Pizzeria Style Spicy Italian Pizza
I had to give you this recipe as I made it one night and everybody loved it. I usually divide the dough in half and pop the rest in the freezer for easy retrieval another day. This dough makes 2 large pizzas. The key to any great pizza is monster heat; around 500 D, and use a pizza stone if you have it.
Ingredients
Dough (or 1 lb store bought):
1 1/2 cup lukewarm water (325 ml)
1 Tbsp sugar (15 ml)
1 pkg dry yeast
3 cups all purpose flour (750 ml) + extra for kneading
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. Christine Cushing's olive oil (25 ml)
Toppings:
1/2 cup CC’s handmade fresh basil tomato sauce (125 ml) – per pizza
1 small Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
2" piece hot Italian pepperoni or chorizo, thinly sliced
150 gm mozzarella cheese, grated (5 oz.), or slices of Buffalo milk mozzarella
flour for dusting
Instructions
Use pizza stone for that crispy bottom or perforated round pizza pan.
Dough
In a small bowl mix together sugar and water and whisk in yeast. Let stand until slightly foamy (about 5 min.). In a mixer with dough hook, combine flour and salt. Alternatively, dough can be made in a food processor with plastic blade. Just pulse gently.
Add liquid to dry ingredients and blend on low speed. Add olive oil and continue until mixture starts climbing up the hook. Dough will be quite soft and sticky. Continue working dough for about 2 - 3 minutes. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes until soft and smooth. Amount of flour may need to be adjusted depending on the moisture in the room. It’s always easier to add a bit more flour, so keep the dough on the sticky side before hand kneading.
Place in lightly oiled medium bowl and cover until doubled (about 1 hour). For a more flavourful dough, let rise overnight in fridge . Punch down and let stand again for about 1/2 hour.
Preheat oven to 500°. If using pizza stone, heat stone for at least 25 minutes on the bottom rack of oven.
Divide dough in half and freeze second ball in a well sealed freezer bag.
Assembly
Using your hands, stretch and pull the dough into a large round. Ideal thickness is 1/8 " . Sprinkle some cornmeal or flour onto a pizza paddle (if you don’t have a paddle, you can use a baking sheet). Place the pizza dough onto the paddle or baking sheet. Jiggle around to ensure that it will slip off. Spoon the sauce over surface of dough and gently, with back of spoon spread evenly. Sprinkle with grated cheese or arrange slices evenly on pizza. Ensure that dough will slide off paddle, if using. Arrange remaining ingredients on top and slide dough onto hot pizza stone or put pan in oven. Bake for about 6-8 minutes or until topping is bubbly and crust is brown.
Each ball makes 1 x 12" thin pizza.
