There’s been a notable upsurge in curiosity about the finer points of pizza ‘craft’ lately. And in res-ponse to online demand from nouveau Pizza Prefectionists, I’ve sourced a select list of what the pros consider the most crucial tips for perfect classic pizza…
The top-rated Ooni Volt 12 is a high-heat electric oven that plugs into a
regular wall outlet, and accommodates a full-sized 12 in. / 30 cm pie.
I see the new wave of pizza perfectionism as a collateral development to the surge of interest in dedicated pizza ovens. The manufacturers have been marketing the living daylights out of them. Review/comparison articles have been popping up all over the online scene…
Undeniable popularity
Pizza is undeniably the most popular dish in the western world. Survey after survey, year after year, decade after decade. So it’s logical that any new gadget or trend involving the Neapolitan institution should receive a crust-load of attention. Even if it’s a single-use gadget that costs hundreds or thous-ands of bucks.
In an era where single-purpose appliances such as popcorn poppers and hot dog makers have faded into obscurity in favour of multi-taskers such as countertop ovens and air fryers, the fact that pizza ovens are thriving at all might be considered a point of wonder. In fact, pizza may be the single para-mount cultural food fave that still commands such power…
Targeted and optimized
Dedicated home pizza ovens are now available in configurations catering to both indoor and outdoor users, and a full range of fuel preferences. There’s a model out there to suit any nouveau Pizziaolo’s discerning requirements. The best (and most expensive) of them feature high heat capability and channel heat to both the top of the pie and the bottom of the crust. Just like those imposing ‘auth-entic’ wood-burning ovens in the boutique pizzerias.
If you’re going to ‘invest in a dedicated home pizza oven, it makes sense to source the best tips, hacks and traditions of the craft that goes with it.
The experts agree…
There are a few simple ‘rules’ that professional pizza chefs always follow to ensure the absolute best results. They may seem simple and common-sensical. But they really do make a difference. And it won’t take a lot of extra effort or expense to incorporate them into your pizza making skill set…
The Flour
The tradition of using ‘OO’ (‘Double-O) flour for pizza crusts is as old as the craft, itself. It’s said to be the ‘strongest’ flour – perfect for ‘throwing’ the thinnest, most delicate crusts. And, milled extra-fine, is said to produce the lightest, airiest. crispiest crusts.
It used to be hard to find outside of specialty Italian grocery stores. But now it’s available in many supermarkets, thanks in no small measure to the surge in demand from new home pizzaiolos!
The Tomatoes
Pizza lovers will already know that only Romas deliver the flavour and texture you want for ideal pizza sauce. But there’s another dimension to this crucial recipe element. The pros insist that the paramount tomato variety for pizza sauce is the almost mythical San Marzano. The real deal can only be grown – by law – in a very small area in Italy. There’s never enough to fill the domestic demand, let alone answer export requests.
But the seeds have escaped their ancestral homeplace, and are now grown in many parts of Italy and elsewhere the world. So… You can probably get canned ‘San Marzano Type’ tomatoes in your super-market, now, too! Failing that, head to the ‘international’ aisle for a bottle of Pomodoro or Passata – the skinned, seeded and strained tomato concentrate that most home cooks of Italian extraction use, as a matter of course.
Whatever Romas you can get your hands on, be sure they’re dead ripe – rich and red, through and through!
The Mozzarella
The world’s champion pizza makers always use fresh balls of Buffalo Mozzarella to top their crea-tions. There’s nothing else like it. You can always get it at those small Italian groceries in Little Italy. No so easy to find elsewhere, because it must be kept in a chilled brine bath.
But an innovation of some note has arisen in most supermarker cheese cases: Something called ‘Pizza Mozarella’. It’s softer and lighter in texture than regular bar-cut Mozz. And is said to yield a more authentic bubbly top and cheese ‘pull’. It’s usually no more expensive that the regular kind.
Preheat the oven
Make sure your oven – whatever kind you use – is properly and fully pre-heated before you slide in your first pie. That will ensure even baking on the top and bottom.
Pizzaria ovens and the best home models feature genuine ceramic pizza ‘stones’. They should be heated up at the same time as the oven to ensure the crust bakes up crispy but not tough. You can get pizza stones to fit your standard gas or electric kitchen oven. If you make a lot of pizza, pastries or breads, it might be a good investment!
They also sell perforated metal pizza pans, now. The idea is to ensure air circulation, so your crust bakes up crispy on the bottom and remains chewy in the middle. If you can’t afford a dedicated pizza oven, or a pizza ‘stone’, this might be a gadget you’ll find useful.
Not just Pizza…
Your Pizza over set-up – and the rules for a primo crust – can also be leveraged to make superior home versions of other Italian delights such as calzones and strombolis. Not to mention Middle Eastern favouites such as Pita bread and Za’atar pie, and Indian specialties such as Naan!
My take
It’s not difficult, or costly, to kick up your home pizza-making routine a notch by incorporating today’s ‘advanced’ ingredients and techniques. What nouveau Pizzaiolo – or ordinary Pizza lover, for that matter – wouldn’t just DO IT?
~ Maggie J.