His history Exit from La Botte with Italian immigrants between the end of the 19the and the first half of the XXe century, the pizza set off to conquer the world. A century later, the dish continues its evangelizing work and there is hardly a corner of the planet that does not have its local variant. The Argentinians, for example, invented the fugazza, a variation with a thick crust, cheese and onions. Chicagoans bake their pizzas in pie pans, deep dish ; the Romans swear by fine pasta and, in Marseille, the half-and-half pizza, made up of equal parts anchovies and grated Gruyère cheese, has become a culinary emblem.
Besides the composition of the dough (water, salt, wheat flour, yeast), one thing seems to bring them together: the way of cutting the slices. “Humans have shown great ingenuity in solving the problem of cutting pizzas, explains Nathan Myhrvold, co-author of the recent Modernist Pizza (Cooking Lab)an incredible bible in three volumes which aims to reveal all its secrets. For example, special scissors have been invented with blades mounted horizontally, at right angles. There are also large lullaby choppers, of the mezzaluna, which allow pizzas to be sliced lengthwise and in one go. » But it is the pizza wheel that remains the most practical utensil, and this for several reasons: it is very handy, cuts straight and is easy to clean. By digging its furrow on the surface of the pizzas, the tool, consisting of a handle at the end of which is fixed a semi-sharpened circular blade, notably makes it possible not to crush the crust while minimizing the movement of the toppings.
Its use Nathan Myhrvold is passing through Paris and it’s a great day for the mundillo french pizza. This September evening, the American chef and scientist came to share his encyclopedic knowledge in the premises of the Eataly restaurant, on the occasion of the release of Modernist Pizza. All the capital’s chefs, pizzaiolos and specialized journalists listen to him religiously, as he reveals the content of his exhaustive book on the Italian specialty, the fruit of four years of intensive research.
At the same time, in the kitchen, Kone Suma brings out his first pizzas from a large dome-shaped wood-fired oven. To feed his peers, he prepared a violetta, his favorite recipe (purple potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, guanciale and organic mozzarella di latte). As soon as it comes out of the oven, he mechanically grabs a wheel, places his blade at the start of the crust and, with a quick and precise gesture, cuts the dough into six equal parts. “The important thing is to put your fingers well at the end of the handle to have a good grip, says one of Eataly’s two pizza makers on duty that evening. Then, you break your wrist slightly and move the wheel forward in small jerks, putting all your body weight into it. » The most attentive pizzaiolos take care to arrange the toppings symmetrically on the surface of the pizza. In this way, the cut never makes anyone jealous.
Alexandre Guarneri’s sfincione pizza
Ingredients for 4 to 6 people
- 500 g soft wheat flour
- 330ml lukewarm water
- 4 g dry baker’s yeast
- 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil (Nocellara del Belice)
- 10 g fine salt
For garnish :
- 700g peeled tomato (canned if out of summer)
- 300g sweet onions
- 50g water or white wine
- 40 ml extra-virgin olive oil (Nocellara del Belice)
- 100 g semi-mature Sicilian caciocavallo (or smoked mozzarella), grated
- 40 g grated pecorino (or county, or young parmesan)
- 80g anchovy fillets
- 20g oregano (dry or fresh)
- 20g breadcrumbs
Dough
In a bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Form a crater, pour water into it. Work the dough starting from the center. Knead for 10 minutes, add the oil little by little, knead until well incorporated. Add the salt, form a dough. Cover with a cloth and let stand at room temperature, 2 to 3 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
The garnish
Peel and finely chop the onion, brown it in a sauté pan with a drizzle of oil, add 50 ml of water or white wine, simmer for 10 minutes, add the peeled tomato, salt and pepper. Leave to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off and let cool. Coat a dripping pan with olive oil, spread the dough with your fingers, let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Place the anchovy fillets on the dough, pressing them down slightly with your fingers. Pour in the tomato sauce, distributing it well, sprinkle with cheese, then oregano and breadcrumbs. Bake at 200°C for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm, accompanied by a salad.
Domenico Galluccio’s homemade Neapolitan pizza
Preparation time : 40 mins.
Cooking time : 3 to 10 min. (depending on oven power)
Break : 4 p.m. minimum (dough)
Difficulty : AVERAGE
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 kg type 00 wheat flour
- 600ml water at room temperature
- 1 g of baker’s yeast
- 25 g fine salt
For garnish :
- 130g peeled tomatoes
- 100 g of mozzarella (fior di latte)
- 5ml extra virgin olive oil
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves
Step 1: the dough
In a mixing bowl, mix the water and fine salt by hand. Gradually add the type 00 flour (less rich in protein for a more digestible dough), while continuing to mix, until you obtain a firm, lump-free dough. Add a little yeast. When the dough is very compact, spread it out on the work surface previously sprinkled with flour and knead it, folding it back on itself with force. Once smooth, roll it into a ball and let it rest for five to six hours in a cul-de-poule with a damp cloth on top. A homogeneous dough is obtained which can be cut into portions of 250 g (for a pizza). Cover them with a damp cloth and leave to rest in the refrigerator for ten hours.
Step 2: the filling
Cut the mozzarella into strips. Crush the peeled tomatoes to obtain a smooth texture. Roll out the dough evenly and stretch it by rotating it in the air (or with a rolling pin for the less skilled), to obtain a thin, round pizza dough. Arrange the tomato coulis using a spoon, forming a spiral, then add the pieces of mozzarella and finish with the basil and a drizzle of olive oil. To cook, cook in the oven (maximum temperature) for about three minutes. Then pour a final drizzle of olive oil on the hot pizza.
The pissaladière of Mathilde de l’Ecotais
Preparation time : 15 mins
Cooking time : 25 mins
Difficulty : easy
Ingredients for 6 to 8 people
- 400g bread dough (homemade or bought fresh from the baker)
- 1 kg Roscoff onions (or sweet onions)
- 300g fresh anchovies in oil
- 1 handful of Nice olives
- olive oil
- Provence herbs (or thyme, or marjoram)
- cracked pepper
Step 1: onions and anchovies
Preheat the oven to 240°C. Peel the onions and cut them into a dozen wedges. Heat 4 tbsp. at s. of olive oil in a large skillet and sweat the onions. Add the anchovies (reserve about ten for garnish), a spoonful of the anchovy oil and a pinch or two of Herbes de Provence. Stir well and cook for a few more minutes.
Step 2: the bread dough
Oil a large baking sheet, spread the bread dough on it. Garnish the dough with the onion/anchovy mixture, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edge of the pissaladière is golden. Leave to cool on a rack, season with pepper, then garnish with the rest of the whole anchovies and Nice olives. Serve as an aperitif, with a chilled rosé.