Pizza is a national Italian dish, which is an open pie on a thin or thick crust. In the classic version, the filling is tomatoes and a layer of mozzarella cheese. Currently, pizza is one of the most popular dishes in almost all countries of the world.
The history of pizza
Pizza-like dishes have been known for a long time. Its prototype existed among the ancient Greeks and Romans - round cakes with various fillings on them.
In 1522, tomatoes were first brought to Europe and the prototype of Italian pizza appeared in Naples. Approximately 50 years later, the profession appeared - "pizzaiolo". Representatives of this profession were exclusively engaged in the preparation of pizza dough.
There is a legend about how one of the most popular types of pizza, Margarita, appeared. The recipe was created and named after the wife of the Italian king Umberto the First, Margarita of Savoy.
At the moment, there are 13 official types of this dish and the greatest number of their variations.
Pizza dough
Many pizza aficionados make it at home. There can be almost any filling - the main thing is that tomatoes and cheese are present in it. But the dough must be "correct".
Classic dough is made from flour and durum wheat flour, yeast, olive oil, salt and water. The dough is kneaded by hand, straightened and rolled out in a layer up to 0.5 cm.
In addition to the classic pizza dough, unleavened, yeast and puff pastry is often used. The latter type of dough is used mainly for making sweet pizza with fruits, which does not include fatty ingredients.
Milk or water, flour and salt are enough to prepare thin unleavened dough. All components are kneaded by adding olive or vegetable oil at the very end.
The recipe for yeast dough differs only in that yeast is added to warm milk or water, and the dough itself is allowed to distance a little.
Whatever dough is used to make pizza, there are several rules that must be strictly followed.
Choose pizza flour with a high gluten content. In this case, the dough from it will turn out to be elastic, and the product will keep its shape well.
The flour itself must be sieved and cleaned of impurities before kneading. Sifting will make it loose and airy.
Water and olive oil must be mixed in a separate bowl. The oil should be cold pressed and without bitterness.
The dough must be kneaded for a long time so that no lumps form. There is no need to add seasonings or other flavors to the mass - the dough only emphasizes the taste of the filling. In consistency, it should be smooth and tight, slightly sticky to the hands and elastic.
