Is it even possible not to like pizza? I didn't think so either - and if ordering up a hot pie sounds like a good idea, I can tell you making your own from scratch is an even better idea...but you're going to need a killer Pizza Dough recipe.
You can probably find as many dough recipes on the internet as you can find grains of sand on a beach, so shuffling through them to locate a really good one sounds difficult. One thing that I look for when assessing recipes is the inclusion of good quality or authentic ingredients. When it comes to pizza and pasta, true Italians will tell you that you're going to need really good flour.
In America, flours are categorized based on how much protein they contain. The protein directly affects the gluten formation in whatever we’re making. It's all about the gluten formation, because it's gluten that determines how chewy your crust is going to be. Gluten helps create structure and determine texture in your final baked good.
In Italy, flours are classified on how finely ground the flour is and how much of the germ and bran have been removed. The Italians grade their flours as either 2, 1, 0 and 00. (Pronounced "two, one, zero and double zero") Type 2 is the coarsest grind and therefore has the most germ and bran. As you step down, the grind gets finer and more of the germ and bran are removed. Double zero, or 00 flour, is the most refined. The texture is silky soft, similar to baby powder, and is very fine.
Italians aren't necessarily concerned with gluten, but if you want to know, most 00 flour comes in around 13% protein, as compared to all purpose flour which comes in around 10-12% protein. Compared to bread flour (16%), pastry flour (9%) and cake flour (7%), the all purpose flour is closest to 00. You can substitute all purpose for 00, but know you will get a more chewy crust than with 00.
One of the easiest brands to find here in the U.S. or online is Caputo type 00 and it is considered the gold standard of 00 flours. The Antimo Caputo company in Naples, Italy was founded in 1924. It mills high quality flour for both professional chefs / restaurants and home cooks alike. Their flours are created while keeping Italy’s food traditions in mind.
Their "Chef's flour," sometimes referred to as "Caputo Red" is made for home oven temperatures of around 450-500°F which is perfect for the everyday cook. It's more expensive than typical all-purpose flour but to me, it's money well spent if the taste and texture are right.
I decided to try my hand at some pizza this week. My kids are fussy when it comes to pizza and I wasn't looking to make a huge project out of it, so I opted for a few simple pepperoni pizzas for lunch.
The dough came together beautifully, it looked, smelled and felt just perfect. I was able to stretch it out without fear of it breaking or tearing and it took the pizza toppings like a champ. I did not have a recipe, so I winged it. I put the oven up as high as it would go, for me that's 500 degrees and started with 12 minutes, but thought it looked right around 15 minutes. After eating it, I probably could have let it go a few minutes longer, but it was tasty none-the-less.
I will try it again but I'm thinking about spreading it out in a cast iron deep dish pan with plenty of oil lining the pan like they do at the big chain restaurants. I'm also thinking of playing with the seasonings, just for kicks. I can see Hawaiian, Bacon Chicken Pesto, Cheeseburger and Italian Sausage (with our own homemade hot sausage) on my list of pizzas to try. But it starts with a good Pizza Dough made with the untouchable 00 flour.
Let me know if you give it a try!
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