Kaela's sheet pan Sicilian pizza

Sicilian Pizza

 

This is the recipe -  it’s from our friend [Spencer Reynolds]. I even just use jarred sauce sometimes. 

**use deli full fat mozzarella in a chunk and hand grate, and freeze for 5 minutes before putting on pizza to bake** 

We do pepperoni a lot.  I think fresh gooey mozzarella and basil would be my favorite though. 

-Kaela 

Toppings:
-Basil leaves
-16 oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese(you won't use it all... maybe half per pan/batch)
-Any other toppings you want: pesto, ham, pineapple, pepperoni, bell pepper slices, etc. 

Sauce: (no need to cook or heat... it will cook on the pizza)
-One 14oz can of whole peeled tomatoes or no salt added diced tomatoes
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1.5 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-1 teaspoon oregano
-3-4 cloves of garlic

Dough:
-17.5 ounces (500 grams, about 3 1/2 cups) all-purpose or bread flour
-2 teaspoons kosher salt
-1 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
-1 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons water, warm/room temperature
-2 tablespoons extra virgin Olive Oil (in dough)
-4-5 tablespoons extra virgin Olive Oil (in a pool on the pan when you place the dough in baking sheet)

Cooking Instructions:
Combine flour, salt, yeast, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in bowl of stand mixer. Whisk to combine. Add water to mixer and mix on medium speed until it comes together and no dry flour remains. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until the dough is stretchy and smooth, about 6 minutes. The dough is usually pretty sticky. Might need a spatula to get it out of the mixing bowl and onto the pan.

Pour 4-5 tablespoons olive oil into rimmed baking sheet and spread over entire inner surface with hands. Transfer dough to the oiled 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet, spread the dough out a bit. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap, and allow dough to rise at room temperature until it has spread out to touch a couple edges of the rim of baking sheet, about 2 hours.

Instructions for the sauce while waiting: 

Open the can of tomatoes and drain off the watery liquid. Combine the tomatoes, oil, garlic, oregano, and salt into a blender and lightly blend- don't puree it. You could also use a stick blender and just lightly blend up the ingredients. No need to cook it... it will eventually cook while it is on the pizza baking.

30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to the bottom (Getting it closer to the heating element gets a nice crispy bottom... just don't burn it)  and preheat oven to 550°F. Carefully remove plastic wrap from pizza dough. Using oiled hands and being as gentle as possible to maintain air bubbles, push and stretch the dough into the corners of the pan by pressing out from the center and lifting each corner and stretching it beyond the edge of the pan. It should pull back until the pan is just filled with dough. If needed, allow to rise for another 30 mins.

 

Top pizza as desired and bake until bottom is crisp and top surface is bubbling, Usually just under 15 mins, but depending on the oven it could go a hair longer. Allow to cool at room temperature for 5 minutes.

reference material:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/07/basic-square-pan-pizza-dough-recipe-sicilian-recipe.html

 

Simple NY style pizza sauce

NY style Pizza sauce - this is the original sauce Grandma ML taught us.

1 can (28 oz)  Italian plum tomatoes
2 T tomato paste (freeze leftover in a baggie)
1-2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp dried basil and/or dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Crush the tomatoes with your hands or a fork in a heavy saucepan (lately I've just been using crushed tomatoes).  Over medium heat, stir in the remaining ingredients.  Bring mixture just to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently until thick, 30-60 minutes.  Adjust seasonings.  Can be refrigerated for a week or frozen for months.

Pizza dough

Pizza dough

This is the dough Grandma ML taught us back in 1990.

Dissolve these ingredients in a small bowl:
1 T sugar
1 C warm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast

In the bowl of your mixer, mix:

3 C flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 C olive oil

Add the yeast mixture.  Use the flat beater for 1 min, then switch to the dough hook.  Add a little flour or a little water to make a nice dough.

Shape dough into a ball.  Place in a well-oiled bowl, turn to coat the dough, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile heat the oven to 475F, or even better, 500F.   Punch down dough.  Divide into 2-3 balls.  Roll out, put your toppings on, bake on a pizza stone, and enjoy wonderful homemade pizza!