Christian Petronis Margherita Pizza Recipes

CHRISTIAN PETRONI'S MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to the highest temperature possible with a pizza stone on the upper rack, for 1 hour.
• Stretch pizza dough with your fingers, working in a circular motion, with your fingers positioned between the center of the dough and the edge, forming a rough disk that will gradually become thiner as you proceed. Then toss dough between the palms of your hands, allowing gravity to stretch it, and the center becomes thinner. Use your fists to move the dough in a circular motion to further stretch it, until it is about 12 inches in diameter, with the edge being slightly thicker. Place dough on a pizza peel lightly sprinkled with semolina to ensure it won't stick.
• Using a small ladle, evenly spread tomato sauce over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Distribute mozzarella uniformly over sauce; garnish with basil leaves. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil.
• When transferring pizza to the heated pizza stone in the oven, use one continuous, but quick, jerking motion. Once in the oven, turn the oven off, and turn broiler to high, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Serve drizzled with remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put a jelly roll pan or a half sheet pan in the oven.
• Begin by making the tomato sauce. In a large saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the minced garlic, thyme and oregano. Cook until just fragrant then add the crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Lower the heat and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavor. Shut off the heat and set aside.
• Take the preheated jelly roll pan out of the oven and drizzle some olive oil over the entire surface. Cut the dough into 2 pieces and reserve 1 piece for another use. Stretch the pizza dough out so it is just bigger than the pan, then lay it inside the pan, so the dough comes up the sides to form a crust on the rim. Smear with tomato sauce then tear up the mozzarella and scatter it evenly over the top of the pie. Tear the basil leaves, spread them over the top and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Give it a final season with salt and pepper, to taste, then bake in the hot oven until golden and bubbly, about 15 to 18 minutes
• In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water and stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, 5 to 10 minutes.
• If you're using a stand mixer, combine the salt and flour to the bowl and pulse a few times to mix. Add the yeast mixture, at the lowest speed, until the flour incorporates. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough gathers into a ball. This should take about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil and pulse a few more times. Stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Get a feel for the dough as you're making it by squeezing a small amount together between your thumb and fingers. If it's crumbly, add more water, if it's sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a few times, kneading until it's smooth and elastic.
• If you're making the dough by hand, add the yeast mixture to a large bowl and stir in the salt and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then begin stirring in the flour. When the mixture becomes too stiff to stir with a spoon, knead in the rest of the flour by hand, adding just enough so that the dough is soft but not too sticky. As you work, squeeze a small amount of dough together between your thumb and fingers. If it's crumbly, add more water; if it's sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Form the dough into a round and put it into a lightly oiled bowl, turning it over to coat the dough entirely with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot (i.e., over a gas pilot light) until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven, cut into slices and serve. .

THE MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• For the dough: Add flour, yeast and 4.05 ounces water to a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on lowest speed for 2 minutes. Add salt and mix for another 2 minutes. Add olive oil and mix for another 11 minutes.
• Cover with plastic in a bowl greased with olive oil and put in refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Form dough into a tight even ball. Place on a tray or plate and cover with plastic wrap. Return to refrigerator for 8 hours.
• Bring dough to room temperature for 4 hours, still covered. Return to the fridge again for another 8 hours or up to overnight. Bring to room temperature for 2 hours. The dough is now ready to use. (It should be soft to the touch and give easily.)
• For the pizza: Preheat oven to 550 degrees F.
• Stretch and toss dough to appropriate size (approximately 18 inches in diameter), making sure to keep dough even on the bottom (avoid spots that are too thin) and place on a baking stone.
• Distribute the oil in a spiral. Evenly disperse garlic on top. Shake on Romano cheese evenly. Distribute provolone evenly. Squeeze water out of tomatoes, then distribute on pizza. Place fresh mozzarella on pizza. Lightly salt with table salt.
• Bake directly on stone, rotating occasionally throughout cooking process, about 12 minutes total.
• Sprinkle pizza lightly with kosher salt.
• Cut into 8 slices and garnish with fresh basil.

AUTHENTIC PIZZA MARGHERITA

Steps:

• Stir flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Set aside.
• Mix water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand until yeast begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Stir half the flour mixture into yeast mixture until no dry spots remain. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When dough pulls together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, then place dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch dough down, divide into 4 equal pieces, and form each into a ball.
• Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Stretch out and pat 1 dough ball to form a circle 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Place dough on a lightly floured pizza peel. Top with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and spread to cover within an inch of the edge of the dough. Arrange 5 slices of mozzarella cheese on top of the tomato sauce, then place 5 basil leaves on top. Drizzle pizza with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Repeat for 3 remaining dough balls.
• Slide each pizza onto the pizza stone in the preheated oven. Bake until cheese is bubbly and the underside of the crust is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

PIZZA MARGHERITA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, salt and 1 cup flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 13-in. circle. Transfer to two greased 14-in. pizza pans; build up edges slightly. Cover with a clean kitchen towel; let rest for 10 minutes., Spoon tomatoes over dough. Top with basil, oregano, cheese, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil. Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

CHRISTIAN PETRONI'S PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine the water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to dissolve. Add the flour all at once, and mix, using the dough hook on the lowest setting, for two minutes.
• Add the salt and continue mixing on medium-low speed for 6 to 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 hours. It should doubled in size.
• Turn dough out onto work surface and divide into eight 8-ounce portions. Form each portion into a ball with lightly oiled hands. Divide the shaped dough among two sheet pans lined with non-stick baking mats or lightly brushed with oil. Lightly brush dough with oil and cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for another 24 hours.
• Bring dough to room temperature one hour before shaping dough for pizza.

MARGHERITA PIZZA RECIPE

Steps:

• Make a basic pizza dough yourself or buy ready-made pizza dough from the store.
• Transfer the dough to a bowl and seal the bowl with plastic wrap to keep the moisture in and prevent the dough from drying out.
• Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours. During refrigeration, the yeast will puff up the dough, elevating its aroma, flavor, and structure to new heights.
• Place a pizza stone, baking steel, or cast iron skillet in a cold oven. Crank up the heat to 500°F (260°C) and preheat for 1½ hours.
• Open a can of whole peeled tomatoes. Pour them into a bowl and crush by hand for a chunky, rustic sauce-or run them through the blender for 10-15 seconds for a silky, soupy sauce.
• Add salt to taste. For a can of tomatoes, I like to add no more than a couple of pinches. If you like your pizza sauce somewhat saltier, consider adding more.
• Take the fresh mozzarella out of the fridge. Drain from the liquid whey, transfer to a plate or bowl, and tear up by hand into bite-sized chunks.
• Remove the dough from the fridge. Rub your hands with a little cornmeal to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Dust your work surface (wood cutting board or silicone dough mat) lightly with cornmeal for the same reasons.
• Take a piece of dough the size of a mozzarella and roll it between your hands into a ball. Place the ball on your lightly dusted work surface and begin pressing down on it with your index, middle, and ring fingers to push the air toward the crust. Repeat until the dough is flat in the center and puffy at the crust.
• Carefully take the dough in one hand and hold it upright so that it expands downward toward the work surface. Turn and repeat a few times until the pizza pie is noticeably flatter and almost twice as wide as than when you started.
• Slide one hand under the dough so that your palm and fingertips are against the work surface. While the dough rests on the back of one hand, stretch and twist it with the other. The first hand remains still while the other hand moves the dough.
• Lay the pizza pie on the work surface. Using a ladle, spread the tomato sauce evenly over the pie, almost to the edge, leaving some of the crust uncovered. Pick up with pizza peel and slide onto hot baking surface.
• Halfway through baking, open the oven and spread the mozzarella pieces on top. Close the door and let bake again until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden.
• Take out of the oven. Season with freshly-cracked black pepper and top with a handful of fresh basil leaves.

MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine the yeast, 1 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F) and the sugar in a food processor and pulse once to combine. Let sit until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the olive oil and pulse to combine. Mix the flour and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl; add to the food processor and pulse until the dough pulls away from the side and gathers around the blade.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into 2 even balls. Transfer to 2 lightly oiled bowls; cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 2 to 4 hours. (You can make the dough ahead; wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 2 months. Bring to room temperature before using.)
• Set a pizza stone or large baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. Meanwhile, make the topping: Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
• Stretch 1 ball of dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured pizza peel or inverted baking sheet. Spread about 1/2 cup of the tomato mixture on the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with half of the mozzarella, then brush the edge lightly with olive oil.
• Slide the pizza onto the hot stone or baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool 2 minutes before slicing. Repeat to make the second pizza.

MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the sugar, oil, yeast and 2 cups cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let the mixture sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. With the motor running, slowly add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture. Keep mixing until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly greased baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Divide the dough into four 12-ounce pieces and shape into balls. Transfer the balls to a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish and brush with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
• For the sauce: Remove each tomato from the can and reserve 3 cups of the puree. Cut the tomatoes in half and, using your fingers, remove and discard the seeds (don't rinse). Place the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until just crushed but not pureed. (Alternatively, crush the tomatoes by hand or pass them through a food mill.) Transfer the tomato sauce to a bowl and stir in the reserved 3 cups of puree and some salt.
• For the pizza: Place a pizza stone under the oven broiler. Preheat the broiler for 30 minutes.
• Working in four batches, dust a ball of dough heavily with semolina. Using your fingertips, press the dough from the center out, into a 10-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick, leaving a 1-inch thick crust around the edges.
• Hold the dough straight up, and with your fingertips circling the crust, let the dough naturally fall. Slide your fingers around crust in a circular motion (like you would turn a steering wheel) until the dough in the center is stretched to about 1/8-inch thick. Repeat for the remaining dough balls. Transfer the dough to a semolina-dusted pizza peel.
• Spread each pizza with about 1/2 cup sauce evenly over center of the dough, distribute a quarter each of the cheese and basil leaves, and drizzle with oil. Slide a pizza onto the stone and broil until the cheese melts and the crust is puffed and charred in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat for the remaining pizzas. Serve hot. Enjoy!

CHRISTIAN PETRONI'S TENDERONI PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to the highest temperature possible with a pizza stone on the upper rack, for 1 hour.
• Stretch pizza dough with your fingers, working in a circular motion, with your fingers positioned between the center of the dough and the edge, forming a rough disk that will gradually become thinner as you proceed. Then toss dough between the palms of your hands, allowing gravity to stretch it, and the center becomes thinner. Use your fists to move the dough in a circular motion to further stretch it, until it is about 12 inches in diameter, with the edge being slightly thicker. Place dough on a pizza peel lightly sprinkled with semolina to ensure it won't stick.
• Using a small ladle, evenly spread tomato sauce over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1/2-ich border. Distribute mozzarella uniformly over sauce; top with soppressata. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and drizzle with chili oil.
• When transferring pizza to the heated pizza stone in the oven, use one continuous, but quick, jerking motion. Once in the oven, turn the oven off, and turn broiler to high, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Serve drizzled with chili honey.

MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• Place a pizza stone in the center rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F for 1 to 2 hours before you're ready to bake the pizza to get the stone nice and hot.
• Generously sprinkle a flat work surface with flour. Use a rolling pin to stretch the dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the lightly floured pizza peel or unrimmed baking sheet so it can slide right onto the pizza stone in the oven. (I use the bottom of a baking sheet.)
• In a large bowl, hand crush the tomatoes, drizzle in a little olive oil and season with salt to taste. Spread the sauce on the dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the edges for the crust (my favorite part!). (Refrigerate the remaining sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days.) Tear the mozzarella into pieces and layer all over the pie. Sprinkle with Parmesan and basil and drizzle with oil.
• Turn off the oven and turn on the broiler. Use the peel or baking sheet to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone. The heat from the stone will cook the bottom of the pizza and the boiler will char and cook the top, mimicking a Neapolitan pizza oven. Bake until the bottom is cooked and the top is charred, 5 to 6 minutes. Drizzle with more olive oil, basil and Parmesan. Slice the hot pizza and serve immediately.