Sunday, August 29, 2021

Pizza Sauce

 Ingredients

28 ounces tomatoes

15 ml extra virgin olive oil

15 ml unsalted butter

2 clove cloves garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 medium yellow onion

2 leaf fresh basil

1 teaspoon sugar


Directions

Process tomatoes and their juice through food mill, pulse in food processor until puréed, or purée with immersion blender. Purée should not be completely smooth, but should have no chunks larger than 1/16th of an inch. Set tomatoes aside.

Combine oil and butter in medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and large pinch salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, onion halves, basil sprigs, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to lowest setting (bubbles should barely be breaking the surface), and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 1 hour. Discard onions and basil stems. Season to taste with salt. Allow to cool and store in covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

No Knead Pizza Dough

 Ingredients

500g all-purpose flour (17 1/2 ounces; about 3 3/4 cups), plus more for shaping the dough

1g (1/4 teaspoon) active dry yeast

16g (2 teaspoons) fine sea salt

350g (1 1/2 cups) water

1 log of mozzarella per batch of the above for topping with cheese

Directions

In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and, with a wooden spoon or your hands, mix thoroughly.

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.

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.

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.