Cooking- Caprese Pizza with Oven Dried Tomatoes

Here's what I'm making for family dinner tomorrow night - a delicious, really not difficult to pull together and definitely full of the taste of Summer pizza. I've copied the pizza dough recipe and process from an earlier blog - print it and stick it in your favorite cookbook - I guarantee once you make this you'll get requests for an encore performance.

18" Caprese Pizza.
For the topping

• About 2 cups of oven dried tomatoes. If you are using store bought sundried tomatoes buy ones packed in oil. Check for flavor - if they are bland use fresh garden grown or heirloom tomatoes instead. You're after flavor here.

• A generous handful of fresh basil leaves

• 8 oz of fresh mozzarella (this means the kind that comes packed in water and is white and soft.)

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Maldon sea salt

• Olive oil

Pop half the tomatoes into a food processor, drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and pulse until a thick paste is formed. If using fresh tomatoes add about 2 cups of roughly chopped and seeded tomatoes to the processor, add a little oil and salt and pepper. Pulse about 5 second.

Spread the pizza dough lightly with the paste or chopped fresh tomatoes

Slice the mozzarella into 1/2" thick slices and scatter over the sauce. Arrange fresh tomatoes or the oven dried tomatoes around and on the cheese.

Tear the basil into large pieces and scatter over the toppings. Hold your thumb over the mouth of the olive oil bottle and drizzle a little oil over the toppings. Sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt and as much pepper as your taste likes.

Following the cooking directions below. Enjoy!




Notes on cooking pizza. I have two secret weapons! The first is a perforated pizza tray made by Cuisinart. It's wonderful. The second is a square pizza stone - also good but I have to say, no offense old stone, that I get a crisper crust bottom with the new kid on the block - the Cuisinart tray. Honestly, it's not worth making homemade pizza without either a stone or specialized tray. Pizza paddle - mine broke a few months ago , long story but it involved a Standard Poodle helping with the dishes -'nuff said- and I have yet to replace it - I will because I miss it.

Dough*
Step 1.
Mix in a small bowl.
1 packet dried yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
2/3 Cups water warm to the touch (but not hot)
Let it proof - that is form a crusty, bubbly top. Will take a minimum of 5 minutes. If there is no bubble action you can conclude that you have either killed the yeast with too hot water or not used water hot enough to activate the yeast. Start over! The sugar is a necessary ingredient to activate the yeast - don't want to use sugar, substitute flour.

Step 2
Put the following in the bowl of a food processor
and pulse a couple of times.
2 Cups unbleached flour
~ 1 TBS olive oil
Big pinch of Maldon sea salt (no I don't have shares in the company to to my mind, it's the only salt worth using.)


Step 3
With the motor running add the yeast/water mixture to the flour. Pulse a few times to incorporate the water. It varies with humidity levels but chances are you will have to add more warm water to arrive at a soft, shiny ball of dough. Start by adding a couple of tablespoons of water and see if you need more. When the dough forms a ball it should be soft but not sticky - i.e. should not have to scrape it out of the processor bowl and off your hands. Put a little olive oil in a proofing bowl, pop the ball of dough in, turning it to coat with oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for around one hour. Rising time will vary given ambient temperature.

* Dough recipe comes from my friend Rocco - best pizza maker I know! Do not double up this recipe; make it in separate batches if you want more than one pizza - it only takes a few minutes.

Step 4
Pre-heat oven to 450F. If you are using a stone, put it in the oven now.
Building the pizza - simple is better.

If you are a pizza whiz, crank up the 'Three Tenors' , clear the kitchen and start twirling dough. If, like me, you are a more timid creature with dough, liberally flour a smooth working surface. Push down the risen dough and form into a ball. Using the heel of your hand work it into a circle. if it gets too difficult, flour a rolling pin or better yet, ice cold bottle, and roll out your dough. This recipe makes a generous 18" circle. If you have a pizza paddle, sprinkle it generously with coarse corn meal and ease your dough onto it. No paddle? Improvise. Cover a cutting board or a cookie sheet turned upside down with foil, sprinkle with cornmeal and continue as follows.
If you are using the Cuisinart tray put the dough on the tray and proceed.

Work quickly and spread a thin layer of the homemade tomato sauce over the dough. Top with a couple of hand fulls of grated cheese (I used Fontina - great flavour and melts beautifully) scatter a handful of torn basil leaves over the cheese along with a good grind of coarse black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Slide the dough onto the stone (cornmeal from the paddle will adhere loosely to the bottom of the dough and prevent it from sticking to the stone) or put the tray in the oven. Check at 15 minutes. Twenty minutes should be maximum cooking time if your oven is true to temperature.