Napoletana Pizza

What is the difference between a good and a great pizza?
All things being equal - THE BAKE!

Napoletana Pizza: Part II - The Pizza
What is the difference between a good and a great cook? For Pizzaiolos and cooks everywhere it’s about responding to our environment. To this point I have lead you to believe that if you follow this recipe and process you will get a great result. The only thing I can really promise you is a great learning experience, and then only if you’re willing to pay attention! Enzo, my teacher, will adjust the amount of yeast he uses according to room temperature; the warmer (it was 100°F the day we made dough) the smaller the amount of yeast used. On days of high humidity he uses more flour to reach the same percentage of hydration and/or consistency. Enzo responds to his environment so that he can deliver the same great pizza on a summer or winter day. The recipe and process offered here is a great starting place. Get a feel for your dough, the desired baking result, and then respond as your environment requires.

*Instruction*	*Ingredient*	*Brand/Description*	*Metric*	*Weight*
A	1 Dough Ball	Napoletana Style	190-220g	7-8 oz
B	Sauce	Crushed Tomatoes	75g	3 oz
C	Cheese	Mozzarella	50g	2 oz
C	Extra Virgin Olive Oil		10g	0.5 oz
C	Fresh Basil	1 Medium-sized leaf


Instructions

Proofing	Yeast eats sugars and produces flavor (alcohol). Gluten develops and the dough relaxes. Depending on the temperature where your dough is stored and the amount of yeast (average is 75°F), this dough should take about 4-6 hours from time of shaping to be ready to bake (Image 1).	Image 1

Opening Dough (A)	Press fingertips (all but thumbs) of both hands in to dough ball beginning at the edge away from you – do not touch outside ½ inch edge of dough ball (Image 2a). Continue pressing fingertips moving towards you a fingertip width at a time until you reach the other edge (Image 2b). Do this twice. Turn the dough ball 90 degrees and repeat two more times. Your dough ball should now measure 8-9 inches across.	Image 2a Image 2b

Opening Dough Finish Line	This next part requires the most amount of practice. Lay your 9 inch pizza skin on a lightly floured prep surface. Slide your open faced left hand at a 90 degree angle half way under this pizza skin. Flip this skin up on your open faced right hand (Images below). Using mostly your wrist flip the pizza skin back on to you open faced left palm, continue this motion until the pizza skin is about 11 inches wide.


Saucing (B)	Starting in the center and then using a circular motion spread evenly 3 ounces of crushed Italian Tomatoes to within 1 inch of pizza edge (Image 4).	Image 4
Toppings (C)	Cheese – 2 ounces of sliced fresh Mozzarella Cheese sprinkled equally over sauce (Image 5a). Basil – Tear a medium sized Basil leaf into 4-6 pieces place on pizza. Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Starting at the center of the pizza using about 1T draw a 6 on the pizza (Image 5b).	Image 5a Image 5b

Moving	Raw Pizza to Pizza Peel – Push thumb and middle finger of both hands under the outside edge of pizza, pointer finger can be used to lightly clamp down on the top edge of pizza as you gently pull it over a lightly floured pizza peel (Image 6).	Image 6
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