Classic cheese pizza
Classic cheese pizza recipe in the pizza category
Recipe ingredients:
- 1 ounce fresh yeast or 1/2 ounce dried yeast
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1/2 pint lukewarm water
- 14 ounces plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt, scant
- 1/4 pint olive oil
- Corn meal, polenta
- 3/4 pint tomato and garlic sauce
- 1 pound mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 6 tablespoons parmesan, freshly grated
Recipe method:
- Crumble the fresh yeast or sprinkle the dried yeast and a pinch of sugar into 3 tablespoons of lukewarm water.
- Let it stand for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir the yeast and sugar into the water until completely dissolved.
- Put the cup in a warm, draught free place for 3 to 5 minutes, until the yeast bubbles up and the mixture almost doubles in volume.
- If the yeast does not bubble, start over again with fresh yeast.
- Sift the flour and salt into a large, warmed bowl.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture, 3/8 pint of lukewarm water and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Mix the dough with a fork or your fingers.
- When you can gather it into a rough ball, place the dough on a floured board and knead it for about 15 minutes, until smooth, shiny and elastic.
- Dust the dough lightly with flour, put in a large clean bowl and cover.
- Place the bowl in a warm, draught free spot for about 1 1/2 hours, until the dough has doubled in bulk.
- Preheat the oven to 450 F.
- Punch the dough down with your fists and break off about one quarter of it to make the first of the 4 pizzas.
- Knead the small piece on a floured board or a table for a minute or so, working in a little flour if the dough seems sticky.
- Flatten the ball into a circle about 1 inch thick with the palm of your hand.
- Hold the circle in your hands and stretch the dough by turning the circle and pulling your hands apart gently at the same time.
- When the circle is about 7 or 8 inches across, spread it out on the floured board again and pat it smooth, pressing together any tears in the dough.
- Then roll the dough with a rolling pin, from the centre to the far edge, turning it clockwise after each roll, until you have a circle of pastry about 10 inches across and about 1/8 inch thick.
- Crimp or flute the edge of the circle with your thumbs until it forms a little rim.
- Dust a large baking sheet lightly with corn meal and gently place the pizza dough on top of it.
- Knead, stretch and roll the rest of the dough into 3 more pizzas.
- Pour 6 tablespoons of the tomato sauce on each pizza and spread it with a pastry brush or the back of a spoon.
- To make a cheese pizza, sprinkle the sauce with 6 tablespoons of mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan.
- Dribble 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the pizza and bake it on the lowest shelf or the floor of the oven.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 400 F after 5 minutes and cook for about 10 minutes in all, until the crust is lightly browned and the filling bubbling hot.
Tags: classic, cheese, recipe, pizza, recipes, cooking