HOMEBODY GOURMET
How to make Pizzeria Libretto’s famous pie without the wood-fire oven,
Italians take food seriously, especially when it comes to Napoletana pizza. To make an authentic, thin-crust pizza like they do in Naples your kitchen has to be certified by the Vera Pizza Napoletana board and your pizza has to meet a laundry list of criteria such as having a woodfired oven that reaches 900 F (480 C), using super fine 00 flour, and stretching a pizza no bigger than 11 inches.
In 2009, Pizzeria Libretto on Ossington Ave. became the first restaurant in Canada to become certified by the VPN. Today, there are about a dozen VPN-approved pizzerias in the country, including the second Libretto on Danforth Ave. and the third in the Financial District. While your home kitchen probably won’t get the VPN’s seal of approval, Libretto owner Rocco Agostino gave us a pizza recipe for a version that’s pretty close.
“The one thing that probably can’t be replicated at home is the oven, unless you have a wood-fired oven in your backyard,” says Agostino. “That, and the experience of having someone who knows how to work the dough according to the humidity in the air, the temperature outside, things like that.”
One of the keys to Napoletana pizza is the 00 flour, which is ground into a powder-like consistency to yield a delicately crispy crust that shatters with every bite. You can find it in specialty Italian grocery stores but for the sake of convenience, Agostino showed us a way to make the pizza with all-purpose flour.
The difference? Libretto’s 00 crust is definitely thinner and crispier around the edges, while this homemade version is slightly chewier. However, the latter still has a brittle and golden brown crust when it comes out of the oven. You’ll notice that a lot of flour is used, but this recipe makes about 8 pizzas, and no doubt your friends would love some readymade pizza dough for their Friday night. The home version also takes 10 to 15 minutes to cook in the oven as opposed to Libretto’s 90 seconds, but it definitely beats the corner delivery spot or the stuff in the frozen aisle. This recipe is for the basic pizza Margherita (tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella), but other tasty combos can be prosciutto slices, freshly chopped oregano, and mozzarella; crumbled sausage meat, thinly sliced tomatoes, and chopped thyme leaves; or even a brunch pizza in which you crack a few raw eggs on top.
A note on proofing the dough: Fleischmann’s, the most popular brand of yeast, typically recommends dissolving a packet of yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water at100 F to110 F (38 C to 43 C) and adding a teaspoon of sugar to the mix and then waiting 10 minutes for the mixture to start bubbling and foaming. The pizza dough recipe here, however, does not require sugar.
Pizzeria Libretto-Style Margherita Pizza
✓ Star Tested
Dough:
8-g packet active dry yeast
2 tbsp (30 mL) + 3 cups (750 mL) lukewarm water
6-1/2 tsp (32 mL) table salt
36 oz (about 1 kg) all-purpose flour
Toppings per pizza:
1/4 cup (60 mL) canned pizza sauce
1/2 cup (125 mL) grated mozzarella
7 to 8 fresh basil leaves 1 tbsp olive oil
For dough, in a bowl, stir yeast with 2 tbsp (30 mL) lukewarm water until granules disappear. Set aside on counter till at least 10 minutes until yeast starts foaming.
In stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine remaining 3 cups (750 mL) lukewarm water and salt. Slowly add 2 cups (500 mL) flour. Mix on low speed 5 minutes. With mixer running, add yeast mixture and remaining flour slowly in several additions. Mix 5 minutes.
Turn mixer off. Let dough stand 10 minutes. Turn mixer on; mix on low 5 minutes. Dough should come together in solid ball. If it’s too sticky, add a bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time. If it’s too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time.
Tightly cover mixer bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand in warm area away from direct sunlight overnight to allow dough to double in size.
On lightly floured surface, divide dough into 8 portions using pastry cutter or knife. Roll into balls. If not using immediately, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Let thaw at least 12 hours in fridge before using.
For pizza, preheat oven to 500F (260C).
With rolling pin, roll out 1 dough ball into 9-inch (23-cm) pizzas as thin as possible.
Place dough on pizza pan or large, parchment-lined baking sheet.
Using ladle or large spoon, spoon pizza sauce onto middle of pie. With back of ladle or spoon, spread sauce to edge of pizza in concentric circles, leaving about 1/2-inch (1 cm) for crust. Place your desired toppings on pizza.
Bake in preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes until crust is golden brown. Drizzle olive oil on top and serve immediately.
Makes 1 personal-sized pizza.
Test kitchen tips:
Did my yeast die? These dried microorganisms “activate” when you add water to them and feast on the sugar in the dough, converting it into gas, which makes the dough rise. But if you mix it with boiling water, the yeast will die. If the water’s too cold, the yeast won’t eat. Use warm water to keep them happy; you’ll know it when the water starts to bubble. If it doesn’t your yeast probably went bad, so toss it. Shape up: A pizza doesn’t have to be a perfect circle — especially if you’re using a baking sheet in lieu of a pizza pan. Roll out the dough into whatever shape will fit in your oven.
Ditch the pizza cutter: Kitchen scissors make the easiest and most perfect cuts compared to a knife or pizza cutter (especially if you’re cutting on a plate). They can cut through gooey cheese with ease. Karon.liu@gmail.com