3 pizza chefs share iconic recipes for National Cheese Pizza Day
Celebrate the food holiday with a homemade pie!
To celebrate National Cheese Pizza Day, "GMA" threw a pizza party -- and some of the best pizza chefs in the country shared their recipes for some delicious regional pies.
Sal Basille and Francis Garcia from Artichoke Basille's Pizza, Donatella Arpaia, celebrity chef and partner at Prova Pizzabar in New York City, and Clint Gray, EJ Reed and Derrick Moore from Slim and Husky's Pizza in Nashville, all made a different style of pizza that can be recreated at home.
Check out the full recipes below.
Artichoke's Vodka Pizza
Vodka Sauce
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
8 oz. pomace olive oil
1 pound can of peeled tomatoes, coarsely ground in a food mill or smashed by hand
2 qts of heavy cream
1/2 stick of butter
2 tablespoons of freshly chopped Italian parsley
8 oz grated Pecorino Romano cheese
3 pinches of salt
3 pinches of pepper
1 pinch of oregano
Dough
1 tablespoon dry yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the bowl
3 1/2 cups high-gluten flour
Ingredients for Pizza1 cup of flour
1/2 pound whole milk mozzarella, cut or torn into 1 inch-sized pieces or cubes
2 ounces fresh mozzarella balls, torn into 1-inch sized pieces
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/4 cups (18 oz.) of vodka sauce
1 16”x11" baking sheet or aluminum roasting pan
Directions:
In a large bowl combine 1 cup water, yeast, salt, and oil. The salt is going to give it great taste and color and the oil provides great texture. Then add the flour -- mix it by hand until it forms a ball and looks smooth.
Take it out of the bowl, add a little oil to the bowl, then place the dough ball back into the bowl (the oil will keep it from sticking).
Cover the bowl with a dishtowel or something that will allow the dough to breath. Give it an hour; it should double in size.
While the dough is proofing, let's get your sauce ready.
In a food processor, chop onions until paste consistency is reached. In a medium sauce pot over medium high heat, sauté the onions and olive oil until onions begin to brown. Add the vodka and cook for 2 minutes, or until reduced and alcohol is cooked off.
Add the tomatoes and cook on medium high heat for 15 minutes. Add the heavy cream, butter, Pecorino Romano cheese, salt, pepper, oregano and parsley and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
To Make the Pizza
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Turn out the dough on a floured surface. To gently stretch it, press down from the outside, working your way towards the middle. Try not to take all the air out of the dough. Once it's flattened, place it in your baking dish and gently pull it into the shape of the pan. Take a knife and poke several holes through the dough. If it's an aluminum roasting pan, make sure you don't poke any holes through the pan.
Brush some olive oil on top of the dough along with four tablespoons of vodka sauce. Put the pan in the oven and cook for about five minutes until the dough gets golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and distribute the two mozzarella cheeses on top as evenly as possible. Then spread the sauce to cover the cheese. Cover with the Pecorino and put the pizza back in the oven for 12 more minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
Remove from the oven, cut into desired amount of slices and serve hot.
Recipe courtesy of Sal and Francis Bastille.
Donatella's Neapolitan Pie
This sheet pan pizza is perfect for any home cook, you'll need parchment paper, a rolling pin and a sheet pan.
Ingredients:
1 pound pizza dough (whole food, trader joe)
10-12 ounces shredded whole milk mozzarella (Galbani preferred brand because of cut)
Sea salt freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup baby arugula
2/3 teaspoons of truffle oil
4-6 thin slices Prosciutto di Parma
Simple pizza sauce:
15 ounces crushed San Marzano tomatoes (preferably fire roasted for added depth)
1 tbsp EVOO
Small garlic clove
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp of sea salt
Place all ingredients in blender, blend until fully combined.
Directions:
Ask your favorite neighborhood pizzeria if they will sell you a pound of pizza dough or use a good store bought brand.
Remove from fridge 1 to 2 hours to bring to cool room temp, when it will begin to puff up.
Preheat oven to the highest it will go 500 degrees if possible, and place large rimless or upside sheet pan in lower third of oven.
Place large sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and dust parchment paper lightly with flour. Roll out dough using rolling pin (if the dough resists cover with towel and let relax for 5 minutes).
Pierce dough firmly all over with tines of a fork. Slide the whole thing including parchment, onto a rimless baking sheet then slide onto hot baking sheet in the oven. When dough is slightly puffed but not golden about 7 to 8 minutes push down any bubbles with the back of a spoon and bake for 2 more minutes.
Grab edge of parchment and transfer pizza from oven to cutting board. Top pizza with tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, salt and pepper, slide back into oven for 2 more minutes until top is slightly golden.
Remove pizza and add fresh arugula, drizzle a little truffle oil and few slices of Prosciutto di Parma- cut and serve!
Recipe courtesy of Donatella Arpaia.
Slim and Husky's "Got 5 on it" Pizza
Ingredients:
3 pounds High Gluten Flour
1.4 oz Canola Olive Oil Blend 70/30
1 lb 13 oz water (94-105 Degrees)
1 oz Yeast
1.2 oz Kosher Salt
Red sauce:
2 pounds Canned Midwestern Diced Tomatoes
13 oz Tomato Paste
6 oz Fresh Basil
.5 oz Dry Oregano
.5 oz Roasted Garlic
1.5 oz Apple Cider Vinegar
.5 oz Granulated Sugar
.3 oz Kosher Salt
.2 oz Black Pepper
Toppings:
4 cups shredded mozzarella
4 cups shredded Provolone
1 cup of shredded Parmesan
1/2 cup White cheddar
Directions:
Combine flour and salt in mixer with dough hook. In separate container mix water, yeast and oil.
Add liquid to mixer and mix with dough hook until dough ball forms. Then mix for 5 minutes more to activate gluten.
Allow to cold ferment in refrigerator for 24-48 hours for best flavor.
For the sauce combine and blend the ingredients.
Place pizza in 550 degree oven for eight to nine minutes, until golden brown and cheese is completely melted and golden brown.
Recipe courtesy of Slim and Husky's
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