from Johanne Killeen Chef and Owner at Al Forno, Providence RI
http://www.foodtv.com/remlive/04-06z.htm
Dough:
1 envelope (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
Pinch sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup johnnycake meal or fine-ground white cornmeal
3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
Topping:
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
3 cups shredded Fontina cheese
4 1/2 cups chopped canned tomatoes in heavy puree
3/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leafed parsley
Chiffonade of basil for garnish
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with the sugar. After 5 minutes
stir in the salt, johnnycake meal, whole-wheat flour, and oil. Gradually
add the white flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until a stiff dough
has formed.
- Place the dough on a floured board, and knead it for several minutes,
adding only enough additional flour to keep the dough from sticking.
When the dough is smooth and shiny, transfer it to a bowl that has been
brushed with olive oil. To prevent a skin from forming, brush the top
of the dough with additional olive oil, cover the bowl with plastic
wrap, and let rise in a warm place, away from drafts, until doubled
in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Punch down the dough and knead once more. Let the dough rise again
for about 40 minutes. Punch down the dough. If it is sticky, knead in
a bit more flour.
- Divide into four balls. Cover the balls with plastic wrap and allow
to rise at room temperature for about 45 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, prepare a hot charcoal fire, setting the
grill rack 3 to 4 inches above the coals and set out topping ingredients.
Place on dough on a large inverted cookie sheet brushed with 1 to 2
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Turn the dough over to coat it with
oil. With your hands, spread and flatten the pizza dough into a 10 to
12-inch free form circle, 1/8-inch thick. If you find the dough shrinking
back into itself, allow the dough to rest for a few minutes, then continue
to spread and flatten the dough. Do not make a lip You may end up with
a rectangle rather than a circle; the shape is unimportant. Take care
not to stretch the dough so thin that small holes appear. If this happens,
all is not lost. Rather then try to repair them, avoid them when adding
toppings and drizzling with olive oil.
- When the fire is hot, use your fingertips to lift the dough gently
by the two corners closest to you, and drape it onto the grill. Catch
the loose edge on the grill first and guide the remaining dough into
place over the fire. Within a minute, the dough will puff slightly,
the underside will stiffen, and grill marks will appear.
- Using tongs, immediately flip the crust over onto the coolest part
of the grill. Quickly brush the grilled surface with 2 teaspoons of
virgin olive oil. Spread 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 2 tablespoons
Pecorino Romano cheese, 1/4 cup Fontina cheese over the entire surface
of the pizza. Dollop with 6 tablespoons of the tomatoes and top with
1 tablespoon of the parsley. Drizzle the entire pizza with virgin olive
oil. After the toppings have been added, slide the pizza back toward
the hot coals so about half of the pizza is directly over the heat.
Rotate the pizza frequently so that different sections receive high
heat checking the underside by lifting the edge with tongs to be sure
it is not burning.
- Pizza is done when the top is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
Garnish with basil and serve immediately. Continue stretching the dough
balls and grilling pizzas using the above topping ingredients.
Yield: 12 servings |