13067 Serves 8 Wed Aug 06 08:21:12 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 05:31:58 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/13067 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:31:58 GMT It is believed that the pizza was introduced into Italy from the Middle East in the first century A.D. by Jews fleeing the Roman conquest of Judea. Raffaele Esposito, of Pizzeria di Pietro in Naples, created pizza Margherita in the year 1889 to honor a visit by Queen Margherita. The toppings represent the three colors of the flag of the United Kingdom of Italy: tomatoes for red, mozzarella for white, and basil for green. The pizzadalina version predates the tomato version described above, and many would consider it pizza in its purest form. The bread is topped with a mixture of slow-cooked onions and garlic that are tossed with bay leaf and oregano, sprinkled with pecorino cheese, and topped with black olives and anchovy fillets.

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Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups [480 mL] of the flour and allow to stand 5 minutes.

Add ⅓ cup [80 mL] of the oil and another 2 cups [480 mL] of flour and mix to form a smooth batter. Add the salt and continue to add flour until the dough starts to stick to the paddle and the sides of the bowl. The dough will form strands that tear as the paddle rotates in the bowl.

Remove the paddle, install the dough hook, and start the mixer at low speed. Add flour, a little at a time, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Continue to knead for 5 minutes.

Place the ball of dough in a bowl lightly coated with olive oil. Brush the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil. Cover with plastic film and place in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the dough has doubled in volume. The dough may also be placed in an oiled resealable bag and allowed to rise, refrigerated, overnight.

Turn out the dough on a floured surface, punch the dough down, and knead for 1 minute. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.

Stretch a piece of dough to cover the bottom of a 6-inch [15-cm] pizza pan that has been brushed with olive oil. The dough may be patted, tossed in the air and spun, or rolled out with a rolling pin. Sprinkle with garlic and arrange slices of tomato and mozzarella in an interesting pattern on top. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Allow to rest 10 minutes before baking.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the garlic halves and sauté for 2 minutes, or until golden. Add the onions, bay leaf, and oregano, and sauté the mixture until the onions are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic halves and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and allow the topping to cool. (The topping may be made one day in advance.)

Stretch a piece of dough to cover the bottom of a 6-inch [15-cm] pizza pan that has been brushed with olive oil. The dough may be patted, tossed in the air and spun, or rolled out with a rolling pin.

Spread the cooled onion topping evenly over the pizza dough. Add the pecorino cheese, olives, and anchovies. Brush the exposed edge of the pizza with olive oil. Allow to rest 5 minutes before baking.

If using a pizza peel, dust it lightly with cornmeal before using. If baking on a pizza stone or in a stone-lined oven, dust the stone lightly with cornmeal before placing the pizza on to bake.

Bake the pizzas at 450°F [230°C] for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown.

Top the Margherita pizza with fresh basil leaves. Cut each pizza into quarters with a pizza wheel or a knife. Serve either pizza accompanied with coarsely ground black pepper and/or crushed red pepper and grated Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

]]> http://www.chow.com Arthur L. Meyer 50 Main 1 tablespoon [15 mL] active dry yeast

]]> ½ teaspoon [3 mL] sugar

]]> 2 cups [480 mL] warm water (105° to 110°F [40° to 45°C])

]]> 4 to 6 cups [960 mL to 1.4 L] bread flour, as needed

]]> ⅓ cup [80 mL] olive oil, or more as needed

]]> 2 teaspoons [10 mL] salt

]]> 2 teaspoons [10 mL] minced garlic

]]> 4 plum tomatoes, sliced thin, or drained canned tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch [6-mm] pieces 6 to

]]> 8 ounces [180 to 225 g] buffalo mozzarella cheese, sliced or grated

]]> ¼ teaspoon [1 mL] salt

]]> 2 tablespoons [30 mL] olive oil, for drizzling

]]> 3 tablespoons [45 mL] olive oil

]]> 3 large garlic cloves, halved

]]> 2 onions, sliced thin

]]> 1 bay leaf

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] fresh oregano leaves

]]> Salt

]]> Black pepper

]]> 3 ounces [85 g] pecorino cheese, such as Romano, grated

]]> ½ cup [120 mL] Italian black olives, pitted, sliced

]]> 12 large anchovy fillets, whole or chopped

]]> Cornmeal, as needed

]]> 8 large basil leaves, coarsely torn

]]> Coarsely ground black pepper, for garnish (optional)

]]> Crushed red pepper, for garnish (optional)

]]> Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

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