At this point in the History of Pizza, so many styles populate our pizzerias, delivery boxes, cookbooks and freezer cases that it doesn't surprise us to hear someone describe a new restaurant's pies as "Italian."
What? OK, it does surprise us, because, well, Naples. Italy. The birthplace of pizza. All pizza is, at its core, Italian.
But before we work ourselves up into a good rant, we're stepping down from the soapbox to take a moment to recognize this: The fact that someone would be compelled to differentiate a pizza by calling it Italian tells us that we have come to own pizza completely in this country. And that's a good thing. From Neapolitan to deep dish, there are so many options -- giving us the freedom to set aside the double-zero flour for a night, stop dissecting the minutiae of authenticity and make something of our own invention. Something quick. Something easy. Because sometimes, all we really want is dinner.
So, in that vein, today we're offering three no-fuss topping recipes (hardly any precooking and no tracking down of "nduja," not that we don't love artisan, spreadable salami) to scatter on a humble pie (or fold into a calzone) you can throw together at home. On your favorite dough recipe, a store-bought dough or pre-baked crust, you decide. (Don't have a go-to dough? We're including a recipe from Truly Madly Pizza by Suzanne Lenzer, because we love its simplicity. Buzz in the food processor and go.)
Each idea uses just 3 to 4 ingredients and makes enough for a 10- to 12-inch pizza. The topping recipes are free-form. Really love olives? Go ahead, throw on more for the creamy and crunchy pizza. If your dough
makes a larger pie, simply increase the amounts of ingredients.
To bake, turn your oven to 550 degrees; use a pizza stone or a baking sheet, up to you. And time the pizza according to your dough recipe, though we give times assuming a relatively thin crust.
And there you are, in 6 to 10 minutes, contributing to the continued History of Pizza.
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In her book Truly Madly Pizza, Lenzer calls this recipe: "My go-to, tried-and-true, know-by-heart pizza dough." She advocates freezing the dough then letting it rise slowly in the refrigerator on the day you plan to bake. We understand her reasoning, but the extra step of freezing slows us down. We had good results letting the dough slow-rise in the refrigerator instead. Overnight works, but the easiest option: Make the dough in the morning, pop into the fridge, and it's ready to go post-work.
Quick Pizza Dough
2 3/4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup warm water
2 to 3 tablespoons medium or coarse cornmeal
Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal S-blade. Turn the machine on. Add the oil through the feed tube, then add the water in a slow, steady stream. By adding the water slowly, you can watch the dough come together, and you'll get a sense of whether you should add more or whether it's too wet -- it should look pliable and smooth after a minute or so of processing. (The more water you can add and still be able to handle the dough without it sticking to your hands, the better it will be.) Continue to process the dough for 2 minutes. The dough should form a ball and ride around in the processor. If it does become too wet, add another tablespoon or 2 of flour until it's moist to the touch but can be handled easily. When the dough is done, it should be soft, slightly sticky and elastic. It may also be hot from the machine, so be cautious.
Lay a piece of plastic wrap about 12 inches long on a clean work surface. Use your hands to press the dough into a rectangle on the plastic, about 8-by-6-inches wide. Press your fingers into the top of the dough all over, making indentations as though it were a focaccia. Fold the left third of the dough over and repeat the finger indentations. Fold the right third over (as you would a letter) and make indentations again. Cover the folded dough with plastic wrap; let rise 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, cut the dough in half, and form each into a neat ball. (Each ball will make a 10- to 12-inch round pizza.) You can use the dough right away, but you'll find the texture of the crust will be a bit breadier and the flavor less complex. For best results, freeze the dough (see next step), which retards the yeast's activity, allowing the flavor to continue to develop as the dough thaws, without letting it rise and become bready. Or refrigerate the dough, up to 1 day. But if it is very warm or humid, the dough can expand relatively dramatically, even in the refrigerator.
To freeze and thaw: Wrap each ball tightly in plastic wrap; freeze immediately after wrapping. The morning of the day you plan to make pizza, remove dough from freezer and put it into the fridge to slowly thaw (6 to 7 hours). Twenty to 30 minutes before making the pizza, pull the dough out of the refrigerator, and let it come to room temperature while you prep toppings.
Working with 1 dough ball at a time and working with your hands (not on a flat surface), gently begin to stretch the dough into a circular shape, pressing your fist into the center of the dough and pulling at the edges with your other hand. With both hands, stretch the dough, being careful not to tear it. Working in a circular motion, pull the thicker edges of the dough outward, letting gravity help you. Continue to stretch the dough until it's relatively even in thickness (the edges will be thicker, and that is OK) and you have the size you want.
Heat oven to 550 degrees. If using a stone and a peel: Put the stone in the oven to heat. Dust the peel generously with the cornmeal. Carefully lay shaped dough on the peel. If using a baking sheet: Brush a large baking sheet with olive oil, and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Place the shaped dough onto the pan. Top the pizza as desired, and slide it off the peel and onto the heated stone, or slide the baking sheet into the oven. Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling, 6 to 10 minutes.
Makes enough dough for 2 (10- to 12-inch) pizzas or calzones.
Inspired by the Hellboy pizza at Paulie Gee's (originally of Brooklyn and now in Chicago's Logan Square as well), which pairs spicy salami (soppressata) with sweet/hot chile-infused honey.
Spicy and Sweet
2 spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
1/4 bunch (7 ounces) broccoli rabe, steamed until crisp tender, seasoned with salt, coarsely chopped
1 (10- to 12-inch) pizza dough round
2 or 3 handfuls freshly grated parmesan
Chile pepper-infused honey, such as Mike's Hot Honey
Cook the sausage in a skillet with a little olive oil until browned, breaking up sausage into rough pieces with a spatula as you go. Spread the broccoli rabe on the pizza crust; top with sausage. Scatter with the parmesan. Bake at 550 degrees, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with chile-infused honey immediately and serve.
Creamy and Crunchy
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, cut in half
1/2 red onion, sliced in thin half moons, slices about 1/4-inch thick
1 (10- to 12-inch) pizza dough round
Scatter the cheese, olives and onions over the pizza crust, in that order. Bake at 550 degrees, 6 to 10 minutes.
Salty and Tangy
1/4 cup pesto, jarred or homemade (recipe follows)
1 (10- to 12-inch) pizza dough round
1 cup red cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces (or sliced in half if using small mozzarella balls)
Spread the pesto over the pizza, leaving a 1-inch edge. Toss the tomatoes and mozzarella in a bowl with salt; scatter them over the pizza; bake at 550 degrees, 6 to 10 minutes.
Pesto
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
6 cups fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Drop garlic in a food processor with the motor running. Chop finely. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add toasted pine nuts and process until chopped. Scrape down the sides. Add basil leaves. Process until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly pour in extra-virgin olive oil until you achieve a loose paste. Stir in salt and parmesan. Taste for seasoning.
Makes about 1 cup.
These calzones take a bit more time to prepare, but the results are worth the effort. If you have a large enough pizza stone, you can bake both calzones at the same time.
White Calzones With Sausage, Onion and Roasted Red Peppers
1 pound pizza dough
1/2 pound raw spicy Italian sausage, removed from casing
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 medium red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, diced (from a jar is fine)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup finely sliced fresh basil leaves, optional
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese
Divide dough in half. Roll each into a ball. Let stand, covered with a towel, on a well-floured work surface.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onion. Cook and stir, breaking sausage up into small pieces, until sausage is golden, about 12 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Let cool.
Mix ricotta, diced red pepper, salt and pepper in small bowl. Add basil if using.
Put a pizza stone or heavy-duty baking sheet on the middle oven rack. Heat oven to 550 degrees or 525 degrees on convection setting. Have all ingredients nearby. Sprinkle a baking sheet or peel with cornmeal.
Put 1 dough ball on a floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll ball into a 12-inch round. Place dough circle onto the prepared baking sheet or peel.
Spread half of the ricotta mixture over one half of the dough circle. Top ricotta with half of the sausage mixture and half of the shredded cheese. Fold other half of dough over to make a half-moon shape. Use your fingers to crimp and roll the dough edges together to seal in the filling. Repeat to make a second calzone.
Carefully slide calzones onto heated pizza stone. Cook until top crust is golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Carefully transfer the cooked calzones to a cutting board or serving plate. Serve right away.
Makes 2 calzones, serving 2 to 4.
Calzone recipe from JeanMarie Brownson
Food on 10/19/2016