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PIZZA WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC (Pizza Bianca)
Recipe By : BAKER'S DOZEN SHOW #BD1A29
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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Dough:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
4 cups flour (approximately): unbleached -- or a 50-50
blend of
all-purpose or hard white flour
white and whole wheat
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Topping:
2 tablespoons olive oil (approximately)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Leaves from 3 sprigs rosemary -- optional
(approximately 2 tablespoons)
You will need a large bread bowl, a baking sheet 12 by 18 inches or two
smaller sheets.
Place water in a large bowl. Water should be warm but not hot to the touch.
Stir in the yeast and
allow to dissolve. Stir in 1 cup flour, stirring constantly in the same
direction. Stir in another cup
flour, then stir 100 times in the same direction (one minute). This helps
develop the gluten. You
now have a sponge. Cover, and let stand for half an hour or up to three
hours. When you are
ready to continue, sprinkle on salt and oil, then add more flour, stirring
it in a half cup at a time.
The dough will be getting heavier and harder to stir. When you can stir no
longer, flour a
kneading surface well and have more flour handy beside your work surface.
Turn dough out and
knead, adding extra flour to your work surface as necessary to prevent the
dough from sticking.
The dough will gradually become smooth and easy to work. Knead for 10
minutes, clean bread
bowl, oil it lightly, and place the ball of dough into the bowl to rise,
covered with plastic wrap. Let
rise until more than doubled, almost three hours. When the volume of the
dough has
approximately doubled, you can proceed to the next step.
Dough can be made ahead to this point and then stored. If you wish postpone
baking, gently
push dough down, and leave covered in the bowl to rise again. If delay will
be more than several
hours, instead store dough in a plastic bag in the refrigerator (for not
more than five days). Bring
out of the cold and take out of the plastic bag at least an hour before you
want to work with
it.Lightly flour your work surface and lightly oil a 12 by 18-inch baking
sheet. Preheat oven to 450
degrees. Turn dough out onto work surface and flatten with the lightly
floured palm of your hand.
Pull and stretch the dough gently out into the rectangular shape you need to
fit your baking
sheet. Take your time and give the dough time to rest if it is resisting
stretching. It will need to
get quite thin. When you have stretched the dough to approximately the shape
and size you
need, transfer it to baking sheet and continue to gently press and stretch
it to fit. Don't worry if it
tears, just patch the hole with another piece of dough and press firmly to
join the edges. If you
have extra dough hanging over the edge, trim it off and use it to make
another small pizza.
Dough should be of an even thinness across the flat part of the baking sheet
and should form a
slight rounded rim as it meets the edge (which is for many people the best
part of the pizza).
Brush top of pizza with oil, then dimple the surface all over with your
fingers. Sprinkle on sea salt
and then optional rosemary leaves. Place baking sheet on the bottom rack of
the preheated oven
and bake until the crust around the edge is slightly golden, 5 to 8 minutes,
depending on how thin
the pizza is. Remove from oven, brush crusts lightly with olive oil and also
the center if you wish.
Cut into large squares and serve warm or hot. We have often made pizza
bianca several hours
ahead, then wrapped it in a clean kitchen towel to keep it moist until we
are ready to reheat it for
serving. To reheat, place in a dampened paper bag in a 300'F oven for about
10 minutes.
Yield: one large 12 by 18-inch pizza or two medium, or 3 or 4 small
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