Pepperoni Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• Sugar
• Salt
• 1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cups + more as needed Antimo Caputo tipo 00 chefs flour
• 1 28 ounce can of whole San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons oregano
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 6 ounces shredded whole milk low-moisture mozzarella cheese
• 2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Pepperoni
• Corn Meal

Directions

1. Add 1 teaspoon active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 cup warm water to a bowl and wait 5 minutes.
2. Add 2 more cups of warm water, 1 tablespoon more sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt and 5 cups of Antimo Caputo tipo 00 flour.
3. Mix with a dough hook attachment stand mixer or knead by hand until a smooth ball is formed.
4. If the dough is very sticky add more flour and knead until smooth again.
5. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll into a smooth ball.
6. Place each smooth dough ball in it's own oiled bowl.
7. Cover each bowl and rise in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to a week.
8. Remove the tomatoes from the can and discard the liquid.
9. Blend the tomatoes until smooth.
10. Add the blended tomatoes to a bowl with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 3 tablespoons of tomato paste.
11. Mix until smooth.
12. Refrigerate the sauce with the rising dough for at least 24 hours and up to a week.
13. After waiting 24 hours, preheat your oven with a pizza stone to its highest setting, usual around 550 degrees for 1 hour.
14. Roll the dough out to your desired thickness and shape into a circle.
15. Dust a pizza peel with corn meal and set the shaped dough on top.
16. Quickly add sauce in the middle of the dough with a ladle spreading the sauce to the side in a circular motion.
17. Add a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, whole milk low-moisture mozzarella and pepperoni.
18. Quickly slide the pizza off the pizza peel onto the preheated stone in the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes.
19. Use the peel to remove the pizza from the oven and rest on a cooling rack until it is eating temperature.
20. Garnish with additional grated Parmesan if desired.
21. Cut and serve the pizza immediately.

Prepared by Avery Miller
Louisiana Anthology

August 13, 2019