Pizza
- 1 tsp caraway seed
- 1 1 ball of Pizza Dough, shaped and waiting on a floured work surface (see recipe below)
- 1 oz pecorino fresco, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and slightly flattened by pressing between thumb and index finger
- 1/3 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese
- 13/4 oz fresh mozzarella, pulled into shreds
- 2 pinches of freshly ground black pepper
- 7 to 10 thin slices prosciutto
- 11/2 cup water
Place the pizza stone in a gas oven on a rack about 8 inches from the broiler. Preheat the oven on bake at 500º for 30 minutes. Switch to broil for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the caraway seeds over lightly floured peel and place the shaped dough on top of it. Evenly distribute the pecorino, Gruyère, mozzarella, and pepper over the dough.
With quick, jerking motions, slide the pie onto the stone. Broil for 3 1/2 minutes under gas (somewhat longer with an electric oven), until the top if bubbling and the crust is nicely charred but not burnt.
Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a tray or serving platter. Drape the prosciutto evenly over the pie, completely covering the surface. Slice and serve immediately.
Pizza Dough
- 33/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping the dough
- 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
Pizza Dough (makes 4 balls of dough, enough for 4 pizzas): In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and, with a wooden spoon or your hands, mix thoroughly.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow it to rise at room temperature (about 72º F) for 18 hours or until it has more than doubled. It will take longer in a chilly room and less time in a very warm one.
Flour a work surface and scrape out the dough. Divide it into 4 equal parts and shape them: For each portion start with the right side of the dough and pull it toward the center; then do the same with the left, the top then the bottom. (The order doesn’t actually matter; what you want is four folds.) Shape each portion into a round and turn seam side down. Mold the dough into a neat circular mound. The mounds should not be sticky; if they are, dust with more flour.
If you don’t intend to use the dough right away, wrap the balls individually in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Return to room temperature by leaving them out on the counter, covered in a damp cloth, for 2 to 3 hours before needed.
Note: Don’t freeze the dough, but you can store it in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, for up to three days. In effect, when you’re set to use it, you have your own ready-made dough.
Recipe courtesy of My Pizza by Jim Lahey & Rick Flaste, 2012. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc
