Mario Batalis Pizza Margherita Recipes

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk the warm water, yeast, and sugar together. Place in a warm place for 10 minutes, or until yeast is foamy.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the dough comes together and becomes difficult to stir.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Add small amounts of flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
• Transfer the dough to a large bowl coated with olive oil. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the towel and punch the dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 6-8 pieces, and shape each into a small ball.
• Place the formed balls onto a baking sheet and rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
• To shape the individual pizzas, press out the dough balls onto a lightly floured surface. Create a slightly thicker rim around the outside of the dough and continue to stretch into a 9- to 10-inch (23-25 cm) round.
• Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium heat, until the pan just begins to smoke, about 5 minutes.
• Carefully transfer a stretched pizza round onto the hot pan. Leave to cook for 2-3 minutes (the dough should begin bubbling up) until lightly tanned with a few dark spots. Flip and continue to cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes longer, until the crust is completely dry.
• Remove the dough to rest on a wire rack and repeat with remaining dough.
• To finish the pizzas, top each crust with tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella.
• Transfer to the oven and broil for 7 or 8 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the crust has developed a nice char in spots. Watch closely and move to a lower rack if necessary.
• Finish each pizza with fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Prepare a hot charcoal fire, setting the grill rack 3 to 4 inches above the coals.
• On a large, oiled, inverted baking sheet, spread and flatten the pizza dough with your hands into a 10 to 12-inch free-form circle, 1/8-inch thick. Do not make a lip. You may end up with a rectangle rather than a circle; the shape is unimportant, but do take care to maintain an even thickness.
• When the fire is hot (when you can hold your hand over the coals for 3 to 4 seconds at a distance of 5 inches), use your fingertips to lift the dough gently by the 2 corners closest to you, and drape in onto the grill. Catch the loose edge on the grill first and slide the remaining dough into place over the fire. Within a minute the dough will puff slightly, the underside will stiffen, and grill marks will appear.
• Using tongs, immediately flip the crust over, onto the coolest part of the grill. Quickly brush the grilled surface with olive oil. Scatter the garlic and cheeses over the dough, and spoon dollops of tomato over the cheese. Do not cover the entire surface of the pizza with tomatoes. Finally, drizzle the pizza with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Slide the pizza back toward the hot coals, but not directly over them. Using tongs, rotate the pizza frequently so that different sections receive high heat; check the underside often to see that it is not burning. The pizza is done when the top is bubbly and the cheese melted, about 6 to 8 minutes. Serve at once, topped with the basil leaves and additional olive oil, if desired.
• Sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup warm (105 to 110 degrees F) water and allow it to dissolve and activate, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the flour and salt and mound it onto a cool work surface creating a high walled well in the center. Combine the yeast mixture with 1 1/2 cups of cool water and pour into the well. Slowly begin to mix the water and flour, a little at a time, moving your fingers in short, counter clockwise circles around the border of the water. When the dough is firm enough to hold it's shape, scrape the remaining flour over it and knead until the mass is smooth and shiny, approximately 7 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a bowl that has been brushed with olive oil. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil to prevent a skin from forming, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place away from drafts until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down the dough and knead once more. Let the dough rise again for about 40 minutes, punch down again and form dough into 4 balls.

Steps:

• To make dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, and salt. Add water and stir until blended (the dough will be very sticky). Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 12 to 24 hours in a warm spot, about 70 degrees.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle the top with flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Shape the dough into 3 or 4 balls, depending on how thick you want the crust. Generously sprinkle a clean cotton towel with flour and cover the dough with it. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.
• To make sauce: Blanch tomato for 5 seconds in boiling water and quickly remove. Allow to cool to the touch. Peel the skin with your hands and quarter the tomato. Remove the jelly and seeds, and reserve in a strainer or fine sieve. Strain the jelly to remove seeds, and combine resulting liquid in a bowl with the flesh of the tomatoes. Proceed to crush the tomatoes with your hands. Add salt and olive oil and stir.
• To make pizza: Place pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat on high broil. Stretch or toss the dough into a disk approximately 10 inches in diameter. Pull rack out of oven and place the dough on top of the preheated pizza stone. Drizzle 5 generous tablespoons of sauce over the dough, and spread evenly. Try to keep the sauce about ½ inch away from the perimeter of the dough. Break apart or slice the buffalo mozzarella and arrange over the dough. Return rack and pizza stone to the middle of the oven and broil for approximately 6 minutes. Remove and top with basil, olive oil, and salt.