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Pizza Margherita 

Submitted by: Yugal

PIZZA WITH TOMATOES, MOZZARELLA, OLIVE OIL, PARMESAN

 One 10- 11-inch pizza Classic pizza Margherita is made with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. Optionally you can add any or all of: garlic, oregano, basil.

 1 cup basic tomato sauce or 1 cup ripe tomatoes, seeded, drained and cut in to strips.

 2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 teaspoon salt

 1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese (more or less to taste) 

1 - 2 T Parmesan cheese 

Optional: oregano, basil 

Assembling and baking the pizza:

 Pizza Dough. 

OVEN rack at top of oven. 

A baking stone or quarry tiles to line the oven rack.

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (at least 30 minutes)

 ROLL out the pizza dough on a floured surface, turning occasionally, into a circle 10- 11-inches in diameter - until it is about 1/4" thick. 

PINCH the the outside rim of the circle to create a slightly raised edge to retain the sauce. 

PLACE the pizza on a floured baker's paddle, or a thick piece of cardboard (I use an overturned Teflon cookie sheet if I can't find the paddle).

 WHEN the oven is hot and you are ready to bake the pizza: 

SPREAD the mozzarella on the dough, followed by the tomato sauce. 

SPRINKLE with 2 or 3 pinches of salt, the oregano or basil, and the Parmesan cheese.

 SLIDE the pizza onto the baker's stone or tiles. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the outer edge is a deep golden brown. 

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE 

Salsa di pomodoro

 Preparation - Easy 

About 2 cups A basic all-purpose tomato sauce, this may be put up in canning jars for long storage. Simply adjust the other ingredients for the quantity of tomatoes you have available and cook the sauce. Then fill clean pint or half-pint (depending on the size of your household) canning jars to within a half-inch of the top, screw down the lids, immerse them in water to a depth of one inch in a stockpot or canning pot (put a layer of newspaper on the bottom t o keep the jars from banging around), bring to a boil, and boil for 30 minutes. Using tongs, remove the jars from the water and set them aside on a cloth towel until the lids ping, indicating that they are fully sealed. Tight en the lids once more and secure. 

2 or 3 garlic cloves, sliced 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

3 1/2 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes, cut in chunks, or one 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, with juice, chopped 

1 teaspoon salt (omit if using canned tomatoes) 

1/2 teaspoon sugar 

IN a heavy noncreative saucepan over low heat, sweat the garlic in the oil until it begins to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt if you wish, and sugar, raise the heat slightly, and cook rapidly, stirring frequently, while the tomatoes give off their juice and cook down to a thick mass - l5 to 20 minutes. Watch the mixture carefully toward the end to make sure it doesn't scorch.

 PUT the sauce through the fine disk of a food mill, discarding the seeds, b its of skin, and other residue. If the sauce seems thin, return it to medium-low heat and continue cooking, stirring constantly and watching very care fully, until it reaches the desired consistency. 

PIZZA DOUGH 

Preparation - 1 - 2 hours for dough to rise One 10- to 11-inch pizza Remember that pizza needs a very hot oven - commercial pizza ovens run about 700 degrees F. 1 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup lukewarm water 

NOTE: Be careful with measuring - 1 cup in a Pyrex measuring beaker can be different from a simple 1 cup measuring cup. You can adjust by adding flour or water, but it increases the work. 

BY HAND: 

DISSOLVE yeast in lukewarm water and add salt and olive oil. 

IN a separate, large mixing bowl, put 1 cup flour. 

POUR the salt, dissolved yeast, and olive oil mixture onto the flour in the mixing bowl and combine the flour with all the other ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, slowly adding flour until the mixture ca n be worked by hand without the dough sticking unduly to your hands. Turn out on a surface dusted with flour and kneed, dusting with small amounts of flour if necessary (about 8 minutes) until you have a smooth, consistent, elastic ball. 

PLACE the kneaded dough in a covered bowl in warm, non-drafty place to allow w dough to rise until doubled in bulk - 1 - 3 hours. Dough should be firm and elastic. The dough can 'hold' a few hours longer if you wish. 

WITH A FOOD PROCESSOR:

 PUT the flour and salt into the processor. Start processor, then slowly add the dissolved yeast and the olive oil. Continue processing until dough for ms a ball, or glutinous fragments.

 REMOVE from processor, knead by hand until you have a smooth, consistent elastic ball. Dust with flour if mixture is too sticky. PLACE the kneaded dough in a covered bowl in warm, non-drafty place to allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk - 1 - 3 hours. Dough should be firm and elastic. The dough can 'hold' a few hours longer if you wish. TIP: IT'S QUITE SIMPLE, EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS SO LONG, FOR THOSE WHO CAN MAKE THE SAUCE, JUST GET A BASE AND THEN ADD YOUR TOPPINGS, BUT THE SAUCE IS A MUST....IT TASTES AMAZING...ENJOY !!!

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