I confess that I am a Pizza lover. Aficionado. Pizza hog. Treasurer . . . . maybe even obsessed. If its Pizza, I am there. I have been carrying on a great love affair with it for most of my early teen years and adult life. I can't help myself. I just adore the stuff.
As luck would have it, I am married to a man who is not fond of Pizza. He just barely tolerates it. Pizza (or any Italian food), chocolate or lemon. His three dislikes . . . oh and pasta. He barely tolerates any of those things. I know . . . . unbelievable.
Every once in a while I torture him with it however. I really can't help myself. The heart wants what the heart wants.
And yesterday that was pizza. New York Pizza. With foldable crisp slices, a delicious sauce and lotsa lotsa cheese.
Have I ever told you my cousin owns/runs a Pizza place back home? Yep, he does. The Pizza Factory on Main Street in Middleton, Nova Scotia . . . and it produces some of the best pizza in the Valley.
It is not a chain run conglomerate, but a small individual mom and pop style of business. There is only one of them and they make great pizza. The crust is a family secret recipe that only he and his sister know, and it is an amazing crust. One of the best ever.
It is one of the first things I need to treat myself to every time I go home. If you are ever in the area, be sure to check it out. You won't be sorry. He started working there when he was a teenager and when the owner decided to retire, he offered Hal the opportunity to buy the business. Hal did and has never looked back We are all immensely proud of him and his pizza!
And how back to my pizza. Its not Hal's crust, but its a pretty darn good crust. Lovely flavor and texture and just sturdy enough to stand up to the toppings, and yet at the same time light and airy.
What characterises a New York Pizza? I have never been to New York or tasted one in person, but I have drooled over many a slice on the telly. Latest one being on an episode of Somebody Feed Phil. I reckon New York City must have some of the tastiest food in the world.
According to The Spruce Eats:
New York style pizza has slices that are large and wide with a thin crust that is foldable yet crispy. It is traditionally topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, with any extra toppings placed on top of the cheese. Pizza without additional toppings is called “plain,” “regular,” or “cheese.
This fits the bill on all of those counts. It has a thin, airy crust that is crisp and yet foldable . . .
It is covered with a delicious tomato sauce . . . my own recipe, honed after many years of eating pizza, knowing what tastes good and what I like and adaptation until I perfected it. I am mighty proud of my sauce.
And of course plenty of mozzarella cheese, plus some Parmesan . . . because to me a Pizza needs Parmesan cheese too.
I am not a pizza expert by any stretch, but I have eaten plenty of pizza in my life, from the make at home mixes to pizza in Calgary (best ever coming from a Greek restaurant no less), Winnipeg, Halifax, etc. I think I know good pizza.
The best in my opinion is Hal's but this one runs a good second. Ok, I am a bit biased. I admit it. But it is my blog after all. You will just have to try it and make up your own mind.
Yield: makes 2 pizzasAuthor: Marie Rayner
New York Pizza
prep time: 20 minscook time: 2 hourtotal time: 2 hours and 20 minsLight and airy with lots of cheese. If you don't want to make two pizzas, you can divide the dough in half and freeze one portion, well wrapped and you can also free half the sauce for another time. Plan ahead as this can take some time.ingredients:
For the crusts:945g strong bread flour (3 3/4 cups)1 1/4 tsp sugar1 envelope of active dry yeast1 tsp fine sea salt2 TBS +2 tsp olive oil360ml warm water (1 1/2 cups)For the sauce:2 cups of tomato passata (seived tomatoes)
1/4 cup tomato paste (sundried tomato paste is nice sometimes for a change)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp chinese five spice powder
seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste You will also need:230g fresh mozzarella, grated and then frozen (2 cups)4 TBS coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
Optional:Toppings as desired (chopped onion, olives, bacon, peppers, pepperoni, etc.)
instructions:
Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and salt in thebowl of your stand mixer. Combine to mix. Add the water and 2 TBS of the
oil. Beat using the dough hook until the dough forms a ball around the
hook. If you think the dough is too sticky, you can add additional
flour 1 TBS at a time. If you think the dough is too dry, you can add
water, 1 TBS at a time. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and
gently knead until you have a smooth, firm ball. Oil a large bowl with
the remaining olive oil. Add the ball of dough, turning to coat it in
oil. Cover with plastic cling film and set in a warm area to rise until
it doubles in size, about an hour and a half.
While the dough is rising, make the sauce and let it cool.
To make the sauce, put
all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover
with a lid, slightly ajar and simmer on very low for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Turn
the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in 2 equal pieces. If
you are not using both, wrap one tightly in cling film and place into a
zip lock bag. Flatten and place in the freezer for another time.
Let the dough you are using rest for 10 minutes, then press and roll out to a 12 inch circle on a sheet of baking paper.
Preheat
the oven to 230*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Put a pizza stone if you have one
in the oven to heat. If not, place a pizza pan in the oven.
Cover
your crust with as much sauce as you require, and then freeze the rest
in individual portions for later use. Add your desired toppings and
cheese. Slide the pizza onto the heated pizza stone or pan and return to
the oven to bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until the crust is golden and
crisp and your cheese has melted and bubbling. Cut into slices to
serve.Created using The Recipes Generator
What are you favorite toppings on a pizza? Sometimes I like pepperoni and sausage, but most of the time I go simple and like just onions and olives, and yes . . . bacon every now and then. Bon Appetit!
