It took me a number of years to craft this recipe. Imagine the number of pizzas and the different types of pizzas that I had experimented with and eaten. I have also given up on making any form of pizza with a home oven. I had tried so many different ways and tricks, but I still cannot get the results that I want.
So, I turned to Pizza Fritta aka Fried Pizza, Pan Pizza and Grilled Pizza. I thought Pizza Fritta is like a cult; it is actually founded in Naples, Italy. The more I see chefs and pizzaiolos make Pizza Fritta, the more confident I get into making and sharing it. Gordan Ramsay, Franco Pepe and Roberto Caporuscio from Keste, for example.
As for Pan Pizza, let's just say Pizza Hut used to be gourmet and their Pan Pizzas are to die for. Key words, "used to be". Very much like Foccacia, spread the dough out in a cast iron skillet and wait for it to rise, spread the sauce + cheese, bake and voila!
Crafting this pizza dough requires a bit of time and effort, but the end result is 100% worth it. I hope you will give this recipe a try.
Ingredients:
Inspired by Franco Pepe
(Make four pizza fritta dough or two pan pizza dough)
Poolish:
Unbleached Bread Flour, 80g
Water, 85g
Active Instant Dry Yeast, 1/8 TSP
Dough:
Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 190g + 285g
Water, 250g
Poolish / Leftover Pizza Dough, 40g
Smoked / Sea Salt, 13g
Active Instant Dry Yeast, 2/3 TSP
Olive Oil, For Greasing
Equipment:
Directions:
Prepare the poolish.
*If you have any leftover pizza dough, you can skip this step.*
In a bowl, add flour, water and yeast.
Mix until well combined.
Cover and set aside for 3 to 4 hrs.
Set aside 40g and freeze the remaining dough in a grease ziplock bag. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Prepare the dough.
Prepare your smoker and smoke 190g of flour for 15 mins.
The flour should be lightly browned and crumbly.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool down, for about 1hr.
*The above step is optional. You can skip it if you do not have a smoker.*
In a large bowl, add the smoked flour and water.
Mix until smooth.
Add in the poolish or leftover pizza dough.
Knead until well combined.
Next, knead in the salt, followed by the yeast, until well combined.
At this point, your dough should be very sticky and wet.
Add in 285g gradually while still kneading the dough together.
Once it becomes a dough, continue kneading the dough inside the bowl until all the nooks and crannies of flour are kneaded into the dough, about 8 to 10 minutes.
The dough should not be sticky or tacky. It should pass the window-pane test.
If the dough is too dry, add in water, 1 TBSP at a time. If the dough is too sticky, add flour, 1 TBSP at a time.
Lightly grease the bowl with olive oil.
Transfer the dough back into the greased bowl, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge overnight.
The next day, take the dough out from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for at least 3 to 4 hrs or until doubled in size.
Weigh and divide the dough into 150g for pizza fritta or 250g for pan pizza.
Freeze any leftover dough for your future pizza adventures.
Form each portion into tight dough balls.
Cover and set aside for another 2 hrs or until doubled in size.
Shape and deep fried or shape in a greased cast iron skillet.
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