How to Make Pizza - Presentation Example

Pizza is a popular dish in parts of the globe. It is usually a flatbread from a combination of several ingredients. In many parts of Europe and North America, pizza is mainly served as fast food (Caporaso, Panariello, & Sacchi, 2015). This paper explores the methods involved in the preparation of pizza using four sets of ingredients namely the base, tomato sauce, topping, and finishing.

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Ingredients

Base ingredients include one teaspoonful of salt, 300g strong bread flour, one tablespoonful of olive oil, and one teaspoonful of yeast (preferably from a sachet). It is necessary to have additional olive oil for drizzling (Caporaso, Panariello, & Sacchi, 2015). Tomato source ingredients encompass a bunch of fresh basil, crushed garlic clove, 100ml passata. Topping ingredients include grated Parmesan (preferably a handful), cherry tomatoes sliced in halves, and 125 grams ball of sliced mozzarella (Good Food, 2017). A handful of basil leaves can serve as a finishing ingredient although it is optional.

Method

Preparation of the base

Place the strong bread flour, salt, and the yeast in a bowl and stir. Create a depression in the mixture and add olive oil together with 200ml of warm water (Good Food, 2017). Use a wooden spoon to stir the contents of the bowl to get a wet dough. Prepare a floured surface and knead until the desired smoothness is achieved. Put the dough aside and let it rise.

Preparing the source

Put the basil, garlic, and passata together and mix. Season the mixture until the desired taste is achieved (Caporaso, Panariello, & Sacchi, 2015). The mixture can be left under normal temperature and pressure to stand. In the meantime, proceed to shape the base.

Rolling out the dough

At this point, it is expected that the dough has risen. It is advisable to give it fast knead. Divide the dough into two balls and use the floured surface to roll the balls individually (Good Food, 2017). A rolling pin can be used to achieve this goal. Usually, the rolled dough is about 25-30 cm in diameter. Since the actual preparation will take place in an oven, it is necessary for the dough to be thin. Nowak (2014) stated that thin dough is necessary because it would rise in the oven eventually. A pastry brush can be used to coat the dough (crust) with olive oil. This is the reason it is important to have olive oil in excess. Spread some flour onto the baking sheets. Place the two pieces of rolled dough onto baking sheets.

Topping and Baking

Place one baking sheet containing the rounds inside an oven. Apply heat to 2040 Celsius. Place the other baking sheet in the oven on the top shelf (Good Food, 2017). Use the back of a spoon to smooth sauce over bases. Apply cheese and tomatoes over the surface and use olive oil to drizzle. Let it season. Place the pizza (that was initially placed on top of the shelf) over the preheated sheet with its baking sheet. Allow it to bake for 5 minutes. Use some amount of oil and basil leaves to serve. The process can be repeated for the remaining pizza.

Points to Note

Ensure that the dough achieves the desired level of smoothness. If it is too wet, it is important to increase the quantity of flour and work on it. In case it cannot roll out, allow it to rest for a few minutes, usually 10-15 minutes, before rolling (Caporaso, Panariello, & Sacchi, 2015). Use a lot of pressure when rolling to achieve relatively thin round. Using a preheated sheet to bake pizza ensures that the base of the pizza cooks properly (Good Food, 2017). It is also important to check if the base and the topping have cooked properly. In case the topping of the pizza is ready before the base, it is necessary to cover the pizza with aluminium foil and bake for 4-5 minutes.

References

Caporaso, N., Panariello, V., & Sacchi, R. (2015). The True Neapolitan pizza: Assessing the influence of extra virgin olive oil on pizza volatile compounds and lipid oxidation. Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, 13(1), 29-48.

Good Food. (2017). Pizza Margherita in 4 easy steps. Bbcgoodfood.com, retrieved from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4683/pizza-margherita-in-4-easy-steps

Nowak, Z. (2014). Folklore, fakelore, history: invented tradition and the origins of the pizza Margherita. Food, Culture & Society, 17(1), 103-124.