Pizza Napolitana - recipes

Pizza Napolitana - recipes

Ingredients

1+1/4 cups (300 ml) lukewarm water
1/4 tsp (1 ml) sugar
2 packages (2 Tbs, 30 ml) dry yeast
3+1/2 cups (875 ml) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
3/4 cup (180 ml) olive oil
Corn meal
2 cups (500 ml) pizza sauce (canned, or see tomorrow's recipe)
1 lb (450 g) mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup (125 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Additional toppings of your choice

Directions

Combine 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the warm (not hot) water with the sugar and yeast in a small bowl and stir gently to dissolve.  Allow to proof in a warm place for 5 minutes.  Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.  Add the yeast mixture, the remaining water, and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the olive oil.  Mix the dough until it forms a ball and turn onto a floured work surface.  Knead the dough until it is shiny and elastic, about 15 minutes.  Place the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and allow to rise until doubled in size. Punch the dough down and divide into 4 pieces.  Shape each piece of the dough into a circle about 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter by rolling and stretching it.  Form a slight rim around the edge with your fingers.  Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal and place the dough on top of it.  For each pizza, spread 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the sauce over the top of the dough, followed by 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the mozzarella and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the Parmesan.  Add additional toppings of your choice and drizzle 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil over each pizza. Bake on the lowest rack in a preheated 500F (260C) oven for about 10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.

Makes 4 10-inch pizzas.