Italian Pizza Recipes in Burlingame

HOMEMADE PIZZA RECIPE


Ingredients

Pizza Dough: Makes enough dough for two 10-12 inch pizzas

* 1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F)
* 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package)
* 3 1/2 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar

Pizza Ingredients

* Olive oil
* Cornmeal (to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone)

* Tomato sauce
* Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, shredded
* Feta cheese
* Mushrooms, thinly sliced
* Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, thinly sliced
* Italian sausage, cooked ahead
* Chopped fresh basil
* Pesto
* Pepperoni, thinly sliced
* Onions, thinly sliced
* Sliced ham

Special equipment needed

* A pizza stone, highly recommended if you want your pizza dough to be crusty
* A pizza peel or a flat baking sheet
* A pizza wheel for cutting the pizza, not required, but easier to deal with than a knife

Making the Pizza Dough

1 In the large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer (such as a Kitchen Aid), add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Stir to dissolve completely if needed at the end of 5 minutes.

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2 Attach a mixing paddle to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar on low speed for about a minute. Remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook. Knead using the mixer and dough hook, on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If you don't have a mixer, you can mix and knead by hand.

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3 Place ball of dough in a bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil. Turn the dough around in the bowl so that it gets coated with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place (75-85°F) until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you don't have a warm spot in the house you can heat the oven to 150 degrees, and then turn off the oven. Place the bowl of dough in this warmed oven to rise.

At this point, if you want to make ahead, you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Preparing the Pizzas

1 Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.

2 Remove the plastic cover from the dough and punch the dough down so it deflates a bit. Divide the dough in half. Form two round balls of dough. Place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic and let sit for 10 minutes.

3 Prepare your desired toppings. Note that you are not going to want to load up each pizza with a lot of toppings as the crust will end up not crisp that way. About a third a cup each of tomato sauce and cheese would be sufficient for one pizza. One to two mushrooms thinly sliced will cover a pizza.

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4 Working one ball of dough at a time, take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2-inch thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Let the dough relax 5 minutes and then continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter - 10 to 12 inches. Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker. You can pinch the very edges if you want to form a lip.

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5 Brush the top of the dough with olive oil (to prevent it from getting soggy from the toppings). Use your finger tips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest another 5 minutes.

Repeat with the second ball of dough.

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6 Lightly sprinkle your pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) with corn meal. Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza peel. If the dough has lost its shape in the transfer, lightly shape it to the desired dimensions.



7 Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and place your desired toppings on the pizza.



8 Sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven (watch your hands, the oven is hot!). Gently shake the peel to see if the dough will easily slide, if not, gently lift up the edges of the pizza and add a bit more cornmeal. Slide the pizza off of the peel and on to the baking stone in the oven. Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes. If you want, toward the end of the cooking time you can sprinkle on a little more cheese.

BRICK OVEN BROOKLYN STYLE PIZZA


"This is a simple recipe for authentic brick-oven pizza made famous by several, well-known Brooklyn pizzerias."

16 servings


INGREDIENTS:


* 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
* 1/4 cup warm water
* 1 cup cold water
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups bread flour
*
* 6 ounces low moisture mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup no salt added canned crushed tomatoes
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 leaves fresh basil, torn

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1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes to proof. Stir in salt and cold water, then stir in the flour about 1 cup at a time. When the dough is together enough to remove from the bowl, knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 10 minutes. Divide into two pieces, and form each one into a tight ball. Coat the dough balls with olive oil, and refrigerate in a sealed container for at least 16 hours. Be sure to use a big enough container to allow the dough to rise. Remove the dough from the refrigerator one hour prior to using.
2. Preheat the oven, with a pizza stone on the lowest rack, to 550 degrees F. Lightly dust a pizza peel with flour.
3. Using one ball of dough at a time, lightly dust the dough with flour, and stretch gradually until it is about 14 inches in diameter, or about as big around as the pizza stone. Place on the floured peel. Place thin slices of mozzarella over the crust, then grind a liberal amount of black pepper over it. Sprinkle with dried oregano. Randomly arrange crushed tomatoes, leaving some empty areas. Drizzle olive oil over the top.
4. With a quick back and forth jerk, make sure the dough will release from the peel easily. Place the tip of the peel at the back of the preheated pizza stone, and remove peel so that the pizza is left on the stone.
5. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust begins to brown. Remove from the oven by sliding the peel beneath the pizza. Sprinkle a few basil leaves randomly over the pizza. Cut into wedges and serve.