HOMEMADE PIZZA AND SAUCE

Today's pizza has a long and interesting history. In the 3rd century B.C., Romans ate a "flat round of dough dressed with olive oil, herbs, and honey, baked on stones." In 16th century Europe the tomato was believed to be poisonous, as most fruits of the nightshade family are, but by the late 18th century, cooks around Naples were adding it to their yeast-based flatbread: the dish now known as pizza was born.

In ancient Naples, pizza was considered 'poor man's food,' but then, as now, people started talking, and visitors ventured into the city's poorer areas to try the local specialty. Pizza's popularity was undeniable even then.

Popular pizza lore holds that Via Port'Alba 18 in Naples was the first 'official' pizzeria. Still in business today, according to Wikipedia, the location was established in 1738 as a stand for street vendors, who would make pizza in wood-fired ovens, then peddle it on the street, keeping the pies warm in small copper stoves they balanced on their heads.

Eventually, the restaurant Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba opened, replacing the peddlers with a more formal location. Legend has it that the eatery's ovens have been lined with lava rocks from nearby Mount Vesuvius since its inception. 




photo courtesy of Wikipedia


In America, the first pizzeria is rumored to have been established in a grocery store opened by Gennaro Lombardi, an Italian immigrant, in Manhattan's Little Italy in 1897.  An employee of his, Antonio Totonno Pero, began making pizza for the store to sell that same year.  In 1924, Totonno left Lombardi's to open his own pizzeria on Coney Island called, funnily enough, Totonno's (recently reopened, click here). While the original Lombardi's closed its doors in 1984, it was reopened in 1994 just down the street and is run by Lombardi's grandson.

It doesn't take long to make your own sauce and dough. The recipes that follow make enough sauce for four or more medium pizzas (depends on how much sauce you like on your pie), and the dough recipe makes three medium-sized pies - you can double this recipe and make six if you would like. Still, if you are going to make more than double the recipe, it is best to mix up multiple small batches. Keep the extra sauce and dough in the freezer, then when you are in a rush, you can defrost and let the children help roll out the dough, or invite friends over for a 'pick your own toppings' pizza party.

Until the 1970s, lard was often used instead of olive oil to make pizza dough (click to learn how to render your own lard).  It makes a noticeable difference in how the dough rises and bakes. I love the 70's, and I love pizza, so I offer these recipes in the tradition of making your own pizza.  Plan on making the sauce and dough a day ahead of time (another reason for making a bigger batch for the freezer). If you are serious about your pizza, invest in a pizza stone, it is great for reheating cold pizza, or paninis, or grinders, as well as making your fresh pies crisp and delicious. 

PIZZA DOUGH

INGREDIENTS

3 ½ cups unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 tablespoon Yeast (1 packet Quick Rising Yeast)

1/2 cups Warm Water

3/4 cup Ice Cold Water

1 tablespoon Lard

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Honey

Cornmeal for dusting

DIRECTIONS

Put yeast in a large cup with a half cup of warm water. Add 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon Lard, and honey. Leave the mixture in the cup to rise for half an hour in a warm place. You'll know it is rising because it will bubble and expand.

Next, place the remaining 3 1/2 cups flour into your kitchen mixer with a dough hook, pour in the risen yeast "water," beating at low speed. Add 3/4 cup of ice-cold water to mix a little at a time. Mix on the lowest speed for 10 to 12 minutes. You should be able to form a soft dough ball.

If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the bowl's sides, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it is too dry, dribble in a teaspoon or two more of cold water. The finished dough needs to be elastic and slightly sticky. It may take a few tries to get this right, but don't give up!

Leave the dough in the mixing bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for an hour and a half or until double in size, in a warm place. If it is in the cold winter months or in a rush, I'll put the oven setting to warm and set the mixing bowl in the oven.

Divide the “risen” dough into 3 equal parts, form into 3 balls. Coat each ball lightly with olive oil; place in a covered container or plastic freezer bag, and sit in the refrigerator overnight. Use within the next three days or place in the freezer for several weeks.

Remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator (freezer) at least 2 hours before making the pizza. Once the dough has warmed through (come to room temperature), place the dough balls on top of a floured counter and sprinkle them lightly with flour; dust your hands with flour. Gently press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the dough lightly with flour, coat with olive oil, and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap. Now let rest for another 2 hours. With well-floured hands,  begin to hand-toss or roll out with a rolling pin.

At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven as hot as possible, up to 800F (most home ovens will go only to 500 to 550F, but some will go higher). If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.

Make the pizzas one at a time. Generously dust a peel - A peel is a shovel-like tool used by bakers to slide pizzas and other baked goods into and out of an oven - or use the back of a sheet pan with cornmeal. 

Coat your hands in flour and start with one piece of dough. Gently stretch the dough by softly pulling in a circular motion, carefully giving it a stretch. Work with small pulls. If it begins to stick to your hands, lay it on the floured counter, re-flour your hands, and then continue shaping it.  You can use a rolling pin or push/pull with your fingers on the countertop, though this isn't as effective (or as fun) as the traditional toss method.

When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction (between 12 and 14 inches), lay it on the peel or pan, making sure there is just enough cornmeal to allow it to slide. Lightly top it with sauce and then with your other toppings; remember that the best pizzas are topped with a less-is-more philosophy, for taste as well as cooking. 

Slide the dressed pizza onto the stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan) and close the oven door. Wait 2 minutes, then take a peek. If it needs to be rotated for even baking, turn your stone (pan). The pizza should only take  8 to 10 minutes to bake, depending on the oven. 

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone to a lower shelf before the next round. If the bottom crisps before the cheese melts, you will need to raise the stone up a shelf for subsequent bakes. This recipe yields three 12 to 14-inch thin-crust pizzas.

HOMEMADE PIZZA SAUCE

(Enough for 4 to 8 Medium Pizzas)

INGREDIENTS

1 lb crushed Tomatoes

1 Tablespoon minced Garlic

4 oz. Tomato Paste

1 Tablespoon Basil

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon minced Onion

1 teaspoon Marjoram

2 teaspoons dried Oregano

Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Over medium-low heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil and butter for 4 to 5 minutes. The bits should be golden brown and fragrant but be careful not to overcook. Add the other ingredients.

Simmer the sauce for 15 to 20 minutes.

Jar up and store in the refrigerator.  I have found that this sauce tastes better after it rests for a few days.  You can also spoon into freezer bags and freeze for later use.  Freeze up to a year, refrigerate up to 2 months in a tightly sealed container - but I can pretty much guarantee it will not last more than a few weeks.

Spread thinly on your pizza crust, top with favorite toppings and cheese.  Bake according to the above instructions. 

Let your pizza rest for a few minutes when it comes out of the oven before slicing and serving. 

HOW TO RENDER LARD

Lard is definitely a food that our grandmothers would recognize; recipes passed down from previous generations call for lard in pie crusts (try this old fashioned recipe) and tarts, pastries and biscuits, and many other recipes. 

Rendering your own lard is a tradition being rediscovered, and rendering lard in your own home is not a difficult task. Lard is an excellent source of Vitamin D and unsaturated fat: the same fatty acid found in olive oil and avocado heralded for cardiovascular health benefits.

You want true flakiness in your pastries: use lard. You want a little extra flavor in stews, gravies, and a plethora of other recipes: use lard.  You don't need a lot, but the difference in taste is noticeable.

A jar full of creamy white, freshly rendered lard for cooking and baking is worth the minimal effort it takes to bottle some up; all that is required is filtered water, pork fat, and some patience.

STOVETOP METHOD FOR RENDERING LARD

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ pounds Pork Fat

About 4 ounces of water


DIRECTIONS

With a sharp knife, trim any blood spots or remaining meat from the lard.

Cube the fat into small cubes, about ½-inch in size.

Place the fat and the filtered water into a heavy-bottomed stockpot and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.





Cubed lard simmering in a cast iron pot.



After a time, the water will evaporate and the fat will begin to melt. Continue to gently stir the melted fat periodically. Eventually,  the “cracklings” form. You know how bacon sputters sending hot fat out of a shallow pan? As moisture is released from the cracklings, it will definitely sputter like the bacon. Be careful not to get burned.

Eventually when those cracklings are crispy brown and there appears to be no more lard to cook off, you may remove your pot from the heat.





Lard cooked down to 'cracklings.'



Line a strainer with cotton cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter and strain the melted fat into hot sterilized canning jars, reserving the cracklings for another use (they’re quite tasty salted and eaten as a snack).

Allow jars to cool. The melted fat will be golden to golden-brown in color; when cooled, it will become a creamy white. Keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 months or freeze and keep for up to a year. If you are going to put your jars into the freezer, leave 1-inch headroom.

Use your freshly rendered lard in pastries, as a fat for braising vegetables or seasoning meats, or even for making pizza dough. When you experience the amount of flavor achieved or the extra flakiness of your pastries, with such a little amount of lard, you will not only be satisfied that there is no real detriment to your health, but that putting by your own lard is well worth the effort.

RED CAULIFLOWER PICKLE

I wanted to pickle some cauliflower. When researching recipes for pickling cauliflower I found most recipes included mustard or mustard seeds (rai), fennel seeds, red chili powder, turmeric (haldi), and asafetida (hing). Of course, there is always the popular Piccalilli also known as 'Spiced Mustard Pickle', as well as other variations of a mixed vegetable pickle such as Chow-Chow, which always includes cauliflower as well as carrots, onions, runner beans and the like, another mixed vegetable relish that includes mustard in the brine, none of which you will find in this recipe. This Red Cauliflower Pickle recipe I discovered after finding 'Farewell The Winterline: Memories of a Boyhood in India. A Memoir by Stanley E. Brush'.

Six quarts of freshly bottled Red Cauliflower Pickle

According to the website, "Stan Brush's love for the peoples and cultures of India and Pakistan infuse his memoir...And it is appreciation of those cultures that inspires the continual development of this web site." Best of all they offer a free Indian Recipes Cookbook.

Paul and I had recently purchased a big, old Victorian in Connecticut's Northwest Corner, so when the harvest was coming in, my pots, pans, and canning supplies were lost in transition. This recipe was certainly on my to do list but because of circumstance set simmering on the back burner.

Finally the time was right. The produce department had beautiful heads of cauliflower lined up bright and white, so crisp, so pristine: and canning equipment had been unpacked. I bought two bulbous heads and several jars of Greenwood's Sweet and Tangy Sliced Pickled Beets with Onions so I could give this unique recipe a test run. I also purchased a few organic golden beets to add to the mix for a little more color.

Here is the original recipe as it appeared in the Indian Recipes Cookbook.

RED CAULIFLOWER PICKLE

'This is a very uncommon pickle, and looks particularly pretty in white bottles. Cut the cauliflower into pieces of equal sizes, sprinkle with salt, and place it in the sun for a couple of days. Make a syrup of vinegar and sugar: to every quart of vinegar put a quarter of a pound of sugar, a few sticks of cinnamon, and as much sliced or bruised and pounded red beet as will give the vinegar a deep red colour.

When all the salt water has drained away, put the cauliflower into a pan, and pour over it the boiling-hot vinegar or syrup through a fine sieve, in order to leave behind the sticks of cinnamon and fibres of the beetroot; when cold, put the pickle into nice white bottles and cork.'

Here is the version I ended up with after a bit of experimentation.



Pre-pickled beets and fresh cauliflower.



BETH'S BEET CAULIFLOWER PICKLE



2 large heads Cauliflower 

2 bunches fresh Red Beets

1 bunch Golden Beets

2 quarts White Vinegar, or if you don't like a sharp bite, 1 quart White Vinegar, 1 quart Apple Cider Vinegar

1 3/4 Cup Raw Sugar

1 stick Cinnamon

6 whole Cloves

Kosher Salt as needed



Break the cauliflower heads into florets with no worries about equal sizing, then sprinkle them liberally with Kosher salt and set the whole she-bang on the kitchen table for a few days (Unless it is very hot out, then set in the fridge).Check after one day, drain off the excess water and sprinkle them again liberally with salt, tossing to make sure every floret is covered.

While your cauliflower is resting prepare your beets. Roasting beets, as with parsnips and other root vegetables, intensifies their flavor bringing out their sweet earthiness. It also makes them easier to peel. Start with beets that are firm and feel heavy for their size. If the beets came with their greens still attached, cut off the greens, wash them, and reserve them for another use.

Roast beets until tender. The amount of time this takes will vary depending on the size and number of the beets, and how fresh they are. For smaller beets, start checking them for tenderness at about 25 minutes. Larger, older beets can take up to an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Scrub beets clean. Place them on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to packet up the beets comfortably with a bit of 'roasting' room, drizzle with olive oil (just a splash) . Fold the foil over (forming a packet) and crimp the sides closed. Remove beets from oven when a fork will easily pierce them to their center. Let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel and set in the fridge until your cauliflower is ready.

After the cauliflower has set for two days, gather up your canning supplies and prepare to bottle up the pickles. First step: in a large heavy bottomed, non-reactive pot combine vinegar and sugar; bring to a simmer over medium heat until sugar has liquified - do not boil yet. Tie cinnamon stick and cloves into a square of muslin or cheese cloth and float in the brine. Continue to simmer allowing ample time for the flavors to meld (about 20 minutes).

Bring mixture to a rapid boil, then turn heat down - in other words keep the brine hot as you bottle.  

Rinse your salted cauliflower florets several times in cool water and let drain. Begin bottling by layering sliced beets and drained cauliflower florets into your sterilized bottles and/or jars.  I bottled up one 2 quart container (pictured below) that went right into the fridge after it cooled, and then I moved to 4 pint bottles that I processed in a canning water bath for 10 minutes, for long term storage in my pie safe now canning cupboard.

Once your jars are full (you can press down the vegetables with your fingers or a spoon to make a tight pack) you can begin to add the hot brine.



Two quart jar being stuffed with cauliflower and beets.



This step will make for many air bubbles, which you do not want, so ladle in some brine and tap the bottle gently against the counter to release the air, then add some more brine.  A long thin kabob stick, or thin knife can also be inserted into your jars to release any air bubbles.

Continue this process until the jars are filled with brine leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Follow all your Safe Canning Standards. Wait for several weeks before serving.  This allows the flavors to combine.  

These pickles can be left in the pantry for a year, or in the fridge for equally as long.  Because the cauliflower is so dense, even after standing in the vinegar brine for a long time they usually retain a delightful cruchiness.

BRUSCHETTA: BY ANY OTHER NAME STILL TASTES AS SWEET.

I have written before about cooking with our children. They learn from us in so many ways and I believe taking the time to cook not only for them, but also with them, is just one way to teach our children well.


The time for cooking together with my family has evolved into mostly holidays or special celebrations now that our boys are older: Hunter is 23-years-old and living in Seattle, Washington and occasionally making use of The New York Times Cookbook bequeathed to him by his Nanny, while 16-year-old Daniel is home but  busy with school, hockey, and socializing with friends; usually he is just a blur passing through the house, grabbing a bite to eat on the run, so it is a special time when we do have a chance to cook  together. 

Not long ago I rummaged through the pantry and refrigerator planning a simple dinner that Daniel and I could make together in a short amount of time: Italian bread, pickled garlic, preserved eggplant, artichoke hearts in oil, black olives, cherry tomatos, some homemade pizza sauce (recipe below).  I knew what we were going to make, but confused about the correct terminology: are we making bruschetta, crostini, or just a refrigerator pizza?  I decided to do some research so I could categorize exactly what it was we were preparing.

I discovered along with bruschetta, crostini originated in medieval times when Italian peasants ate their meals on slices of bread instead of using ceramics. The word bruschetta arose from the Roman verb bruscare, meaning 'to roast over coals'. Traditionally, bruschetta is prepared using Italian bread rubbed with garlic and extra-virgin olive oil, dusted with salt and pepper, then topped with peppers, tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese.

Crostini, also a popular Italian appetizer typically made using slices of French or Italian baguettes, means ‘little toasts’ in Italian. Small slices of grilled or toasted bread are topped with a variety of cheeses, meats, and vegetables, or may be served simply with a brush of olive oil and herbs or a sauce.

The term ‘Refrigerator Pizza’ originated around the same time as the colloquial phrases ‘Refrigerator Soup’ or ‘Leftover Lunch’: are you familiar with the terms? I am sure most Americans have experienced this type of food during their lifetime. It simply means creating a pizza or soup or lunch  by opening the refrigerator and making do with the contents.

For instance, our Refrigerator Pizza is made by using any available bread: english muffin, bagel, leftover Italian, what-have-you. Brush with homemade pizza sauce (recipe below) or anoint with olive oil, top with whatever fixings are leftover in the refrigerator, sprinkle with cheese and toast in the oven.

My conclusion, call it what you will: no matter the title it always tastes delicious!



HOMEMADE PIZZA SAUCE

(Enough for 4 Medium Pizzas)



INGREDIENTS

1 lb crushed Tomatoes

1 Tablespoon minced Garlic

4 oz Tomato Paste

1 Tablespoon dried Basil

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon minced Onion

1 teaspoon dried Marjoram

2 teaspoons dried Oregano

Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS


Over medium low heat sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil and butter for 4 to 5 minutes. The bits should be golden brown and fragrant but be careful not to overcook.
Add the other ingredients.

Simmer the sauce for 15 to 20 minutes.

Jar up and store in refrigerator.  I have found that this sauce tastes better after it rests for a few days.  You can also spoon into freezer bags and freeze for later use.  Freeze up to a year, refrigerate up to 6 months - but I can pretty much guarantee it will not last more than a few weeks.

Ciao!!