I am always challenged by making pizza at home. My dough is never as doughy and crisp, my toppings never bubble as beautifully, and the overall taste pales in comparison to the pizza I get at restaurants. When I picked up a copy of My Pizza (Clarkson Potter, March 2012) by Jim Lahey (he owns a fantastic pizza restauarant, Co.), I decided to take the challenge head on.
I followed his no-knead dough recipe (very easy), let it rise overnight, and then broke it down into four balls. The only real issue I had was stretching out the dough. It was way more difficult than Lahey had described, but I also think that I must just be incapable of doing this task well. Anyway, dough stretching aside, this Ham and Peas Pie was DIVINE. Salty, meaty, cheesy and doughy – everything I was looking for. And we had tons of leftover dough for the next night!
Ham and Peas pie
Makes one 10-to 12-inch pizza
1 ball of Pizza Dough, shaped and waiting on a floured peel (below)
60 grams (1/4 cup) Béchamel (below)
15 grams (1/4 cup) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese
40 grams (about 1 1/2 ounces) fresh mozzarella, pulled into 5 clumps
60 grams (about 2 ounces) sliced prosciutto, ripped into shreds
25 to 30 grams (about 1 ounce or scant 1/4 cup) fresh peas (or defrosted frozen, patted dry)
5 grams (2 to 3 large) fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
1. Put the pizza stone in a gas oven on a rack about 8 inches from the broiler. Preheat the oven on bake at
500°F for 30 minutes. Switch to broil for 10 minutes. (For an electric variation, see page 18.)
2. With the dough on the peel, spoon the béchamel over the surface and spread it evenly, leaving about an inch of the rim untouched. Sprinkle the surface with the Parmigiano. Distribute the mozzarella and prosciutto over the top. Sprinkle the peas over all.
3. With quick, jerking motions, slide the pie onto the stone. Broil for 3 to 3½ minutes under gas (somewhat longer with an electric oven; see page 18), until the top is bubbling and the crust is nicely charred but not burnt.
4. Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a tray or serving platter. Distribute the mint over the top. Slice and
serve immediately.
Pizza Dough
Makes 4 balls of dough, enough for 4 pizzas
500 grams (17 ½ ounces or about 3 ¾ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping the dough
1 gram (1/4 teaspoon) active dry yeast
16 grams (2 teaspoons) fine sea salt
350 grams (1 ½ cups) water
1 In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and, with a wooden spoon or your hands, mix thoroughly.
2 Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow it to rise at room temperature (about 72°F) for 18 hours or until it has more than doubled. It will take longer in a chilly room and less time in a very warm one.
3 Flour a work surface and scrape out the dough. Divide it into 4 equal parts and shape them: For each portion, start with the right side of the dough and pull it toward the center; then do the same with the left, then the top, then the bottom. (The order doesn’t actually matter; what you want is four folds.) Shape each portion into a round and turn seam side down. Mold the dough into a neat circular mound. The mounds should not be sticky; if they are, dust with more flour.
4 If you don’t intend to use the dough right away, wrap the balls individually in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Return to room temperature by leaving them out on the counter, covered in a damp cloth, for 2 to 3 hours before needed.
Note Don’t freeze the dough, but you can store it in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, for up to three days. In effect, when you’re set to use it, you have your own ready-made dough.
Béchamel sauce
Makes 470 grams (about 2 cups); or enough for about 8 pizzas •
486 grams (2 cups) whole milk
113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter
18 grams (about 2 ¼ tablespoons) all-purpose flour
2 grams (1/4 teaspoon) fine sea salt
3 rasp grates of nutmeg or a pinch of ground nutmeg
1. Pour about one-third of the milk into a saucepan. Cut the butter into a few chunks (so they’ll melt more easily) and add to the milk. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring, until the butter melts but without allowing the milk to reach a boil.
2. Meanwhile, put the flour in a medium mixing bowl, add the remaining milk, and whisk into a slurry. Once the butter has been completely incorporated into the hot milk, ladle some of the warm mixture into the cold flour mixture to warm it. Pour the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan and whisk it in. Stir in the salt.
3. Over medium-low heat, whisk the mixture frequently— to prevent sticking—as it cooks and thickens. The béchamel is done at about 180°F, when it has reached the consistency of a runny sauce or heavy cream. Grate in the nutmeg and allow the sauce to cool to room temperature. It will continue to thicken slightly as it cools. Use the béchamel immediately or cool,cover, and refrigerate for up to 5 days; bring it back to room temperature before using.
