Pizza Capricciosa Recipe (Plus How to Make Perfect Pizza Dough at Home) -

Pizza Capricciosa Recipe courtesy of Executive Chef of Cucina Porto at The Star Sydney, Martino Pulito.

It is World Pizza Day today and to celebrate we have a a delicious recipe for Pizza Capricciosa from Chef Martino Pulito, Executve Chef at Cucina Porto at The Star in Sydney. Martino also shares his tips for creating the perfect pizza dough at home.

Pizza Capricciosa Recipe

Ingredients (makes 1 pizza)

150g peeled or chopped canned tomatoes
120g fior di latte
120g shaved ham
60g Swiss brown mushrooms
80g grilled artichokes
1 tsp dried oregano
60g black kalamata olives, pitted
300g pizza dough (based on Martino’s pizza dough recipe, see below)
Olive oil, to serve
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 250 C (450F).
Place some baking paper on a tray.
Stretch the pizza dough into a round circle of 33 cm in diameter.
Spread the tomato over the base and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
While that is baking, slice up the mushrooms, ham and artichokes.
Take the pizza out of the oven and with your hands sprinkle the mushrooms, ham, artichokes, cheese and olives over the pizza.
Place it into the oven and cook for a further five minutes or until golden and the cheese has melted.
After the pizza is cooked, sprinkle over the dry oregano, drizzle with olive oil and enjoy!

Pizza Dough Recipe

Ingredients (makes 2 pizzas)

● 1L water
● 1.6kg 00 flour
● 50g salt
● 2g yeast
● 20g sugar
● 50ml extra virgin olive oil

Method

Sift the flour in a large bowl and mix in the dry yeast.
In a separate container, dissolve the salt in room temperature water (it’s very
important that the salt doesn’t get in contact with the yeast).
Start mixing the four ingredients with your hands, though only mix in half of the flour for now.
Now it’s time to add the sugar and the oil, then add in the rest of the flour.
In Italy, we say “Lavare le mani con la farina“, which means “wash your hands with the flour”. Place the dough on the bench and work for it for 15-20 minutes, gently folding it all the time.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Then cut the dough into two 300g balls, put it on an oiled tray and let it rest for at least eight hours.
Once the dough is rested, place baking paper down on two trays and then drizzle with olive oil. Stretch the dough making sure that you cover all the edges of the tray and leave it to rise by double in a room with no air flow (I always put it in an oven that’s not turned on).
Once the dough has risen (it usually takes two to four hours) it’s ready for baking. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celsius. Add a tomato base, and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Then, add your favourite toppings and cheese and cook for a further five minutes or until golden and the cheese is melted.
Drizzle with olive oil and enjoy!

Martino Pulito’s Tips on How to Make Pizza Dough At Home

1. Firstly, be sure to source the best flour possible. As there are only a few ingredients in pizza dough, you don’t need to save your cents on the flour. Every person in Italy uses different flour depending on the area that you’re in – I like to use 00 pizza flour, which is very refined, with a humidity of 15%.
2. For some texture and flavour sometimes I mix spelt or wholemeal flour.
3. Preparation is key. I recommend using your hands to knead the dough as opposed to a mixer. When the dough starts to separate from your hands it’s ready.
4. Resting is also very important for the dough – rest for a minimum eight hours but preferably 24. Remember your pizza dough is a live product! The outside temperature, seasons, and humidity can all impact the dough – so you may have a bit of trial and error.
5. Be sure to not put your toppings on straight away or it will burn – that includes the cheese! Cook your pizza dough with a tomato base in the oven for 15-20 minutes, and then add your toppings and finish off in the oven until nice and golden.
6. Use the highest quality of ingredients for your pizza toppings – whether it’s ham, prosciutto or cheese, select the best you can find at markets or your local fresh produce grocer. If you focus on quality, the ingredients talk for themselves.