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I grew up making homemade Pizza and Calzone with my Neapolitan Father most Saturdays and it is one my passions in in the kitchen! I remember sneaking (or thinking I was sneaking) a piece of the raw dough into my mouth and savoring all the yeasty doughiness while I dimpled, pressed, and rolled out the light and fluffy dough with my Father's hands behind me showing me how it was done. I would look up at his big blue green eyes for approval at my "dough skills "as he explained in his thick Italian accent, " Remember Annuccia, you want to be gentle with the dough not force it, capito?" I love the smell, feel, and pure pleasure of baking my own pizza, calzone, foccaccia, and stromboli at home and desire to pass this art on to others, so here is my recipe from my Buona Cucina to yours!
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| ~My Dad (right) and cousin Gianetto in my Zia's Cucina, Naples, Italy~ |
Tools: kitchen scale or use traditional measuring cups, parchment paper, pizza stone
Ingredients
This is for 2 regular size pizzas, 6-8 Calzone, 1 large Focaccia, or 1 large Stromboli.
1/2 teaspoon yeast (that's all you need with a longer ferment)
This is for 2 regular size pizzas, 6-8 Calzone, 1 large Focaccia, or 1 large Stromboli.
1/2 teaspoon yeast (that's all you need with a longer ferment)
1 & 1/2 cups OR 12 ounces slightly warm water
3 & 3/4 - 4 cups OR 500 grams 00 flour or All Purpose Flour Unbleached
* If using a measuring cup Fluff the flour, then spoon it into the cup and scrape off the top with flat end of knife and always start with only 3 3/4 cups
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Kitchen Aid Method: Mix yeast & warmish water until foamy on medium high speed (proofing)and than turn it to 2 on the speed button. Add the 500 grams or 3& 3/4 cups flour, knead a minute If not weighing it and it's too wet add the flour starting with half of the 1/4 remaining cup at first and knead a few seconds then add rest if still wet, knead for a total of 9 minutes.
Kitchen Aid Method: Mix yeast & warmish water until foamy on medium high speed (proofing)and than turn it to 2 on the speed button. Add the 500 grams or 3& 3/4 cups flour, knead a minute If not weighing it and it's too wet add the flour starting with half of the 1/4 remaining cup at first and knead a few seconds then add rest if still wet, knead for a total of 9 minutes.
Cover with plastic and rest for about 2-3 hours or until double.
OR
Hand Method:
Mix the flour and salt and make a well. Add the yeast and liquid into the well. Stir the liquid and yeast together gradually adding in the 500 grams of flour ( If measuring then start with 3 & 3/4 cups adding more if its still too sticky). It will be messy at first. Eventually you will have a very sticky ball of dough, it will still be messy at this point. Using your hands and a bench scraper or spatula start scraping the dough up and slapping it back down on to the counter, do this continually for about 12-15 minutes. Until it's smooth and elastic.
Mix the flour and salt and make a well. Add the yeast and liquid into the well. Stir the liquid and yeast together gradually adding in the 500 grams of flour ( If measuring then start with 3 & 3/4 cups adding more if its still too sticky). It will be messy at first. Eventually you will have a very sticky ball of dough, it will still be messy at this point. Using your hands and a bench scraper or spatula start scraping the dough up and slapping it back down on to the counter, do this continually for about 12-15 minutes. Until it's smooth and elastic.
Place in a lightly floured bowl and cover with plastic in a warm place for about 2-3 hours or until double. (I use my microwave or a turned off oven with the pilot light on)
Proceed Here For Either Method
Once it has doubled in size you can use it but for an even better texture proceed to next step: Separate into 2 balls and place in a very slightly oiled gallon baggie in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours to ferment or longer even up to over night! I like to make my pizza dough a day ahead and use it the next day.
Directions For Baking in Home Oven
About 45 minutes before baking:
Pull baggie out and put on counter and allow it to come to complete room temp.
Preheat a pizza stone on the middle rack of a regular oven or on 2nd to last rack in a convection oven at 550 for 30 minutes.
Press out pizza balls into circles with hands leaving an edge all around turning the dough in a circular motion as you form a pizza.
Place sheet of parchment on a pizza pan and transfer dough to parchment and cut the parchment to leave an edge all around.
Add toppings.
Slide the parchment with the pizza onto stone with the parchment staying underneath, bake 6 minutes, Slide out parchment form underneath the pizza very quickly and bake the pizza directly on to the stone for another 2-4 minutes.
Or use a pizza screen as seen in photo.
Remove pizza using the pizza pan sliding it underneath the pizza and pulling out. Top with Basil after removing.
Proceed with the recipe you desire to use the dough in or try one of mine: Pizza/Focaccia/Calzone/Stromboli 101
So - I used this recipe this week and made calzones. OH MY - WONDERFUL! My family licked up every morsel. We loved the texture and flavor of the dough. Perfection!
ReplyDeleteI am using it again today to make pizza.
I love your blog! Felicity and I enjoy reading it together and looking at the pictures of your family. Well done.
I can't wait to try this recipe! Do you know if the dough would still come out if I mixed it in a breadmaker on the dough setting? Thank you!
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