Pizza Time.

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) in “Spider-Man 2” (2004)

Pizza, what can I say about it? It’s delicious! And anyone who says otherwise is, frankly, one to be wary of.

A good pizza begins with the crust. Pizza dough is so simple, yet so many people mess it up. It’s just six ingredients: flour, water, yeast, sugar, salt and olive oil. One might debate about the use of sugar and oil, but you need something to activate the yeast. If you use honey instead of sugar, that’s great! But the point remains: pizza dough is simple. So many try to complicate the dough by adding different spices, but I have seen many pizzas ruined by this attempt. I myself have ruined pizza by trying to get too fancy with the dough. When it comes to making the pizza dough, one would do well to remember the saying “less is more” or even “K.I.S.S.” (Keep it Simple Stupid!).

When making the dough, it is important to get the hydration content right and find the right balance between flour and water. Too dry and the crust is tough, too wet and the dough’s impossible to work with. It takes a bit of time to get used to what constitutes a properly hydrated dough, but with some practice it becomes easier to identify.

Next comes the kneading of the dough. You DO NOT want to overwork the dough as it will become too tough. However, you don’t want to under knead the dough as you want it to be able to stretch without tearing. Again, it takes some time to get know what a properly kneaded dough is like, but typically it’s one that is smooth and workable.

Then comes a critical point in the process of making a proper pizza dough: FERMENTATION. I used to work in a pizza restaurant and there was a distinct difference between pizza made with properly fermented dough and pizza made with fresh dough. To make a more flavorful dough, it should be allowed to be cold fermented in the fridge overnight, for about 24 hours. If you don’t have the time, you can allow the dough to rise outside the fridge until doubled, but I highly recommend allowing the dough to rise in the fridge overnight. The next day, about two hours before making the pizza, one should then remove the dough from the fridge and separate the dough into individual balls according to how many pizzas you will be making. Once separated, the balls should be covered and allowed to come to room temperature and double in size. Then, you are ready to stretch the dough and prepare them for dressing.

To stretch the dough, I like to coat mine with Semolina flour (to make it easier to shake off the peel into the oven) then I begin to press the center of the dough with my fingers and make the shape of the outer crust. Then I lay the dough over the back of my hand and begin to spin and pull. Once the dough has been pulled to the desired thickness, it’s time to dress the pizza.

I like to use a simple sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes, a little bit of salt to taste and some basil. I put them in a blender and blitz lightly. I prefer a smoother sauce, but some tomato chunks are allowed if you so desire. You only need about a spoonful of sauce; you don’t need much as it could make the pizza too wet. Here’s a secret that will add an extra kick to your pizza. Before I place the mozzarella on top, I like to shred a little bit of parmesan as well as Romano cheese on top of the sauce. These sharp cheeses add a delicious zing but be sure to watch how much you put, because they can easily overpower the pizza!

Next comes the Mozzarella. Depending on the pizza you’re making, it could be a high-hydration content, typically a fresh mozzarella, or a part-skim mozzarella. When using the fresh mozzarella, you don’t need much because it will make the pizza wet. With the low moisture part-skim, you can put a little more, but I caution you against using too much cheese. As the saying goes, “too much of a good thing…”

Then come the toppings. Again, be careful not to overload your pizza, especially if you’re using a pizza oven and will need to shake it into the oven. If the pizza is overloaded, you’re bound to lose many of the toppings and make a mess of your oven.

I’ve been making pizzas for years now, but it wasn’t until this last Christmas when my parents gifted me an indoor electric pizza oven that I realized my potential as a pizza chef. Now before you get all, “*scoff* an indoor pizza oven. Really?” I was just as skeptical as you, but this oven gets up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit! And boy, what a difference it made!

My pizzas were always pretty good, and nobody complained, but I was working with an oven that would only get up to 550 degrees, and there wasn’t much I could do about it. I guess I could have bought a pizza stone, which does make a difference. But there’s nothing like an oven that can achieve those rip-roarin’ temps to give you the proper pizza char!

If you don’t have a pizza oven, crank your conventional oven up as high as it can go and use a pizza pan. If you have a stone, that’s great! Make sure to put the stone in the oven as it preheats so that it can get nice and hot.

Once you place the pizza in the oven, be sure to keep an eye on it. If you’re using a pizza oven and are reaching temperatures in the 700s or even close to 800 degrees, that pizzas going to cook quickly! Also, watch to make sure that it gets an even cook. If you’re cooking the pizza in a conventional oven, it may take around 12-15 minutes depending on your preferred level of doneness. I personally prefer a bit of char, and that’s why I love using my electric pizza oven. I also like the bubbles that develop when using the high temperatures.

Now, once your pizza is cooked, take it out of the oven and take a moment to bask in the beauty that is pizza. The smells, the beautiful shine from the meat and cheese, the crispy outer crust! Then, dig in! Cooking is a beautiful thing; rarely do you get such a payoff that is so delicious. And pizza truly is one of life’s simplest, yet most delicious delights. What’s better, is you can make one with different toppings the next time, and it will be delicious as well! So many wonderful combinations of flavor, yes EVEN PINEAPPLE!

There are as many different kinds of pizza as there are people. Enjoy pizza how you want to enjoy it… unless you like onion and peppers, that’s just weird. I’m just kidding! Pizza truly is the perfect food. It’s well rounded (get it?) and customizable to one’s tastes. It’s simple, yet elegant. It’s common yet refined. It truly is all things to all people.

Now I’m hungry for pizza.