneading. Remember to add water little by little.
5. Knead it for 4 to 5 minutes. Cover the dough and leave it to rise in the refrigerator for atleast 2 days.
To make the tomato paste/sauce
Purée the tomatoes, add in a pinch of salt, olive oil and oregano. Do not cook the tomatoes, simply blanch them in water to peel off the skin.
6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature.
7. Dust semolina on a clean and dry surface. This will help the dough from sticking as you begin spreading the dough to form the base.
8. Place the dough on the semolina to avoid it from sticking.
9. Begin spreading your dough using your fingers, right from the center.
10. Keep spreading it further. Leave the edges a little puffed. This also prevents cheese and sauce from overflowing.
12. Spread it out evenly using your fingers.
13. Turn it over using your hands and dust the semolina stuck to the base.
14. Stretch the dough further with your hands. Be careful not to tear it apart, just a slight stretch to avoid any bubble formation.
15. On a clean surface, gently pat the puffed up edges. Do not press to flatten it, just pat gently.
16. Give the base a final stretch before you begin adding the toppings.
17. Using a spoon, put some tomato sauce at the center of the base and begin spreading it circularly. Just about 3 tablespoons should be good.
18. Do not put the sauce on the edges or the slightly puffed up part.
19. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese.
20. Place the pizza in a pre-heated oven and bake for 3 to 4 minutes at 180 C.
Note: Always pre-heat your oven and bake your pizza at a high temperature. This will ensure the sauce gets cooked too.
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