Last
summer, we attended a reunion for employees of a history museum where Mark
worked in the Dark Ages (the 1970s and 1980s). I tagged along for the ride, but did
not attend the reunion itself. (Me and 300 historians is not a good mix…)
The night
before the reunion we gathered with a few friends for dinner in Marylou and
Steve’s beautiful garden at their home in Woodstock, Connecticut. Aside from
them and the two of us, we were joined by our cousin Cathy and her partner
Heather, plus several of their old friends and colleagues from the museum.
Marylou,
being smart and knowing that the next two days would be stressful and full of
activities (she was one of the event organizers), decided to order pizzas for
dinner and serve them with a nice salad.
As a
guest, being served pizza strikes fear to my heart. Literally, into my heart.
Yep, it’s that old garlic allergy of mine coming back to bite. Pizza in the
United States almost always has garlic, although I know there are exceptions
and I seek them at every turn.
But, in
lil’ old Woodstock, we weren’t sure we could find pizza safe for me to eat.
When we
decided that I would join him for the trip, Mark suggested to Marylou that I
could make the pizzas, thus ensuring an allium-free dinner for me. Aside from
topping lavash or flatbreads with tomatoes, cheese, and basil (or whatever we
had on hand), I had little experience in pizza making. But, hey – I love a
challenge and immediately started looking for crust recipes.
Knowing I
would bake in an unfamiliar kitchen, I did my test run using ingredients I knew
could be found anywhere, and limited myself to the most basic batterie de cuisine imaginable. As in, no pizza stone. Just cookie sheets.
I confirmed
that out hosts had a food processor, so I began my search for a crust dough
made in the processor. One from Wolfgang Puck surfaced, and I had heard good
things about it from other bloggers, so that is what I used.
For the
topping, I went basic with a Margherita pizza – probably my favorite. It is so
classic, simple, and uses just a few ingredients – San Marzano tomatoes (when
available), salt, olive oil, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves.
For the
test baking before the trip, I bought fresh mozzarella thinking that it would
be the best option. My first tactical error. It wasn’t. It was chewy – and not
in a good way. So I checked in with my two friends who work in pizza parlors
and was told by both that they use a dry mozzarella, as it melts beautifully at
the high temperatures. The good news is a dry mozzarella will be much easier to
find in a small town!
I had to
assume that Marylou and Steve didn’t have a pizza peel, so I tested the recipe
using a large smooth wooden cutting board. It basically worked, although I made
sure it was well floured, otherwise it wouldn’t slide easily into the pan.
Also, once the dough is on the board/peel I found I must work quickly, as the
moisture from the dough will rapidly cause it to stick to the board.
The pan.
One thing I have read about over and over is that you need to slide your pizza
onto a preheated pan (or stone) to achieve a nice, crispy crust. When using a
rimmed baking sheet, this isn’t easily accomplished, so in the end, I didn’t slide from my improvised
peel; I spread the dough directly into the cold rimmed pan before adding its
toppings.
While
pizza dough is sturdy, it still can easily absorb liquids, so don’t top your
pizza until you are ready to pop it in the oven. This will help to keep your
pizza from getting soggy.
Another
way to get a nice crisp crust is the set the pizza in the top of the oven –
about 4 inches from the top (with heat coming from below; don’t broil it!).
Finally,
when making something like this from scratch, your end results will always be
better when you use the highest quality ingredients available: flour, yeast
(makes sure it hasn’t expired!!), tomatoes, olive oil, cheese and fresh basil.
The good
news? It was easy – the garden party was a huge success, and the guests raved
about the pizzas! Making so many pizzas was fun, and I am eternally grateful to
Heather for being in the kitchen with me and keeping me laughing!
This
dough is so easy to make but I ended up testing and re-testing, only to combine
several techniques with this set of ingredients. It is best when the dough is
made several days ahead and then refrigerated. It rolls/stretches easier, and I
ended up with a thinner, crispier crust. The nice thing about making it several
days ahead is that you can come home from work, and have pizza within minutes – giving you time
enough to watch a movie (we chose Moonstruck) while you eat your pizza.
 |
| Sorry about the cell phone shot – I didn’t have my dSLR at hand! |
So grab a
slice, fire up the DVD player, pop the cork on a nice Italian wine, kick back,
and enjoy!
Pizza Margherita
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Design by Themeshift.
Sippity Sup
January 17, 2015 at 8:02 pmAs I read this I am in the buenos aires airport waiting for a flight. Pizza in BA is very different from this charred thin crust beauty. Despite the Italian influence on all the food here pizza here is thick, cheeses and doughy. It's more like a grilled cheese sandwich
Cocoa & Lavender
January 18, 2015 at 3:34 pmGlad you are coming back, Greg – I am looking forward to reading more of your adventures today! To me, even some of the pizzas in Italy are disappointing… after all, we grow up liking what we know. I grew up with Brooklyn-style pizza. Thin and crisp – almost burnt – with a light topping.
Lizzy (Good Things)
January 17, 2015 at 9:54 pmLooks delicious, David…. mouth is watering… and I love all the photos of the garden party too!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 18, 2015 at 3:48 pmThanks, Liz – Marylou and Steve have one of the loveliest gardens in New England!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
January 18, 2015 at 8:39 amDear David, there is absolutely nothing better than homemade Pizza – your dough looks picture perfect and so does the allium-free topping – what a nice gesture to be making pizza in an unfamiliar kitchen.
Love all the happy, summery pictures.
Euch ein schönes Wochenende und liebe Grüsse,
Andrea
Cocoa & Lavender
January 18, 2015 at 3:36 pmThanks, dear Andrea! As nice as the gesture might have been, it was all for self-preservation! 🙂 I think there are many in the Northern Hemisphere that will be looking at these summery photos and dreaming of the months ahead.
valentina
January 18, 2015 at 12:34 pmI love the simplicity of the ingredients in this. Beautiful.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 18, 2015 at 3:36 pmYou know me, Valentia – sometimes simplest is best!
Connie
January 18, 2015 at 12:58 pmDavid, I just love your writing. You tell a story – with pictures! – that accompany your great recipes. You are a class act in the world of bloggers.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 18, 2015 at 3:37 pmConnie – your wonderful and kind comment made my day! Hope all is well with you!
Gaelen
January 18, 2015 at 1:12 pmTell me about the wine you paired with it. I'm imaging a balmy summer night and a crisp rosé, but now that it's deepest heart of winter up north, what would you suggest?
I'm going to do some research and see how to translate this to GF. I've been mighty disappointed in our options for pizza crust commercially (except the ones shipped by my father to us from Venice, CA). Cheers!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 18, 2015 at 3:45 pmYou are perceptive, Gaelen! We did, indeed, have a crisp Provençal rosé the night of the garden party! But, when I made more batches recently to photograph, we drank a Piemontese Barolo one night, and a Sicilian Aglianco another. The reds would be perfect for you in Rochester these cold nights! Good luck on the pizza dough. One of my GF friends did a smashed potato base for her pizza and seemed very happy with it. It isn't pizza dough, for sure, but it sounds great! http://cookingontheweekends.com/2014/12/smashed-potato-pizza-crust/
Cheri Savory Spoon
January 19, 2015 at 1:53 amDavid, looks like you had dinner in a beautiful garden setting. The pizza looks amazing, love the simplicity of the ingredients you used.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 19, 2015 at 7:05 pmThanks, Cheri! I love dining outdoors whether in New England or in Tucson!
john | heneedsfood
January 19, 2015 at 9:17 amYour mention of expired of expired yeast reminds me of an episode of bread-making in our household. A lesson of reading labels that was quickly learned! It looks like the pizza was received well, by all. And wouldn't you just love a wood-fired pizza oven? If only we had the space …
Cocoa & Lavender
January 19, 2015 at 7:07 pmYeah, John – the space issue is a big problem her, too. I guess we can both live vicariously through others…
Unknown
January 19, 2015 at 7:04 pmAbsolutely my favorite crust recipe no matter how many others I try. I also use it for Focaccia & Calzoni.
Just like you were surprised that I don't like ginger in sweets, I didn't remember that you were allergic to garlic. That must have made things a little difficult in Italia.
I don't like coffee at all. And I really hate it when people say, "Just try it, it doesn't taste like coffee." Really? It always tastes like coffee. I do make coffee for John every morning and I think it smells great but I don't like the way it tastes at all.
I'm sure everyone loved your version of pizza SO much better than anything that could be purchased. How thoughtful of you & how fun!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 19, 2015 at 7:11 pmSo good to know I have company in not liking coffee. I, too, like the way it smells – but when it gets close to my mouth I just can't do it.
Surprisingly, I eat very well in Italy because garlic is used much less than in the U.S. Some regions use more than others, but (unlike the U.S.) garlic isn't in every dish. It is much harder to eat out in NOLA!
And I do have you to thank, as you were the first person to recommend Puck's recipe to me. Have you tried refrigerating it for a couple of days? Amazing!
Anonymous
January 20, 2015 at 11:23 pmGreat pizza David and you are very brave to go into an unknown kitchen and make it for a whole crowd of people. I would have murdered Mr LG if he had done that to me 🙂 I haven't ever thought to use honey in a pizza dough before I would be very interested to know if there is any difference in taste. I see from your comment above that I have found another like minded person – I don't like coffee either 🙂 Hope you both had a great New Year xx
Cocoa & Lavender
January 21, 2015 at 1:55 pmKaren – people find it so odd that I, as a foodie, dislike coffee. I am sure you get that all the time, as people think of cake and coffee like they think of Fred and Ginger. Now I know that there are at least three of us who don't like the stuff!
I was actually a bit relieved to be in a strange kitchen for the event, happily stretching pizza dough. I don't think I could have added to a conversation of friends who have known one another for more than 40 years! Cheers to you and Mr LG!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
January 21, 2015 at 6:28 amPizza perfection! I've been eating up a storm in Portland and Seattle the past 5 days and need to cut back drastically, but if I had this pizza in front of me right now, it wouldn't last 5 minutes! Gorgeous!!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 21, 2015 at 1:56 pmThanks, Christina – I look forward to hearing about your culinary travels in the Pacific Northwest!
Nicole (RieglPalate.com)
January 21, 2015 at 2:05 pmLove that you set out to make pizza rather than find a pizza place in Woodstock that could make you a garlic-free pizza! This looks amazing and makes me miss eating wheat…
Cocoa & Lavender
January 21, 2015 at 2:35 pmI, too, would miss wheat a lot – I feel for you, Nicole! When people react in horror at my garlic allergy ("I could NEVER live without garlic!"), I tell them that it is a lot better than a gluten or dairy allergy, for sure. And heaven forbid that there is a wine allergy! And, probably like you, I would much rather make something than find a mediocre version out!
Unknown
January 21, 2015 at 8:32 pm"As a guest, being served pizza strikes fear to my heart." Hahaha, I just about died when I read that because that's how I feel too! Not because of the garlic thing in my case but because it's always some nasty, fast food pizza place and its just not good. I shudder when I have an invite to dinner and it's bloody pizza!! Yes. it's happened to me, people have invited us over for ordered pizza 😐
I guess I shouldn't complain, it's not all about the food….
Your pizza looks awesome, great job!! And in someone else's kitchen too!
I don't know if you've ever tried this, but quite often I make pizza in my cast iron skillet. Get it hot on the stove top, throw in your dough, top with your toppings and cheese, let it cook on the stove a little till the bottom gets crusty and then broil for a few minutes. Perfect pizza, especially does well with a deep pan pizza type. My kids love home-made pizza more than store bought. Just use your dough recipe and a cast iron pan if you have one, You'll love how easy it is.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 22, 2015 at 1:54 pmNazneen – you made ME laugh when I read your comment. Luckily, our friends pretty much know I am a foodie (read: snob) and always make wonderful food when we come over!
I love your cast iron skillet idea! It makes me wonder if you could use a cast iron griddle as a pizza stone. I will definitely give it a try!
Nuts about food
January 30, 2015 at 11:26 amI definitely want to try this method!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 30, 2015 at 2:38 pmLet me know what you think, Fiona.
Provence WineZine
February 3, 2015 at 12:35 amI have not budged from the house all day, nor from the neighborhood for three days. I am making this tomorrow and perhaps I can get to the Golden Harvest when the dough is ready to roll!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 3, 2015 at 3:07 pmDon't forget to give your dough ample time in the fridge, Susan! Hope you can get out today – no fun being housebound!
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes
February 8, 2015 at 10:24 amThe only pizza dough I ever made, not frequently, is from Wolfang P. too! What a challenge with new guests David, that was awesome. Here we have what is called 'pizza mozzarella' because the 'good and expensive' one is not good as a topping, too bland. They look fantastic!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 8, 2015 at 6:52 pmI love the concept of Pizza Mozzarella! WP's is a great recipe and, with a little refrigeration, even better!