Recipe
Italian Pizza with Tomato, Mozzarella, and Mushrooms (Pizza con i Funghi)
Posted by : unknown
Preparation time : 20 Min
Cooking time : 3 Hrs 0 Min
Level of difficulty : Medium
Ingredients
2 servings
- INGREDIENTS FOR THREE 30 cm (12 inches) PIZZAS
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast or 25 gr (1 oz) brewered's yeast
- 1'5 cups (350cc) warm water
- 3'5 (500 gr) flour
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- Note: The temperature in the kitchen should be around 20-24c (68-75 F) for the dough to rise properly
- TOPPING INGREDIENTS FOR 1 PIZZA
- 1 cup (250 gr) tomatoes, puréed in a blender
- 3 or 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 120 gr (4 oz) fresh mushrooms, finely sliced
- 60 gr (2 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
Preparation
PREPARE THE BASIC PIZZA DOUGH
1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the warm water, and stir to dissolve it. Set aside until the yeast starts forming bubbles in about 5 minutes
2. Sift the flour. Pour the flour into a large bowl or on a work surface. Mold the flour in a mound shape with a hole in the center.
3. Pour in the center the yeast mix. olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
4. Using a spatula draw the ingredients together.
5. Then mix with your hands to form dough.
6. Sprinkle some flour on the work surface. Place the dough on the floured surface.
7. Knead the dough briefly with your hands pushing and folding. Knead just long enough for the dough to take in a little more flour, and until it no longer sticking to your hands.
8. With your hand, spread a little olive oil inside a bowl.
9. Transfer the dough into the bowl.
10. On the top of the dough, make two incisions that cross, and spread with a very small amount of olive oil. This last step will prevent the surface of the dough from breaking too much while rising.
11. Cover the bowl with a kitchen cloth, and set the bowl aside for approximately 1h30 or 2 hours until the dough doubles in volume. The time required for rising will depend on the strength of the yeast and the temperature of the room.
12. When the dough is double its original size, punch it down to eliminate the air bubbles.
13. On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough into three equal pieces.
14. On the work surface, using a rolling pin and your hands, shape one piece of dough into a thin round layer. Make a pizza about 30cm (12 inches) in diameter and transfer it to the pan. Using your fingertips, push from the center to the sides to cover the entire surface of the pan with a thin layer of pasta. Repeat this step with the other 2 dough pieces to obtain 3 pizzas.
15. At this point the pizza is ready to receive its topping. Add onto the pizza your preferred topping.
ADD THE TOPPING AND COOK THE PIZZA
1. Preheat oven to 260 C (500 F).
2. In a bowl place the tomatoes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomato evenly over the pizza.
3. Distribute uniformly the mushrooms on the pizza.
4. Spread the rest of the olive oil on the pizza. Add salt and pepper.
5. Bake the pizza for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the mozzarella cheese
6. Cook for 10 more minutes approximately. Lift one side to check for readiness. Pizza is ready when the bottom surface is light brown.
