NEAPOLITAN PIZZA
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 2h30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Make the dough: Combine the warm water and yeast in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve the yeast. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and stir to make a shaggy dough. (The dough should be tacky. If it feels too wet and sticky, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time; if it's too stiff, add a little water.) Transfer to a lightly oiled surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. Place an inverted bowl over the dough and let rise slightly, 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and form each into a ball; arrange 3 inches apart on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Rub the tops of the dough lightly with olive oil and cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before baking; let sit, covered, until ready to use. One hour before baking, put a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 500 degrees F (or 550 degrees F if your oven goes that high).
- Make the sauce: Combine the tomatoes and their juices with 1 teaspoon salt in a blender; blend until smooth.
- Generously sprinkle a pizza peel or an inverted baking sheet with cornmeal. Place 1 ball of dough upside down on the cornmeal using floured hands. Gently pull the dough into an 8- to 10-inch circle, reflouring your hands as needed and being careful not to deflate the dough. Spread about 1/4 cup tomato sauce on the crust; top with one-quarter of the mozzarella. Drizzle with 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil and season with salt.
- Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake until the crust is dark golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and sprinkle with basil. Let cool 2 minutes before slicing. Repeat to make 3 more pizzas.
FRIED NEOPOLITAN PIZZAS
Steps:
- Make dough for crust:
- Stir together yeast and water in a measuring cup and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
- Stir together salt and 1 cup flour in a large bowl, then add yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir until smooth. Stir in just enough remaining flour (1/4 to 1/2 cup) for dough to come away from side of bowl.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, sprinkling with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until smooth, soft, and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Dust dough all over with flour and put in a bowl. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Make sauce and assemble toppings while dough rises:
- Heat oil (1/4 cup) in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat until hot, then cook crushed garlic, stirring, until pale golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and increase heat to moderately high, then cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Discard crushed garlic if desired.
- Put cheeses, basil, and minced garlic in separate bowls and keep, covered, at room temperature until ready to use.
- Fry dough:
- Heat 1 inch oil in a deep 12- to 13-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until it registers 350°F on thermometer.
- While oil heats, divide dough into 8 portions and stretch each portion with floured hands, pressing on work surface, to form 4-inch rounds (don't worry if they are irregularly shaped).
- Fry rounds 2 at a time, turning over once with tongs, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per batch, and transfer to a paper-towel-lined platter to drain. (Return oil to 350°F between batches.)
- Spread each fried dough round with some sauce and sprinkle with toppings. Pizza should be eaten immediately, folded in half.
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