sideber

Pizza

Everyone here loves pizza, and there are no good pizza places anywhere near us (if, indeed, there are any in Puerto Rico).

I usually make the dough the day before I make the pizza, but you can do it all the same day.

Here is how I make pizza:

The Dough

  1. Add the yeast to the warm water in a large bowl. Mix well, and let sit for 10 minutes. The result should be bubbly on top, and smell of yeast.
  2. Add the olive oil to the yeast and water.
  3. Add a cup of the flour to the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk.
  4. Repeat with another cup of flour.
  5. Add another cup of flour. At this point, you probably want to move to a floured surface and mix by hand.
  6. Add most of the remaining flour, and kneed for 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed. Add only as much flour as you need to keep the dough from sticking.
  7. Move the dough to a large, oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for 2 hours.

At this point, I divide the dough in two, place each piece in an oiled, gallon zip-lock bag, and refrigerate for the next day.

The Sauce

I make a very simple tomato sauce for pizza:
  1. Heat the oil and add the garlic to soften. Do not brown.
  2. Add the tomatoes, and break them up with a fork.
  3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Simmer for 15 minutes. If you want, puree the sauce with an immersion blender.

The Toppings

You can use whatever you want. My favorite is anchovy, mozzarella, and pepperoni (in that order).

The Pizza

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 500F.
  2. Lightly oil a baking sheet. I have a pizza stone, but it's a pain to use.
  3. Form the pizza's with the dough. This recipe make 2 pizzas. If the dough is hard to work, let it rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the toppings.
  5. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the sauce is bubbling.
  6. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes: eat.