The Pizza Maker's Cookbook

pizza the

maker’s cookbook

joseph desouza

pizza the

maker’s cookbook

joseph desouza

cambridge press cambridge,ma

contents introduction 1 dough 3 sauces 5 new york 9 chicago 13 californian 17 napolitan 23 sicilian 27 baker’s percentages chart 33 measurement conversion 35 index 37

introduction

In my almost 25 years of pizza making I’ve learn that the most important factors are ingredients and instructions.

Using the very best ingredients determines the quality and taste of your finished product.

There are three main parts to every pizza. The dough which makes the crust, the pizza sauce and the cheese and or other toppings. If you skimp on any of the areas the quality and taste of your pizza will definitely suffer.

Lets tackle the dough first. This is the foundation of every pizza, you must be patient when making and using dough. You can always buy dough at your local supermarket if you are rushed for time, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You would be better served if you stopped by your local pizzeria and buy fresh dough from them, usually it’s risen and ready to go within the hour. If you want total control of your pizza you

should make it yourself, but again you need time. Dough should be made at least 8 hours before using, preferably the day before it’s needed.

The pizza sauce it very important when it comes to taste. The quality of the tomatoes, too much salt or sugar can make or break your pizza. It’s not necessary to cook your own tomatoes to make quality pizza sauce. There are fine quality tomatoes in the can the are great for making sauce. Buying the best will ensure the very best product.

Just like the sauce, the quality of your cheese will be noticeable if it’s good or bad. Use the best cheese on your pizza you’ll be glad you did. The same goes for other toppings, use fresh vegetables, fresh hamburg, fresh sausage etc.

If you follow the directions in this book, you and your guests will be pleased with delicious homemade pizza.

Remember to have fun.

1

dough

2 cups of flour 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 envelope instant dry yeast 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cups of warm water

Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a mixer. while the mixer is running, add the water and beat until the dough forms into a ball.

Place the mixed dough onto a floured surface and knead into a firm ball.

Grease a bowl with olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours to let it double in size.

When ready to use, remove from the refrigerator and let sit in room temperature for at least 1/2 hour.

3