Some time ago, while chatting on the phone with my Neapolitan friend Giusy, talking about cooking as only we women know how to do, this beautiful recipe came up! Making homemade pizza often seems simple, but the final result has many uncertainties, and this depends on several factors. First of all, which yeast we use and how much of it, the time we let the dough rise, the technique we practice for folding, the type of oven and the consistency of the heat it can maintain, and so on. You could write a treatise if you wanted to delve into the topic, but I do not presume to speak, and I leave it to those who are competent and professional to give the right tips in this regard. In addition, not everyone tolerates the use of yeasts, especially the more commonly used brewer’s yeast. For example, I myself, not having sourdough, which is more suitable, limit myself a lot to avoid digestive problems. The fermentation of yeasts in the stomach is often a very delicate process. That’s why I welcomed my friend’s suggestion with joy when she explained that this dough, used by Neapolitan pizza makers, requires just under a gram of yeast! Yes, you read that right! Also, once you’ve prepared the dough, you’ll let it rest in the fridge for 24 hours and forget about it! The next day, at your convenience, you’ll let it acclimate to room temperature to let it rise until it’s time to portion, and finally stretch the pizzas by hand, without a rolling pin. I tell you it will result in a very light and especially digestible pizza that will cook in just a few minutes! I just made it more rustic by adding a part of whole wheat flour. I must say my husband is crazy about it, so once a week, I have to prepare it religiously! I offer you two versions, one with fior di latte and olives, and another with pumpkin cream. For optimal cooking, I finally recommend using a baking stone, but even without it, you can circumvent the problem with a small trick! Find out how.
[Thanks to Giusy Iacolare for her valuable tips]
If you love pizza in all its shapes and varieties, also try these recipes inspired by its taste and texture:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Day 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 dough balls
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for 2 dough balls
- 8.47 oz all-purpose flour
- 3.53 oz whole wheat flour
- 8.82 fl oz water (at room temperature)
- 0.76 g fresh brewer's yeast (or 0.30 g of dry yeast)
- 0.35 oz salt
- 5 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 5.29 oz mozzarella (fior di latte)
- 6 black olives
- 5 tablespoons pumpkin cream (or other based on seasonality)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 4 leaves basil
- 12.35 oz all-purpose flour
- 3.53 oz whole wheat flour
- 10.23 fl oz water (at room temperature)
- 0.42 oz salt
- 0.54 g fresh brewer's yeast
Tools
⚠ THIS RECIPE INCLUDES ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Dish towel
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Baking stone
- 1 Pizza peel
- 1 Dough scraper
Method
The morning* of the day before, combine the two flours in a large bowl.
Dissolve the yeast in the water and add it gradually.
Pour in all the water and let it be completely absorbed starting to knead.
At this point, also incorporate the salt and continue to work on the floured work surface.
Form a rough dough and perform two rounds of folds on itself. Then cover it for 1 hour with a well-wrung damp dish towel to allow the stressed gluten network to relax.
After this resting time, perform another 3 rounds of folds on itself.
Reform a dough, place it on a lightly oiled bowl and close with an airtight lid or plastic wrap. Place the container on the bottom shelf of the fridge until the next morning.
The next morning, let the dough acclimate to room temperature for at least 1 hour. Then let the unrisen dough slide onto the floured work surface without forcing with your hands, but at most with the help of a dough scraper. Proceed with the portioning, dividing it into two portions of about 8.8/9.9 oz each.
Ball each dough on the work surface. This ensures even growth of the dough during rising.
They must be perfectly spherical, smooth and compact.
Place them in two well-floured bowls, close with an airtight lid or plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 6/8 hours**. It all depends on the time you decide to cook the pizzas.
After this time, heat the baking stone to the maximum power of the oven for 30′. If you don’t have one, refer to the final notes***. Let each dough slide, one at a time, onto the floured work surface and with your fingertips, starting from the center, stretch your pizza, pushing outwards so that the air contained in it pushes towards the crust. Flip and repeat the operation.
Season**** with tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella cut into strips and some slices of olive.
Bake and cook for 6/8 minutes always at maximum power. Remove from the oven and season with a drizzle of oil and basil leaves.
Alternatively, season with pumpkin cream at the base, fior di latte, some olives, and previously baked pumpkin slices. A delight.
And voila…your semi whole-wheat pizzas with less than a gram of yeast are ready to be enjoyed!
This version is with zucchini cream, fior di latte, olives, and Parma ham! Top!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Advice, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣 *If you knead the pizza dough the morning of the day before, the dough will be ready by the afternoon of the following day.
🟣 **You will notice that the dough does not rise much even after 6/8 hours, but don’t worry, it’s all normal. It will still become a very workable, soft, and light dough.
🟣 ***If you don’t have a baking stone, I always recommend buying one. In the meantime, you can bake your pizza using a combo cooking method, that is, placing it first in a well-heated non-stick pan, only with tomato sauce, then close the lid and cook over low heat for 4/5 minutes. Check that it is already cooked underneath, then add the mozzarella and other ingredients and place it in a hot oven at maximum power for another 3/4 minutes under the grill to finish cooking. Alternatively, bake on a pizza tray (the oven tray will also be fine) at 482°F for about 15/20 minutes. Also equip yourself with a pizza peel which should be well floured so that your pizzas can slide into the oven more easily.
🟣 ****Remember that the topping should be added only a few minutes before baking. Also, mozzarella should be cut into strips a few hours before and drained to release all the milk, or if you want to speed up this step, you can choose a block mozzarella suitable for pizza.
🟣 ****Remember that the topping should be added only a few minutes before baking. Also, mozzarella should be cut into strips a few hours before and drained to release all the milk, or if you want to speed up this step, you can choose a block mozzarella suitable for pizza.
