prosciutto, arugula, caramelized onions, tomato, ricotta, parmesan reggiano & balsamic reduction - homemade dough.
the following recipes are in order on purpose- all components will then be ready to be used to top the pizza at the appropriate time.
caramelized onions
- heat medium sauce pan with splash of olive oil.
- 1 medium white onion, slice into thin half-rounds. cook onion down for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
- add 2 pinches brown sugar, 1 pinch salt. stir.
- cook onions down for another 5 minutes, then remove from heat
balsamic reduction
- heat small sauce pot on medium heat
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, add while pot is heating up. stir constantly. if any burns or sticks to the bottom, start over.
- add pinch of salt
- once the vinegar is steaming add 1 tablespoon brown sugar. keep stirring.
- reduce the vinegar down until it is the consistency of maple syrup on your spoon. when it cools it will thicken more. when finished pour out of the pot into a bowl.
dough - part 1
- 1 cup warm water in a tall glass (needs room for yeast to rise)
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar, add to water.
- 2 packets of yeast, add to water and stir mixture. place in a warm place for 10 minutes to let the yeast rise. successful yeast looks like a foamy (tan) beer. if you don't see foam, start over. your yeast is bad and won't rise.
dough - part 2
- in a large mixing bowl, pour in the yeast mixture
- add 2 pinches of salt
- add 1 1/2 cups flour. begin mixing by hand. add more flour so the mixture will begin to clump. once dough is able to be formed into a single large ball, without it constantly sticking to your hands, then it is ready. continue kneading the dough for another 3 minutes.
- place the dough in a clean mixing bowl that has been lightly oiled. place a dish towel over the top of the bowl and put in a warm area (a gas oven pilot light works great). let dough rise for 20 minutes.
remove the dough and preheat oven to 475f.
dough - part 3
- punch down the dough.
- flour a countertop and a rolling pin. roughly shape the dough into a thick version of a pizza shape.
- place the dough on the floured countertop. roll the dough out to the desired crust density. the dough will rise slightly, so go a bit thinner than you'd think.
- move the rolled out pizza crust to a lightly oiled pizza stone. if you don't have one, go get one. they're only $30 and it will change your life.
topping the pizza - pre-cook
- brush the outside crust with olive oil so it will crisp instead of burning before the rest of the pizza is ready.
- 4 oz ricotta, spread the cheese around evenly with the back of a fork.
- 2 tomatoes thinly sliced. spread 'em around.
- caramelized onions, toss 'em on too.
- add whatever spices you like on pizza. i recommend: smoked red pepper, oregano, garlic powder, paprika
place the pizza in the hot oven. depending on how good your oven is, the pizza can take 10 - 20 minutes cooking at 475f. keep an eye on it. you want the crust to be a deep golden brown. once the pizza has reached maximum sexiness, remove the whole pizza stone from the oven. this will help the crust continue to crisp as you add the rest of the toppings that should be added after cooking so that the do not wilt or cook.
topping the pizza - post-cook
- 4 oz prosciutto di parma, place evenly around the pizza
- handful of arugula, spread around the pizza.
- parmesan reggiano, grate and spread.
- drizzle the balsamic reduction
slice that bitch and serve.
((((cook track)))) Jaydiohead - Dirt Off Your Android
