Puttanesca Pizza With Taleggio And Arugula Food

GRILLED PIZZETTAS WITH PARMIGIANO, PROSCIUTTO AND ARUGULA AND WITH TALEGGIO AND PUTTANESCA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring chiles and oil to a simmer. Remove from heat and let peppers steep in oil at least 1 hour.
• In a small bowl add the warm (this activates the yeast. If the water is too hot the yeast will die and if the water is too cold the yeast will not activate) tap water add the dry yeast and the sugar and stir to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes. The top of the water will bubble and it will smell very yeasty, this is what you want.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the olive oil and the yeast/water mixture. Using a fork gradually stir the flour into the yeast/water mix. Once most of the flour has combined, turn the dough out to a smooth clean work surface and use your hands to knead the dough to a smooth consistency.
• Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for at least 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and preheat grill to medium-high heat.
• In a small bowl, mix together the tomatoes, olives, capers, red pepper flakes and season with salt and a drizzle of olive oil, set aside.
• Brush and oil grill to remove any crud and clean.
• Portion the dough into golf ball size rounds. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough into a rectangle, I like irregular shapes. If not using the dough right away, wrap each 1 in plastic wrap and reserve until ready to use. If using the dough right away grill each dough on both sides so there are grill marks and the dough is stiff and crisp. Top some of the dough with shaved Parmigiano and the other with Taleggio.
• Top the Taleggio pizzas with the tomato mixture. Place pizzas in oven until cheese melts, about 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately when the Parmesan pizzas come out of the oven, arrange prosciutto slices on top and then top with the arugula and drizzle with spicy chile oil. Cut pizzas into pieces and serve immediately garnished with chives.

PUTTANESCA PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to its lowest setting.
• You will need a pizza stone or solid baking sheet measuring 14 x 11 inches (35 x 28 cm).
• Warm the flour slightly in the oven for about 10 minutes, then turn the oven off. Sift the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into a bowl and make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the olive oil and pour in 4 fl oz (120 ml) hand-hot water.
• Now mix to a dough, starting off with a wooden spoon and using your hands in the final stages of mixing. Wipe the bowl clean with the dough, adding a spot more water if there are any dry bits left, and transfer it to a flat work surface (there shouldn't be any need to flour this). Knead the dough for 3 minutes or until it develops a sheen and blisters under the surface (it should also be springy and elastic). You can now either leave the dough on the surface covered by the upturned bowl or transfer the dough to a clean bowl and cover it with clingfilm that has been lightly oiled on the side that is facing the dough.
• Leave it until it looks as though it has doubled in bulk, which will be about an hour at room temperature.
• Meanwhile make the sauce: heat the oil in a medium saucepan, then add the garlic and chilli and cook briefly until the garlic is pale gold. Then add all the other sauce ingredients, stir and season with a little pepper - but no salt because of the anchovies.
• Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer very gently without a lid for 40 minutes, by which time it will have reduced to a lovely, thick mass with very little liquid left.
• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8, 450°F (230°C), along with the pizza stone or baking sheet.
• The next stage is to tip the dough back on to a work surface that has been sprinkled generously with polenta to prevent it from sticking. Knock all the air out of the dough and knead it for a couple of seconds to begin shaping it into a ball.
• Then dust your rolling pin with polenta and roll the dough out to a circle that is approximately 10 inches (25.5 cm) in diameter. Then finish stretching it out with your hands, working from the centre and using the flat of your fingers to push the dough out; it doesn't need to be a perfect round, but you want it to be a fairly thin-based pizza, with slightly raised edges. Place the uncooked base to one side.
• Then, using a thick oven glove, very carefully lift the baking sheet or pizza stone out of the oven and sprinkle it with the polenta (cornmeal). Spread the sauce over the pizza base, taking it up to the raised edge, then carefully lift it on to the hot baking sheet or pizza stone. Now scatter the Mozzarella over, then dip the basil leaves in the olive oil and place them here and there on top. Bake the pizza on a high shelf for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crusty. Use an oven glove to remove it from the oven, then garnish with the extra basil.