Isn't it always the same - when you go out for a meal you want food to taste "home cooked" and when you cook at home you feel you want to taste "restaurant" food? Well, this is how I feel about pizza - whenever I go out for pizza, I always feel, if only I could make this to taste this good at home, well tonight was the night to try!
I have just purchased a new Pizza Stone from Jean-Patrique JP link; this culinary dream works by giving the pizza dough the crispiness of a wood fired oven as you see in the likes of Pizza restaurants. The stone is preheated in the oven (at 250ºC/480ºF/gas mark 9) for about 10 minutes, then either home made or shop bought pizza is placed on the hot stone and the pizza cooked for the required time. Hey presto - perfect, crispy crust and deliciously melted cheese and other toppings of choice!
My recipe, courtesy of the lovely Lorraine Pascale, is as follows and boy does this one work!
First of all, as always, get your equipment together:
Dough base:
Either knead by hand or use a dough hook in your stand mixer and knead for 10-15 minutes.
Place the prepared dough onto a lightly floured baking tray in a small ball shape; oil a piece of cling film/plastic wrap and place over the dough, ensuring it is air tight. Place the tray of dough into a warm environment for about 30-40 minutes (I use my airing cupboard) until the dough is more elastic and has increased in size. TIP: this stage of dough making is called proving and allows the yeast to work and makes the dough more pliable.
While the dough is proving, preheat your oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas mark 7.
After 30-40 minutes, check the dough and, if more elastic and slightly increased in size, roll it out into a flat circle of about 10 inches (you will notice that the dough at this stage is much more pliable and easy to work with). Prick the dough circle with a fork several times, this prevents the dough from rising too much during cooking. Add the tomato puree to the dough and spread out with the back of a spoon or a knife allowing an inch gap around the edge. TIP: if you are using a preheated pizza stone, remove the stone from the oven place the pizza dough onto the heated stone at this point and continue as follows. Add the cooked asparagus spears and top with the shredded mozzarella. Drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil and add the salt and pepper.
At this point, place the tray of dough into the preheated oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes until the dough is brown and crispy at the outside and the cheese has melted and brown on the top.
Remove the pizza from the oven and enjoy!
All I can say is - Delizioso!!
I have just purchased a new Pizza Stone from Jean-Patrique JP link; this culinary dream works by giving the pizza dough the crispiness of a wood fired oven as you see in the likes of Pizza restaurants. The stone is preheated in the oven (at 250ºC/480ºF/gas mark 9) for about 10 minutes, then either home made or shop bought pizza is placed on the hot stone and the pizza cooked for the required time. Hey presto - perfect, crispy crust and deliciously melted cheese and other toppings of choice!
My recipe, courtesy of the lovely Lorraine Pascale, is as follows and boy does this one work!
First of all, as always, get your equipment together:
- large bowl
- dough hook (optional, but helpful!)
- scales
- pizza stone (or pan to bake pizza on!)
- oven mitt
- wooden spoons
Dough base:
- 250g/9oz strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp fast-action dried yeast
- 125–145ml/4½–5fl oz warm water
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling and drizzling
- For the pizza topping
- 1 tube good-quality tomato puree
- 250g/9oz mozzarella cheese, sliced/shredded
- Approx 5 asparagus spears (break off hard root ends) roasted for 15 minutes in 220ºC/425ºF/gas mark 7 oven with balsamic vinegar, pinch sugar, salt, black pepper and tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Salt
- Black pepper
Either knead by hand or use a dough hook in your stand mixer and knead for 10-15 minutes.
Place the prepared dough onto a lightly floured baking tray in a small ball shape; oil a piece of cling film/plastic wrap and place over the dough, ensuring it is air tight. Place the tray of dough into a warm environment for about 30-40 minutes (I use my airing cupboard) until the dough is more elastic and has increased in size. TIP: this stage of dough making is called proving and allows the yeast to work and makes the dough more pliable.
While the dough is proving, preheat your oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas mark 7.
After 30-40 minutes, check the dough and, if more elastic and slightly increased in size, roll it out into a flat circle of about 10 inches (you will notice that the dough at this stage is much more pliable and easy to work with). Prick the dough circle with a fork several times, this prevents the dough from rising too much during cooking. Add the tomato puree to the dough and spread out with the back of a spoon or a knife allowing an inch gap around the edge. TIP: if you are using a preheated pizza stone, remove the stone from the oven place the pizza dough onto the heated stone at this point and continue as follows. Add the cooked asparagus spears and top with the shredded mozzarella. Drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil and add the salt and pepper.
At this point, place the tray of dough into the preheated oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes until the dough is brown and crispy at the outside and the cheese has melted and brown on the top.
Remove the pizza from the oven and enjoy!
All I can say is - Delizioso!!
I liked it...I going to try this
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