Pizza Napoletana

Ok, I love pizza. :) This is yet another crust recipe and another trial from The Bread Baker's Apprentice. The dough was allowed to ferment overnight and thus, the flavor of this dough was really nice. However, I didn't care for the consistency. While the edges of the crust were ok, it was very thin and chewy in the center. I used part all-purpose, part bread, and part whole wheat flours. For my next dough, I'll try an overnight rest using part semolina flour. It was a good pizza though--herbed goat cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil--how can you go wrong? Continue for Pizza recipe.

Pizza Napoletana
from The Bread Baker's Apprentice

20.25 oz. hi-gluten, bread, or all-purpose flour, chilled (I used: 9.5 oz bread, 2 oz wheat, and 8.75 oz all-purpose, put in freezer 30 min. to chill)
.44 oz salt
1 t instant yeast
2 oz olive oil
14 oz water, ice cold

Semolina flour for dusting

Stir together the flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer. With a large spoon, stir in the oil and water until the flour is all absorbed. If mixing by hand, work the dough vigorously into a smooth mass. Do this for 5-7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth. If using an electric mixer (as I did), mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, until smooth and sticky. Dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky.

Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with parchment and misting with oil. Cut the dough into 4-6 equal pieces. Sprinkle flour over the dough. Flour hands, lift each piece, and round it into a ball. Transfer dough to the sheet pan. Mist with oil and cover with plastic. Rest in the refrigerator overnight or up to 3 days (or freeze).

Remove dough balls from refrigerator 2 hours before making pizza. Dust counter with flour then mist with oil. Place the dough on top of the counter and sprinkle with flour; dust hands with flour. Gently press the dough into flat disks and 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with flour, mist again, and cover with plastic. Rest for 2 hours.

45 minutes before baking, place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible.

Dust a peel with semolina flour. make the pizzas one at a time. Flour your hands, and stretch dough by bouncing (I ended up rolling out my crusts directly on parchment).

Lay dough on the peel. Lightly top it with sauce and toppings. Slide pizza onto stone and close the door. Bake 5-8 minutes.