Let’s say several charming lads from the UK (specifically, the gentlemen from the oh-so-popular SORTED Food) were going to pay you a visit to learn about the most New York thing you could eat. If you, like me, immediately thought “I must teach them about PIZZA,” then we are the same, and you get a gold star.
These guys were pretty lucky, since I consider myself a pizza expert (yeah, it’s self-proclaimed), and I was willing to share with them any and all pizza intelligence.
I told them my lists of cant’s (deep dish/stuffed crust), my list of wont’s (too many meat toppings) and my list of musts: crisp crust, not too much sauce, fresh mozzarella, tons of Parmesan, lots of olive oil, and plenty of fresh herbs.
They seemed intrigued, but while it’s all fine and good to talk about pizza, it’s quite another to make the damn thing, and these guys had flown all the way “across the pond” to gain some real NYC knowledge and, you know, make some actual pizza. Who was I to deny them the full experience?
While our test kitchen here at Bon Appetit is equipped with pretty much everything and anything, we still lack a restaurant quality, Italian grandmother style, honest-to-goodness pizza oven (hey Rapo, can we get a pizza oven?). So of course there are tweaks to be made when working with out one, but is it possible to make excellent, world class pizza in the privacy of your own home? We say, YES. Let’s break it down.
1. Start with a great dough.
We like this one, from NYC’s Jim Lahey. It requires no kneading, it’s only 4 ingredients (one of them water), and it takes, like, 3 minutes to throw together.
2. Keep the sauce simple.
We mean like, open a can of San Marzano tomatoes, add some fresh garlic and season with salt. Crush ‘em, and you my friend just got SAUCED. Some people like to buy the already crushed kind for a smoother texture, but I dig the bits of tomato.
3. Get the freshest mozzarella you can find.
Most grocery stores will carry a good option, but if you can’t find one in your area, seek it out at a specialty Italian or cheese specific store. It’s worth it, trust me. Whatever you do, stay away from the string-cheese stuff. It’s not real mozzarella, and no, it won’t make good pizza.
4. Use plenty of olive oil.
If you go to a real pizza place, they’re probably using flour to transfer pizzas in and out of the oven, not olive oil (obvs). But for our purposes, we like olive oil. It gets the crust browner and crisper at a lower temperature, with out the risk of sticking.
5. Be adventurous.
If there’s one thing you learn about eating pizza in New York*, you know that, within reason, anything goes for toppings. If it’s in season, it belongs on your pie. Wilted swiss chard? Yes. Fresh spring shallots? Of course. See some gorgeous hot peppers? Slice ‘em up and throw ‘em on. And don’t skimp on the fresh herbs. Ever.
*I am talking about fancy pizza, not slice joints
6. Some (New Yorkers) like it hot.
While crushed red pepper flakes are a requisite on every slice in the city, there are other ways to spice it up. And by other ways, I’m referring to spicy honey. Combine some crushed red pepper flakes with a good, mild honey in a small saucepot and let it steep over low heat for about 30 minutes. Drizzle it over your pizza, and never be the same again.