PIIIZZZZAAAAAA !!!!!!!!!

NO, ITS NOT ROUND, does not have to be ... my pizza stone is rectangular and I never manage to get this thing into a round shape anyway.

His and Hers - One part of the pizza is a Margherita, the other side is with Andouille smoked sausage (Wine Library in New Jersey), black pitted Moroccan olives (Citarella).

 

DOUGH:

1 (1/4-oz) active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for dusting

3/4 cup warm water, divided

1 teaspoon salt

 

TOPPING:

4 large very ripe tomatoes

2 large garlic cloves, smashed

6 cocktail tomatoes cut in half

approx. 10 thin slices of sausage

approx. 10 moroccan olives

If you like garlic add a few slivers of garlic onto the sausage side

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 basil leaves plus more for sprinkling

1/4 teaspoon sugar

6 oz. fresh Mozzarella cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

 

EQUIPMENT: 

A pizza stone, Kitchen Aid Professional 600 (optional ;-) - I use it almost every day though)

 

MAKE DOUGH: 

Stir together yeast, 1 Tbsp flour, and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl and let stand until surface appears bubbly and creamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t appear creamy, start again with new yeast.) Add 1 1/4 cups flour, remaining 1/2 cup water, salt, and oil and stir until smooth. Stir in enough flour  for dough to begin to pull away from side of bowl. The Dough has to be slightly wet though, so don't add too much of the flour. Knead on a floured surface, lightly adding more when dough becomes too sticky, until smooth, soft, and elastic, about 8 minutes... if you have the Kitchen Aid just use the dough hook on 2 and knead until it pulls away from the bowl. Form into a ball, put in a bowl, and dust with flour. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

 

MAKE TOMATO SAUCE WHILE DOUGH RISES:

Peel and cut  tomatoes into small cubes.Cook garlic in oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 40 minutes. Season with salt and cool.

 

HEAT PIZZA STONE WHILE DOUGH RISES:

At least 45 minutes before baking pizza, put stone on oven rack in lower third of electric oven (or on floor of gas oven) and preheat oven to 500°F.

 

SHAPE DOUGH:

Take dough gently out of the bowl. Dust dough with flour, then transfer to a parchment-lined pizza peel or large baking sheet - I use a large wooden cutting board. Pat out dough evenly with your fingers and stretch into a 14-inch round or rectangular, reflouring fingers if necessary. Don't pull too hard it will break the dough.

 

ASSEMBLE PIZZA:

Spread sauce over dough, leaving a 1-inch border (there may be some sauce left over). Arrange cheese on top, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border an then add the rest of the toppings (its also great to add some artichoke hearts slices or anchovies).Slide pizza with the parchment paper onto the pizza stone. Bake until dough is crisp and browned and cheese is golden and bubbling in spots, 13 to 16 minutes. Using peel or baking sheet, transfer pizza to a cutting board. Cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with some basil leaves before slicing.I always have a nice little bottle of olive oil with hot chili flakes ready to drizzle over the pizza.

 

Goes well with a nice glass of Pinot Grigio.

 

Buon Appetito, Salut!