"Cheese Pizza" To Celebrate "National Cheese Pizza Day!"

As far as history has been recorded, bread has been a basic part of the world’s eating habits and a traditional companion with meals. There are various assortments of breads which include different textures, flavors, and toppings. The most popular bread type by far is the Pizza Pie. Come with me as we explore and celebrate “National Cheese Pizza Day!” Every September 5th we celebrate this day by eating cheese pizza. That's right today is the day to go to your favorite pizza parlor and order a really large cheese pizza. Better yet, drag out the pizza stone and cutter, because today is the day to make your own homemade pizza dough and honor National Cheese Pizza Day the homemade way. It’s party time, invite all your friends and have the biggest cheese pizza block party you've ever had! You can't get any better than that!

Everyone in the world knows that a Cheese Pizza is a pizza with lots of cheese! This world-popular dish of Italian origin, made with an oven-baked, flat, generally round bread that is often covered with tomatoes or a tomato-based sauce and mozzarella cheese. Other cheese varieties are added according to region, culture, or personal preference. To understand the fascination of this awesome dish we call Pizza, we need to understand about the dough or crust first.

A pizza's crust can be made using almost any dough or bread recipe. White flour is commonly used for a soft crust that won't crumble, which is usually considered desirable. Whole wheat flour can be used to make a firmer crust. Cake flour can be useful if a crumbly crust is desired. Other common ingredients in crusts include Olive oil (usually extra virgin), active dry yeast, sugar, and salt. What type of crust to use is matter of taste. There are several types of pizza crust that are constructed differently and have (sometimes) wildly different textures, though the taste remains fairly consistent. The most common styles are Neapolitan, thin, New York-style, deep dish, Sicilian, and pan pizza crust. There are many different techniques for preparing dough, most largely dependent on the type of crust you've decided to make. Because pizza crusts almost always contain yeast they must be allowed to rise at least once, though some recipes recommend improving the flavor and texture of the dough by allowing the crust to rise 2 separate times.

The next part of the pizza is the tomato sauce. A simple sauce consists of tomato paste, basil, and oregano. Using tomato puree will give a runny sauce that must be spread thinly to prevent the cheese and toppings from sliding off. Diced, dried, or crushed tomatoes may be added for extra flavor and texture. Onions, peppers, garlic, and sugar are often used as well. Spices are more flavorful when ground right before use. Pizza with cheese baked onto it, without any sauce at all, is sometimes called a white pizza.

Now we come to the cheese, which is my favorite. The basic pizza cheese is mozzarella. (My personal favorite) Feta is often used in combination with a spinach topping. Cheddar can be used for a more southwestern taste. Ricotta cheese is used for White Pizza. (No red sauce) Commercial pizzerias almost always use a blend of various cheeses, the most common of which are mozzarella, parmesan, and romano.

Toppings go on top of the cheese and they are very popular with today’s pizza. Put plenty of topping near the edges to protect the cheese from burning there. A pizza without toppings will cook much faster than one with toppings. Anchovies, oil-coated broccoli, black olives, pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, green peppers, precooked and drained sausage, bacon, hamburger, salami, or tomatoes, and finally precooked chicken or ham.

Last but not least, pizzas are typically baked directly on special surfaces for short periods at temperatures in excess of 500° F (260° C). Coal and brick ovens are preferred for baking pizza because of their even heat and superior heat-retention. Some pizzerias prefer to use a wire-mesh pan though, as working with pizza peels can be difficult for some. Home bakers can attempt to duplicate the effects of a brick oven by using a baking stone (also called a pizza stone), a slab of porous stone that evenly heats the pizza, helping it develop a better crust. Baking/pizza stones become "seasoned" after frequent use, a characteristic that is said to improve the flavor of crusts baked on them.

(Nanni)

Whatever role pizza plays in a meal, the delightful aromas fill a home and it stirs all the senses. I remember when my grandmother (whom we called Nanni) would come over for a visit; she would make us a pizza with onions, oil, grated cheese, and the freshest herbs she could find. No tomato sauce and no mozzarella cheese. Instead of a round pizza pan, she would make the pizza in a flat sheet pan. Her crust was always soft and thick something like a Sicilian pizza would be. It was always fun making pizza with her as she would always tell a few stories about her Italian roots as we were eating. This recipe is very similar to my grandmothers. I hope that you enjoy your pizza; it really makes the house fragrant. It is what I would call, “real comfort food.”

“Cheese Pizza”

Ingredients for dough:
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups of warm water (110° -115° F)
3 1/2 to 3- 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for Pizza toppings:
Marinara sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Some extra virgin olive oil
Pecorino Romano grated cheese
Plus what ever topping you like…

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Allow the yeast to proof until it is foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 3 cups of flour, salt and sugar. Mix the dough with your hands or use a mixer with a dough hook. Add the remaining flour as needed to make dough that holds together. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead it for about 5 minutes, just to get the gluten moving. Grease a bowl with the olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Turn the dough a few times in the bowl so the oil coats the dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 hours in a warm place. Then punch down the dough and knead it for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface. Use the dough to make one large pizza or divide it in half to make 2 small ones. Now that your dough is made you can make your pizza with any ingredients you wish. Make a ridge around the outside of the dough. Just make sure the ingredients are fresh and you will have a mouth watering pizza that you can’t wait to eat. . If you need a marinara sauce for your pizza, please check out my post for my “Mama’s Marinara Tomato Sauce” recipe. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the crust becomes light browned and the cheese is melted. Mangia!


Till Next Time………………………….

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