Margherita, capricious, seafaring, peasant, tastes are not counted but the pizza par excellence is the Neapolitan one: one of the symbols of Italian food that is now found in every corner of the world. Pizza is truly a cult of Italian gastronomy, recognizable and appreciated all over the planet. A simple food that bases its success on a few and genuine ingredients of the Mediterranean diet such as tomato, mozzarella and olive oil.
Pizza, an ancient story of international goodness
Pizza boasts an ancient history that is intertwined with that of the city of Naples. According to the legend, in June 1889 the chef Raffaele Esposito invents the pizza with tomato, basil and mozzarella to pay homage to Queen Margherita. The first pizza in history, in fact, bears the name of the Savoy sovereign. The choice of ingredients is not by chance because they are the white, green and red of the Italian Tricolor.
For some, however, this version would not be reliable. In fact, the philologist Emanuele Rocco, in the second volume of the book Uses and customs of Naples and described outlines and paintings by Francesco De Bourcard as early as 1858, he wrote about the possible varieties of pizza toppings.
Rocco speaks of "The most ordinary pizzas, called with garlic and olives, have oil as a condiment, and over them is sprinkled, in addition to the salt, the'Origan and minutely chopped garlic cloves. Others are covered with grated cheese and seasoned with lard, and then a few basil leaves are placed on top. Small fish are often added to the first ones; the latter with thin slices of mozzarella. Sometimes, sliced ham and tomato are used. Sometimes folding the dough on itself forms what is called calzone ”. In addition, historians point out that as early as 1830 in the book Naples, contours and surroundings, we are talking about pizza based on tomato, mozzarella and basil. Truly a centuries-old history for a dish made of poor ingredients that have made it a global success.
Homemade pizza
Ingredients
1 kg of flour (half a kilo 'flour1' and half Manitoba quality)
Half a liter of warm water
1 brewer's yeast
Salt to taste
1 glass of extra virgin olive oil
1 kg of pachino or datterini tomatoes
Three mozzarella
A few basil leaves
A handful of oregano (for those who prefer it)
Pizza dough is a leavened dough made from flour, water, brewer's yeast, oil and salt. For perfect leavening, the ideal would be to use mother yeast but, if you can't make it at home or find it, the classic brewer's yeast is also fine. The important thing is that, in the end, the dough is soft, homogeneous and well alveolated so that, when cooked, the pizza is fragrant and even a little crunchy.
Method
On a pastry board create the classic 'fountain' with the flour to which add the yeast dissolved in warm water, extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Knead until you get a soft and homogeneous dough. Leave to rise for a few hours, when the dough has increased in volume, create many loaves and flatten them giving them the classic rounded shape. On each leavened disc arrange the tomato already cut into pieces and salted, the basil and the mozzarella; season with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of oregano for those who like it. Leave to rise for another ten minutes on the pan and put in the oven.
The ideal for cooking would be the wood oven but, it is clear, that this particular cooking can only take place in country houses or in specialized pizzerias. In our homes we can cook pizza in an electric oven at 180 ° for about twenty minutes. Today there are no digressions on the subject of the seasoning of leavened dough: vegetables, salami, fish, and even sweet spreadable cream. Over time the varieties of pizza have multiplied exponentially but the 'queen' of all the varieties remains her: the Neapolitan one.!
