Notes

Pizza a la Tony

For 3 Pizzas

For the Poolish

For the Dough

For the Sauce

For the Garlic Oil

For the Toppings

Instructions

Prepare the Poolish

1. Prepare the poolish 18 hours before making your dough. In a medium or large bowl, use a spoon to mix together the flour, the yeast, and the cold water (about 40°F/5°C). Stir to combine, about 45 seconds. Set the poolish aside, and allow it to rise at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for 18 hours. This starter will be used to make your dough.

Make the Dough

1. Make the dough 2 days before you’re planning to serve your pizza. In a large bowl, combine the flour and the malt. Use your hands to mix the two ingredients until they’re blended. Set aside.

2. Fill a small bowl with warm water (about 85°F/30°C). Activate the yeast by pouring it into the water. Whisk until the yeast water begins to foam, about 45 seconds. Set aside.

3. Pour the flour mixture and the yeast-water mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Set the speed to low, then slowly pour in the cold water (about 40°F/5°C) a little at a time. Allow each pour to fully incorporate before adding more. After all the cold water has been added, increase the mixer speed to medium. Mix until the flour mixture and the yeast-water mixture are fully combined, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. After 2 to 3 minutes, add the poolish. Continue mixing on medium speed, about 2 minutes more. At this point, a sticky dough should begin to form.

5. Set the mixer to medium-high speed. Add the sea salt, and mix for 1 minute. Add the olive oil, and mix for 1 to 2 minutes, until all the olive oil has been well incorporated and the dough is no longer shiny.

6. Turn off the stand mixer, and separate the dough from the hook. Lightly coat your hands with oil or water, then remove the dough from the bowl of the stand mixer and place it onto a clean work surface. Using a spiral motion, knead the dough for about 1 minute, forming a ball. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel, and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.

7. After 20 minutes, use a pastry scraper to cut the dough into four equal pieces. Use a kitchen scale to weigh each piece, and add or remove dough until all of the pieces weigh about 215 grams each (enough for a 12-inch pizza).

8. Use your hands to form each piece of dough into a ball. Each ball should have a smooth top and a closed, tight bottom. Make sure to pinch the bottom as you form the dough—if the bottom isn’t closed tight, the dough won’t rise properly.

9. Once all of the dough has been formed into tight balls, place the balls, evenly spaced, on a half-sheet baking pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 48 hours.

Make the Sauce

1. Make the pizza sauce 6 hours before serving your pizza. Using a handheld immersion blender, blend the tomato paste and the ground tomatoes for about 1 minute. Then stir in the crushed tomatoes. Once all of the tomato components are combined, stir in the olive oil, the sea salt, and the Greek oregano. Let the sauce “set,” at room temperature, for at least 6 hours—this will allow the spices to fully incorporate with the tomato mixture.

Make the Garlic Oil

1. In a small bowl, combine the fresh chopped garlic and the olive oil. Stir to combine, and set aside.

Assemble the Pizza

1. Remove your dough from the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before serving, and allow it to come to room temperature (do not remove the plastic wrap). This will allow the dough to stretch better.

2. Preheat the oven to 500°F/260°C 1 hour before serving. Place 2 baking steels in the oven to preheat as well, 1 on the upper rack and 1 on the lower rack. If you don’t own baking steels, pizza stones will work.

3. Lightly dust the dough and a clean work surface with the 50/50 blend of semolina and flour. Use a pastry scraper to remove the dough from the sheet pan onto the prepared work surface, placing the dough dusted-side down. Sprinkle more of the semolina-flour mixture onto the undusted side of the dough.

4. Push down near the edges of the dough with your fingers to create a slight indent to form crusts. Continue to press your fingers into the dough, forming crusts on the dough’s edges. Flip the dough and repeat, pushing your fingers into the dough near the edges.

5. Then stretch and turn the dough into a thin round, preserving the crusts, until the dough round has grown to about 10 inches in diameter. Avoid directly pressing and stretching the dough’s center. As you turn and stretch the dough, inspect for any gas bubbles that may have formed and pinch them away. Flip the dough to inspect the other side as well.

6. Lift the dough off of your work surface and begin to gently work it by hand. Bring your hands together under the dough’s edges and lightly turn it, letting gravity help stretch it. Remember to avoid directly touching the dough’s center as you do this.

7. Once you’ve stretched your dough to about 11.5 inches, you’re ready to add the sauce. Ladle the sauce in the center of the dough. Gradually spread and smooth the sauce outward toward the crust, using the back and tip of a spoon, leaving ¼ inch to ½ inch of space between the sauce and the crust. (Tony’s tip: “Hold the base of the spoon for more control when saucing, and don’t press the spoon into the dough too hard.”)

8. Once your pizza has an even coating of sauce, mound the grated mozzarella cheese into the center of the dough. Using your fingertips, spread the cheese evenly by pushing it toward the crusts, following the sauce line.

9. Slide a pizza peel halfway under your pizza, then lightly pull until the pizza is fully on the peel. If you don’t own a pizza peel, you could use a very flexible, thin cutting board. Carefully transfer your pizza from the pizza peel or cutting board to the baking steel or pizza stone on the upper rack of the oven.

10. Cook until the backside of the pizza has turned golden brown, about 6 minutes. (Note: If you’re using the convection bake setting on your oven, your pizza will cook 1 to 2 minutes faster.)

11. After 6 minutes, slide the pizza peel or cutting board underneath the pizza, turn it 180 degrees, then transfer it to the baking steel or pizza stone on the lower rack of the oven to finish cooking, about 6 minutes more or until golden brown. (Note: If you’re using the convection bake setting on your oven, your pizza will cook 1 to 2 minutes faster.) When the pizza is finished, the cheese should be browned and bubbling, but note that all mozzarella cheese browns differently: The cheese should still be mostly white and speckled with browned areas.

12. Use the pizza peel or cutting board to remove the pizza from the oven, and place it on a wooden pizza paddle or wooden cutting board. Carefully check the bottom of the pizza to verify crispness, then use a pizza cutter (rocker cutters work best) to make even slices.

Tony’s tip: “Don’t put cold dough in a hot oven, and don’t put cold sauce on your dough—it can create a dough that is uncooked. In the industry, this is referred to as a gum line.”

Top the Pizza

1. Add the additional toppings. Sprinkle the pecorino romano cheese and the Greek oregano over the pizza. Arrange the fresh basil leaves on top, shiny side up. Finish with a generous drizzle of garlic oil, and serve hot.

2. Leftover pizza will keep, refrigerated and in an airtight container, for up to 2 days. Tony suggests using any remaining tomato sauce in a pasta sauce or as a dipping sauce for breadsticks or garlic knots. Extra dough can be fried and used to make zeppole tossed with powdered sugar and cinnamon.