sourdough pizza

I wanted pizza. I’ve wanted pizza for weeks. I live in the city where having a pizza craving is easily remedied by calling one of the greats… Pat’s, Lou’s, Riccobene’s, Gino’s, Edwardo’s, Giordano’s… Those are just the big gun stand by’s. I can’t even begin to list the amazing small mom and pop shops here that are doing great pizza too. But I didn’t want legendary pizza. I wanted good pizza. Not just any pizza would satisfy the kind of pizza craving I was having, I wanted that thin, crisp bottomed, chewy edged pizza I fell in love with when I lived in Nice. Pizza that had the exact right amount of sauce, was not over loaded with too many toppings, usually just one or two applied in a way to compliment the cheese and sauce and in no way detracted from the other star of the show, the crust. I craved the kind of pizza that was served to me whole, spilling over the edge the plate beneath it with a requisite bottle of olive oil loaded with bird chiles and garlic. I stood there for a minute and wondered if I could make that crust but with a sourdough. At two am Friday morning, I was standing my kitchen wanting a pizza I was starting to realize that I was going to have to wait at least 36 hours to make, let alone eat. It’s a good thing I have developed patience.

A real sourdough starter takes some time, a week at the low-end and 100 years at the high-end. In a real starter, you combine flour and water in equal parts and let it hang out pulling in natural yeasts from the air, if you keep your starter in a place where there is a lot of wine, your starter will grow faster because the natural aeration of the wine releases yeast into the air. There are stories about sourdough starters that were kept in jars in turn of the century farmhouses and cellars that were passed down from generation to generation, starters that have survived fires, natural disasters, family tragedies and it’s the survival of that starter that is credited for maintaining the family unit, saving the family business or providing the start of a new one. I had no intention of waiting a week to satisfy my need for pizza so I set up what I call a “fast ferment.” A yeast cheat, if you will.  (the following dough recipe makes 8, 8 oz dough balls)

Starter:

2 envelopes dry yeast

12 oz water

2 oz organic whole wheat flour

5 oz organic all-purpose flour

4 TBS raw sugar or turbinado

mix together in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let it sit, undisturbed for 18-24 hours

After 18-24 hours, uncover and add 1 oz organic all purpose flour and 1 tsp sugar and stir gently, cover with damp cloth and let sit for another 8 hours or until ready to use.

Crust:

To the starter add:

12 oz water

2 TBS good quality olive oil

4 tsp sea salt

4 TBS organic raw honey

1.75 pounds all-purpose flour

.5 pounds whole wheat flour

Combine the starter with the above in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. and mix until dough is smooth and warm to the touch.

Turn out and tuck outer edges in to form a smooth dome top ball and put in a lightly olive oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for an hour.

Turn out on to floured surface re-tuck edges inward, squeezing out air pockets.

Divide into 8, 8 oz portions and tuck outer edges inward. Set aside under a damp towel for 30 minutes. Press out dough into a round, then roll with a rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thick and round. Pick up and gently stretch over the back of your hands and knuckles, turning and stretching until you reach your desired dough thickness. If you get a tear, pinch it together. (Any left over dough can be individually bagged in “ziplocks” and frozen for use another day. Simply, thaw and let sit at room temp until ready to use.)

If you want to skip the starter part and get to the good stuff faster:

Combine in a bowl:

2 envelopes dry yeast

24 oz water

4 TBS sugar

let that hang out until it’s frothy

then add:

2 TBS good quality olive oil

4 tsp sea salt

4 TBS organic raw honey

2 pounds all purpose flour

.5 pounds whole wheat flour

Mix well until dough is smooth and warm to the touch. (follow same as above)

Basic sauce:

1  can diced tomatoes, drained

2-4 cloves garlic (depending on your taste)

3 TBS good olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

5-6 fresh basil leaves torn

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on your taste)

Buzz with a blender until as chunky or as smooth as you like

Home Made Lean Beef Italian Sausage:

1 pound of lean beef, cubed

1-2 oz beef fat

In a spice grinder, combine:

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1/4 tsp dried oregano

5-7 bird chiles

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Grind, add to ground meat and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use

Bake on a pizza stone at 375-400 degrees until crust is lightly browned and crisp to the touch.

Pour your self a good glass of wine… and enjoy a healthier than delivery, better than store-bought, made it yourself European-style pizza.  This one has: home-made lean beef Italian sausage, Boar’s Head pepperoni, spicy cappicola ham, shaved garlic, mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan.

I will never order pizza delivery again… this was too good and too cheap to make. For the same price as 1 delivery pizza… I was able to make two and I have enough left over to make at least 6 more pizzas.

more photos