thefoodlessprocessed

Like bread baking, making pizza is a skill that grows easier with repetition. Thefoodlessprocessed version makes two 14-inch pizzas. Acquiring a couple of cast iron pizza pans is highly recommended. They heat evenly, are naturally non-sticking, and will produce a crust to the shade of doneness that suits your taste by shortening or lengthening the baking time.

To read about the less-processed versions of the ingredients used, click on any of these options: Flour, Cornmeal, Water, Salt, Olive Oil, Honey, Mozzarella Cheese, Anchovies, Capers, Chorizo, Oregano, Preserved Tomatoes, Tomato Paste.

Equipment

• 2 Cast Iron Pizza Pans, each 14-inches in diameter (35.5 cm) (Pans made of cast iron are recommended but optional.)
• a Pastry Board and Rolling Pin
• Optional: a Standing Mixer and Paddle Attachment are used to mix and knead the dough
• a Large Bowl for Mixing the Dough (if using a Standing Mixer, the Mixer’s Large Bowl)
• a Small Bowl for activating the yeast
• a Large Bowl lightly brushed with Olive Oil
• a Four-Sided Standing Grater

Ingredients for the Yeast Mixture

• 1/4 cup of Well Water or Bottled Spring Water (heated to just warm) (60 ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon of Unfiltered Organic Honey
• 2 teaspoons of SAF Instant Yeast

Ingredients for the Dough

• 4 cups of French or Italian All-Purpose Soft Wheat White Flour (480 g)
• 1 and 1/4 cups of Well Water or Bottled Spring Water (300 ml)
• 3 Tablespoons of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (plus a little extra to brush on the bowl in which the dough rises, on the pizza pans and for sautéing the mushrooms, if including them)
• 2 teaspoons of Sea Salt

Pizza Sauce

The recipe for the Pizza Sauce is provided in a separate post here.

Toppings

The toppings and amounts given below are ones used by thefoodlessprocessed for two pizzas. Adjust either according to your taste.

• 1 pound of Whole-Milk, Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese (454 g), grated over the large holes of a 4-sided standing grater (not pre-grated)
• about a pound of Fresh Mushrooms and Stems (454 g), sliced and sautéed in 2 or 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil until browned.
• about 6 Tablespoons of Capers
• 1 tin of Wild-Caught Anchovies
• about 1/2 Tablespoon of Cut-Leaf Oregano for each pizza.
• Imported Spanish Chorizo (mild or spicy): Chorizo is not included on the pizza in the photo. Because Pepperoni is a popular topping, this less-processed option is mentioned, which contains only Pork, Paprika, Salt, Garlic and Natural Pork Casing. The Chorizo Sausage comes in a whole piece. Cut off the amount you wish to add to the pizzas. Peel off the paper-thin casing, and slice it into rounds.

Activating the Yeast and Making the Dough

• In the small bowl, mix the honey, yeast, and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of warm water. Set it aside. It will soon become foamy and small bubbles will appear on the surface.
• In the large bowl, combine the flour, 1 and 1/4 cups (300 ml) of water, the olive oil and the salt.
• Add the activated yeast mixture.
• Mix to combine everything well. Knead until the dough is soft and elastic.
• Turn the dough into the lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a light towel or a large bowl. Leave it to rise at room temperature until doubled in size.

Preparing the Pans, Forming, Topping and Baking the Pizzas

Gas or Convection Oven: thefoodlessprocessed uses a gas oven. The conversions from Fahrenheit to Celsius do not attempt to adjust for differences between baking in a gas or convection oven. I have no experience using a convection oven, and leave adjustments to the better judgement of you who do have.

• Preheat the oven to 450 F (about 232 C). Set one oven rack in the lowest position and the second rack in the middle position. The two pizzas are baked simultaneously.
• Pour a little olive oil onto each pizza pan and rub the oil over the surface of the pans and up on the rims. Sprinkle them with a little cornmeal.
• Flour the pastry board. Divide the dough into two roughly equal parts. Roll out one half into a circle a little more than 14 inches (35.5 cm) in diameter. Roll out from the center. The dough will have a tendency to contract but will relax as you continue to roll. It will stretch further as you transfer it to the pan.
• To transfer the round of dough to the pan, place the rolling pin at the point on the circumference of the circle of dough furthest from you and roll the dough up around the pin, rolling the pin toward you, until the pin reaches the middle of the circle of dough. The dough will stretch further as you transfer it to the pan.

• Lift the dough up. Transfer it to the pan by placing the unrolled half of the dough down to meet the edge of the pan closest to you and rolling the dough away from you to meet the edge of the pan furthest from you. Gently stretch the dough toward the edges if necessary so that the round comes up the sides of the pan. Where the round extends beyond the edge of the pan, fold it in with your fingers.
• Roll out and transfer the second round of dough in the same manner.

• Spread pizza sauce over each round. Scatter the mozzarella over the sauce. Then add other toppings according to your preference. Sprinkle half the oregano over each pizza.

• Bake the pizzas simultaneously. Place them on the middle and lowest racks, arranging them so that the lower pizza is not directly below the one above it. The total baking time estimate is 14 to 18 minutes. After 7 minutes of baking, exchange the positions of the pizzas and bake another 7 minutes. Begin checking the crust at this point, adding minutes until the undersides of the pizzas are the color and crispness you like and the tops are bubbling and the cheese just beginning to brown here and there.
• Remove the pizzas from the oven, cut and serve.

Suggestion for cutting and serving

• Place a sheet of parchment on a flat baking sheet. With a large spatula, slip the pizza over onto the lined pan. Cut the pizza in slices. Place a serving board next to the baking sheet and slip the pizza, still on the paper, onto the serving board. If you are serving one pizza at a time, place a loose sheet of aluminum foil lightly over the top of the second one and leave it on top of the oven,