That perfect pizza pie

Neapolitan invention is Italy's favourite edible export

The beloved snack food of Italy was, for centuries, considered a peasant's meal. The modern day pizza can be traced back to Italian baker Raffaele Esposito of Naples in Campania.
In 1889, Esposito of Pizzeria di Pietro (today called Pizzeria Brandi) invented a pizza to serve to King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. This patriotic pizza resembling the tricolore Italian flag was made of green basil, white mozzarella cheese and red tomatoes. The king and queen were so impressed with this new dish that word quickly reached the masses of a new dish called Pizza Margherita in honour of the Queen. So popular was this dish that others began copying it and Naples was firmly established as the pizza capitol of the world.
By the beginning of the 1900s pizza made its way to North America, most notably to those cities having large Italian immigrant populations. Small cafes began offering the snack. After World War II, returning soldiers demanded the pizza they had eaten and loved while serving on the Italian front.
Pizza is still a popular snack even though it has changed since the 1900s. If Esposito could see how today's mass production pizza parlours have turned his delicious dish of ingenuity and national pride into a fast food snack topped with everything from apples to sour cherries and chocolate chips he would not be very happy.
But he would be very proud of Elena Spera who also takes her pizza very seriously. This energetic lady from Florence earned the title as World Pizza Champion at the 11th Campionato Mondiale della Pizza in the hot springs resort of Salsomaggiore in northern Italy. This past April, Spera took the title away from a Sicilian champion, keeping the title in Italy for another year! This international competition with close to 400 contestants from 15 countries focuses on the preparation of the classical round pizza and the skill of pizza making among other things.
There are literally hundreds of flavours and styles of pizza, but the one ingredient they all have in common is the crust. Pizza crust in its simplest form is water, flour and yeast. Not much room for variation you may think, but not so. Flour can make a difference, a high gluten content (12 percent protein or higher) is the best for a thin, crispy crust. Good quality bread flours contain at least 12 percent protein. Leave the all-purpose flour for deep-dish pizza and calzones.
Depending on the time of year, tap water can be too rich in chlorine or other chemicals, so I always substitute with mineral water for consistent quality.
To improve on the flavour of your pizza dough keep it refrigerated for a full 24-hours. This forces the yeast to work long and hard, which develops the dough's characteristic texture and more importantly its unique, subtle flavour. If you do this, allow the dough to warm to room temperature for about an hour or two before rolling it out.
Since our time is so precious these days, you can make big batches of dough, divide it up and freeze it until ready to use. Every ounce of dough will give you an inch of pizza, so 8 ounces of dough will yield an 8-inch pizza. Divide your large batch into individual balls the size you want and dust with plenty of flour. Stored in Ziploc bags, they will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for a month.
Working the dough into the shape and thickness you want is a real skill. It's easier and makes for a more tender texture if you work the dough right after mixing. Using a combination of pizza-stretching techniques like stretching the dough over the backs of your hands and rolling it out is all a personal choice. The entire process is difficult to explain in words, but with a little practice, you'll feel like pro and want to start tossing your pizza dough in the air like the Queen of pizza, Spera herself.
If you're one of those who like a real crispy crust, pre-cook the crust for 4 minutes before adding the sauce and toppings. Then bake on a pizza stone or pizza screen to maintain that crunch. Cool the baked pizza on a wire rack for 2 to 3 minutes to release the steam trapped between the hot pizza and the pan.
There are hundreds of variations on pizza throughout Italy. It depends on the geographical region, available and seasonal ingredients and the way it is made. Some are thin and crispy and others are thicker and more bread-like. Some pizzas are topped with savoury ingredients and others are stuffed with them.
Commonly sold in open-air markets and by street vendors, it was in the early 1900s that the world's first true pizzeria, Antica Pizzeria Port' Alba, opened in Naples. It quickly became a meeting-place for artists and writers inspiring rumours of D'Annunzio writing the verses of one of the most wonderful Neapolitan songs: A Vucchella, here. Still in business today, you can enjoy an authentic pizza at Via Port' Alba 18!

Publication Date: 2002-06-23
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=1480