Happy Mother's Day! Mom is happy. We made a pizza today. Xiao Zhuan said that, honestly, the pizza outside might taste better because their cheese is specially imported and has a richer flavor. But homemade pizza feels extra special. Yes, so when we made pizza, it reminded me of the happiness of seeing a flour-covered, chubby mom making pizza in a big kitchen.
The last time I made pizza was during the long National Day holiday. This time, I supplemented the process with a movie and also a recipe. Moreover, I made a cheesy crust pizza. However, I still haven't bought a dedicated pizza pan, thus fulfilling an old wish by continuing to use the small square tray that came with the oven, hence making a square pizza.
Also, I am quite lazy and too lazy to cook tomato and onion as base ingredients, so I directly coated a layer of tomato sauce. However, I did put on plenty of cheese, which makes it look pretty good.
Additionally, I got distracted and forgot the time, resulting in the cheese being slightly over-baked. Next time, I will definitely make a standard round pizza. And since it's for personal consumption, I tend to add more cheese. So next time, I will try placing all the top cheese at the very end to avoid the issue where the pancake is just cooked but the cheese has already dried out.
The only difficulty in making pizza is kneading the dough. The solution is to strictly follow the recipe and let the dough rise in a warm place, which helps it rise better. I placed it in a sunny spot; if it were evening, you could use a steamer pot, heating water to around 50 degrees Celsius, then placing the dough inside the steamer, using the steam heat to let it rise for about one or two hours. Of course, placing a 100-watt light bulb under it also works well.
As for the filling, it depends on your preference. This time, I made one with salami and corn kernels.
Of course, the most important part of pizza is the cheese, and you should use mozzarella cheese to achieve the stringy effect. Always remember, I repeat, for things like cheese which are oil-based, I suggest buying from supermarkets mainly targeted towards foreigners, avoiding our specialized baking stores as much as possible. Supermarkets have fresher stock and prices aren't much higher. I truly found that the one I bought from Jenny Lou’s Shop in Fangcao ground tasted better than the earliest one I bought from a baking shop. Also, I highly discourage purchasing this item online via mail-order, as the transit time can cause spoilage. One more thing, after buying this kind of cheese, cut it into portions based on each usage and freeze them for preservation. Storing it in the refrigerator will cause mold growth.
First, let's talk about the dough:
Ingredients: 120 grams of flour, 2/3 teaspoon of dry yeast, 80 milliliters of warm water, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 20 grams of softened unsalted butter.
Translation: Basically, the amount can be translated like this: Flour, measured with a small bowl used for soup, about one bowl but not full. Dry yeast, measured with a small spoon kids use, about one spoonful; Warm water, warmer than body temperature, calculate how much water to use with a small yogurt cup; Butter, about the size of a mahjong tile. Sugar and salt don't matter much, just a little bit for meaning.
Steps:
- Sprinkle yeast into water and let it sit for 10 minutes, dissolving into yeast water.
- Mix flour with salt and sugar, pour in yeast water while stirring gradually to prevent excess.
- Knead the dough! It's tiring. Knead until the dough is very smooth, neither sticking to hands nor to the bowl, and the dough ball is shiny.
- Add butter and knead hard, incorporating the butter into the dough.
- Cover with plastic wrap, leave in the sun for two hours. Look at the photo, the size change is quite obvious, right?
Now let's talk about the preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
- Dust some flour on the cutting board to prevent sticking, roll out the dough into a square or circle shape.
- On the baking tray, lay down aluminum foil, apply oil, and place the dough.
- For cheesy crust pizzas, remember to roll it a bit larger and wrap it with cheese. Use a fork to poke holes in the dough for ventilation.
- Place the filling now, first spread the tomato sauce, then sprinkle pizza herbs if desired. Then put some cheese, followed by corn kernels and salami. At this point, I added cheese, but my experience suggests it might be better not to.
- For the edges of the pizza, brush oil first, preferably egg yolk liquid, so it doesn't dry out after baking and looks nice. Suggest baking for 12 to 15 minutes at this point, until the dough is cooked. Then take it out, sprinkle another layer of cheese, and bake for about 5 more minutes until the cheese is slightly browned and melted.