Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza

1. Preheat the pizza stone Put your pizza stone on a rack in the upper portion of your oven so the surface is about 8 inches below the broiler. Preheat the oven to 600°F (316°C) if you’re lucky enough to have an oven that goes that high; otherwise, simply preheat to the highest possible setting. Once the oven is preheated, continue heating the pizza stone for another 30 minutes, for a total of about 45 minutes.

2. Set up your pizza assembly station Give yourself about 2 feet of width on the countertop. Generously flour the work surface. Position your peel next to the floured area and dust it with flour. Have the sauce, cheese, and basil prepared and at hand, with a ladle or large spoon in the sauce.

3. Shape the pizza Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator, put it on the floured work surface, and gently pat it down a bit to coat the bottom with flour. Leaving about 1 inch of the outer rim undeflated, punch down the middle, then flip the dough over and repeat.

Using both hands, grab the rim and lift so the dough hangs down vertically. Let gravity pull the rest of the dough down and stretch it. Run the rim between your hands, working all the way around the circumference of the dough several times.

Next, make two fists and position them just inside the rim, with the dough still hanging vertically. Gently stretch and turn the dough repeatedly, still letting the bottom of the dough pull down, expanding the surface. Keep a close eye on the thickness of the dough. You want it thin, but you don’t want it to tear or develop holes. If you end up with a small tear, don’t panic—it’s okay to patch it.

Spread the dough on the floured peel and run your hands around the perimeter to shape it into a round and work out the kinks.

4. Superheat the pizza stone About 30 minutes after the oven has reached its set temperature, switch to the broil setting for about 5 minutes to saturate the pizza stone with heat.

5. Top the pizza Spread the tomato sauce over the dough to within an inch of the edge, smoothing and spreading it with the back of the ladle. Distribute the mozzarella and basil leaves evenly around the pie.

6. Bake Turn the oven setting back to bake. Gently slide the pizza onto the pizza stone.

Bake for 5 minutes, then switch to the broil setting and broil for 2 minutes, keeping a close eye on the pizza. Bake until the cheese is completely melted and the crust is golden with spots of brown and a few small spots of char. If the oil separates out of the cheese, it’s overbaked. Use tongs or a fork to slide the pizza from the pizza stone onto a large plate.

7. Slice and serve Transfer to a large wooden cutting board. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil lightly over the top if you like, slice, and serve immediately, passing the salt and chile flakes at the table. Note that a perfectly baked Margherita pizza has a fairly brief window of being optimum for eating. You need to wait long enough that you don’t burn your mouth on the molten mozzarella, but it’s best to eat it before the cheese cools enough to solidify.

Variation: Top each slice with a handful of arugula.

The New Yorker

THE NEW YORKER

This pizza represents my ideal of a classic New York pizza, with a blend of grated cheeses covering a red sauce spiked with dried oregano, optionally topped with pepperoni. Not all of the great New York pizzas are made with shredded cheese, but that’s what I prefer for this style of pizza, which is cheesier than the Margherita.

If I were to do this kind of pie in a coal-fired oven like at Lombardi’s or Totonno’s, it would be bigger than the 12- to 14-inch pizzas we are going to bake on the home kitchen pizza stone. Compensate by cutting the finished pizza into no more than four pieces.

MAKES ONE 12-INCH PIZZA

1 350-gram dough ball from any recipe in chapter 13

White flour for dusting

3 ounces Smooth Red Sauce

3 ounces fresh whole-milk mozzarella cheese, grated

2 ounces provolone cheese, grated

4 to 6 whole basil leaves (optional)

12 to 15 slices of pepperoni (optional)

Chile flakes (optional)

2. Set up your pizza assembly station Give yourself about 2 feet of width on the countertop. Generously flour the work surface. Position your peel next to the floured area and dust it with flour. Have the sauce, cheese, basil, and pepperoni prepared and at hand, with a ladle or large spoon in the sauce.

3. Shape the pizza Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator, put it on the floured work surface, and gently pat it down a bit to coat the bottom with flour. Turn it over and repeat on the other side. Leaving about 1 inch of the outer rim undeflated, punch down the middle, then flip the dough over and repeat.

Spread the dough on the floured peel and run your hands around the perimeter to shape it into a round and work out the kinks.

4. Superheat the pizza stone About 30 minutes after the oven has reached its set temperature, switch to the broil setting for about 5 minutes to saturate the pizza stone with heat.

5. Top the pizza Spread the tomato sauce over the dough to within an inch of the edge, smoothing and spreading it with the back of the ladle. Sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the pie and distribute the basil leaves and pepperoni evenly over the top.

6. Bake Turn the oven setting back to bake. Gently slide the pizza onto the pizza stone.

Bake for 5 minutes, then switch to the broil setting and broil for 2 minutes, keeping a close eye on the pizza. Bake until the cheese is completely melted and bubbling, with a few small charred spots, and the crust is golden with spots of brown and a few small charred spots. Use tongs or a fork to slide the pizza from the pizza stone onto a large plate.

7. Slice and serve Transfer to a large wooden cutting board. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil lightly over the top if you like. Slice and serve immediately, passing the chile flakes at the table.

Salami Pizza

SALAMI PIZZA

This is the cured meat lover’s pizza, essentially a Margherita pizza with the addition of the salami of your choice. At Ken’s Artisan Pizza, we have two of these pizzas on our menu: one with a spicy soppressata and another with finocchiona, made by Olympic Provisions, a local salumeria making admirable dry-cured sausages. In each case we peel the salami, then slice it into thin disks—about 1/16 inch thick for the soppressata and about ⅛ inch thick for the finocchiona. I love the way the meat crisps as it bakes on top of the pizza. The more salami you pile on the pizza, the thinner it should be sliced. My preference is to not overwhelm the other ingredients on the pizza with too much meat; rather, use it as an accent.

Salumi or salami? Salumi refers to the entire range of cured meat products, typically made from pork (but sometimes from beef), from ham and other salt-cured whole muscles of meat to sausages, including cooked meat emulsions in casings, like mortadella. Salami refers to a specific type of salumi: dry-cured sausage, usually made from pork, which may be either fresh or aged. Use whatever type of salami you prefer, from pepperoni (an American invention usually made with beef, or with beef and pork) to chorizo, saucisson sec to Genovese. When using any variety of salami, I like to cook it on the pizza. Sometimes I make a similar pizza topped with cured meat, such as prosciutto or coppa, in which case I like it sliced paper-thin and draped on the pizza immediately after it comes out of the oven.

MAKES ONE 12-INCH PIZZA

1 350-gram dough ball from any recipe in chapter 13

White flour for dusting

3 ounces Smooth Red Sauce

4 ounces fresh whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cut into pieces ½ inch thick at most

12 to 18 slices of salami, depending on the size of the salami

4 to 6 whole basil leaves

Fine-flake sea salt, such as fiore di sale (optional)

Chile flakes (optional)

2. Set up your pizza assembly station Give yourself about 2 feet of width on the countertop. Generously flour the work surface. Position your peel next to the floured area and dust it with flour. Have the sauce, cut-up cheese, salami, and basil prepared and at hand, with a ladle or large spoon in the sauce.

Spread the dough on the floured peel and run your hands around the perimeter to shape it into a round and work out the kinks.

4. Superheat the pizza stone About 30 minutes after the oven has reached its set temperature, switch to the broil setting for about 5 minutes to saturate the pizza stone with heat.

5. Top the pizza Spread the tomato sauce over the dough to within an inch of the edge, smoothing and spreading it with the back of the ladle. Distribute the mozzarella, salami, and basil leaves evenly around the pie.

6. Bake Turn the oven setting back to bake. Gently slide the pizza onto the pizza stone.

Bake for 5 minutes, then switch to the broil setting and broil for 2 minutes, keeping a close eye on the pizza. Bake until the cheese is completely melted, the salami is crisp around the edges, and the crust is golden with spots of brown and a few small charred spots. Use tongs or a fork to slide the pizza from the pizza stone onto a large plate.

7. Slice and serve Transfer to a large wooden cutting board. Slice and serve immediately, passing the salt and chile flakes at the table.

Pizza And Focaccia — Golden Beet and Duck Breast “Prosciutto” Pizza

GOLDEN BEET AND DUCK BREAST “PROSCIUTTO” PIZZA

My friends at Chop, a Portland meat counter and charcuterie shop, cure Magret duck breast in the style of prosciutto hams. Feel free to substitute paper-thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma, Serrano ham, or good salt-cured Virginia or Tennessee country ham if duck breast “prosciutto” isn’t available. This pizza blends the milky ooze of good mozzarella cheese with the sweetness of golden beets and the salty umami flavors of good cured meat and a little provolone cheese. Be generous with the black pepper and go easy on the chopped rosemary.

MAKES ONE 12-INCH PIZZA

1 350-gram dough ball from any recipe in chapter 13

White flour for dusting

One baseball-sized golden beet

3 to 4 ounces fresh whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cut into pieces ½ inch thick

1 ounce grated provolone cheese

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Ground black pepper to taste

1 to 2 ounces very thinly sliced salt-cured duck breast or prosciutto-style ham

2. Prepare the beet In a medium saucepan, cover the beet with water by 1½ inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the beet is just soft when tested with the tip of a knife (it should still have a little resistance to the knife).

Drain the beet and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Slice off the stem and root, then with a lint-free kitchen towel, rub off the skin. Slice the beet into 3 disks of equal thickness, then quarter the disks to make 12 roughly equal pieces.

3. Set up your pizza assembly station Give yourself about 2 feet of width on the countertop. Generously flour the work surface. Position your peel next to the floured area and dust it with flour. Have the beet, cheeses, and rosemary prepared and at hand, along with the pepper mill.

4. Shape the pizza Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator, put it on the floured work surface, and gently pat it down a bit to coat the bottom with flour. Turn it over and repeat on the other side. Leaving about 1 inch of the outer rim undeflated, punch down the middle, then flip the dough over and repeat.

Spread the dough on the floured peel and run your hands around the perimeter to shape it into a round and work out the kinks.

5. Superheat the pizza stone About 30 minutes after the oven has reached its set temperature, switch to the broil setting for about 5 minutes to saturate the pizza stone with heat.

6. Top the pizza Sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the pie, then distribute the beet pieces and rosemary evenly over the top. Grind black pepper to taste.

7. Bake Turn the oven setting back to bake. Gently slide the pizza onto the pizza stone.

Bake for 5 minutes, then switch to the broil setting and broil for 2 minutes, keeping a close eye on the pizza. Bake until the cheese is completely melted and the crust is golden with spots of brown and a few small spots of char. Use tongs or a fork to slide the pizza from the pizza stone onto a large plate.

8. Slice and serve Transfer to a large wooden cutting board and top with the prosciutto. Slice it. Eat it.

Sweet Potato and Pear Pizza

SWEET POTATO AND PEAR PIZZA

Despite the fruit, this is a savory pizza that would go great with a bottle of rosé or bubbles. It’s also not bad as an afternoon snack, or for dinner with a roasted bird.

MAKES ONE 12-INCH PIZZA

1 350-gram dough ball from any recipe in chapter 13

White flour for dusting

1 medium sweet potato, cut into ⅙-inch slices

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Fine-flake sea salt, such as fiore di sale

1 medium pear, such as Comice or Bosc, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices

1 ounce shaved Pecorino Romano cheese

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 ounce grated fresh ginger

1 ounce oil-packed red chile peppers, chopped (optional)

Ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the pizza stone Put your pizza stone on a rack in the upper portion of your oven so the surface is about 8 inches below the broiler. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).

2. Prepare the sweet potato In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potato with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Place the sweet potato in an oven-proof skillet and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until all the pieces are cooked through but still firm.

3. Continue to preheat the pizza stone Preheat the oven to 600°F (316°C) if you’re lucky enough to have an oven that goes that high; otherwise, simply preheat to the highest possible setting. Once the oven is preheated, continue heating the pizza stone for another 30 minutes, for a total of about 45 minutes.

4. Set up your pizza assembly station Give yourself about 2 feet of width on the countertop. Generously flour the work surface. Position your peel next to the floured area and dust it with flour. Have the sweet potato, pear, cheese, cilantro, ginger, and peppers prepared and at hand, along with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the pepper mill.

5. Shape the pizza Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator, put it on the floured work surface, and gently pat it down a bit to coat the bottom with flour. Turn it over and repeat on the other side. Leaving about 1 inch of the outer rim undeflated, punch down the middle, then flip the dough over and repeat.

Spread the dough on the floured peel and run your hands around the perimeter to shape it into a round and work out the kinks.

6. Superheat the pizza stone About 30 minutes after the oven has reached its set temperature, switch to the broil setting for about 5 minutes to saturate the pizza stone with heat.

7. Top the pizza Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil over the pie, then distribute the sweet potato and pear slices evenly over the top. Sprinkle the cheese, cilantro, and ginger over the pie, then grind black pepper to taste.

8. Bake Turn the oven setting back to bake. Gently slide the pizza onto the pizza stone.

Bake for 5 minutes, then switch to the broil setting and broil for 2 minutes, keeping a close eye on the pizza. Bake until the cheese is completely melted and the crust is golden with spots of brown and a few small spots of char. Use tongs or a fork to slide the pizza from the pizza stone onto a large plate.

9. Slice and serve Transfer to a large wooden cutting board and slice. Serve immediately.

Iron-Skillet Meat Pie

IRON-SKILLET MEAT PIE

Here’s a great way to make pizza in your home oven in a cast-iron skillet, without a pizza stone, and without the fuss that goes with tossing the dough, setting it up on a peel, and successfully transferring it to the preheated pizza stone. As far as the meat is concerned, I’m a traditionalist and very happy with a good salami or sausage that can stand up to the fifteen to twenty minutes of baking time this pizza requires.

You have more flexibility with the skillet pizza to top as heavily as you want. If you’d like to load up Chicago-style with sauce, cheese and toppings, just keep in mind that the more toppings, the longer the bake time.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH IRON-SKILLET PIZZA

1 dough ball from any recipe in chapter 13, 350 grams for a thick crust or 200 grams for a thin crust

3 to 4 ounces of Smooth Red Sauce or Chunky Red Sauce

3 to 4 ounces fresh whole-milk mozzarella cheese, sliced thin, or a blend of mozzarella and provolone

8 to 10 slices pepperoni or other salami or fresh sausage

1. Preheat the oven Preheat the oven to 525°F (274°C), or as high as it will go if it doesn’t reach 525°F (274°C).

2. Shape the pizza Give yourself around 18 to 24 inches of width on the countertop. Generously flour the work surface.

Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator, put it on the floured work surface, and gently pat it down a bit to coat the bottom with flour. Turn it over and repeat on the other side. You can compress the perimeter of this dough. Holding the rim, stretch the dough to the width of your skillet, then put it in a dry 9-inch cast-iron skillet.

3. Top the pizza Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, using more or less sauce depending on your preference. Scatter the cheese evenly over the sauce, then distribute the pepperoni evenly over the cheese.

4. Bake Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the dough is baked all the way through, checking the pizza after 10 minutes and keeping a close eye on it during the last few minutes of baking. If you want to slightly char on the crust and brown the toppings, switch the oven to the broil setting for the last few minutes, keeping an especially close eye on it.

5. Slice and serve Remove the skillet from the oven and place it on a heatproof surface. Carefully use tongs or a fork to transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Slice and serve immediately.

SKILLET PIZZA WITH TOMATO FILLETS, GARLIC, AND CHILE

This pizza is one of my favorites for serving as a predinner snack, alongside a salad course, or to accompany a meal. If you want to jazz it up, you could bake it with black olives and add a few strips of anchovy fillet over the pizza after it comes out of the oven. Then you could call it The Sicilian. Since this skillet pizza has no cheese and you don’t want to burn the garlic, the baking time is shorter than that of the Iron-Skillet Meat Pie—just 12 to 15 minutes. In contrast to my usual preferences, I like this pie baked just until golden brown.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH IRON-SKILLET PIZZA

1 dough ball from any recipe in chapter 13, 350 grams for a thick crust, or 200 grams for a thin crust

8 to 10 Tomato Fillets

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon chile flakes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Fine-flake sea salt, such as fiore di sale (optional)

1. Preheat the oven Preheat the oven to 525°F (274°C), or as high as it will go if it doesn’t reach 525°F (274°C).

2. Shape the pizza Give yourself around 18 to 24 inches of width on the countertop. Generously flour the work surface.

3. Top the pizza Arrange the tomato fillets evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the garlic, oregano, and chile flakes evenly over the top. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and lightly sprinkle salt over everything, including the rim.

4. Bake Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the dough is baked all the way through, checking the pizza after 10 minutes and keeping a close eye on it during the last 5 minutes of baking.

5. Slice and serve Remove the skillet from the oven and place it on a heatproof surface. Carefully use tongs or a fork to transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Slice and serve immediately.

MORE IRON-SKILLET PIZZA IDEAS

Because iron-skillet pizzas get good support from the pan, you can be more liberal with toppings. I’ve provided a few ideas below, but the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. You want Hawaiian? It’s okay by me. Bake these in a 525°F (274°F) oven, or as hot as your oven gets if less than 525°F (274°F).

Iron-Skillet Pizza with Red Grapes, Mozzarella, and Salami

3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into ¼-inch-thick pieces

10 to 12 slices salami

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Cracked black pepper

20 to 24 seedless red grapes, halved

This combination grew out of a suggestion from Chris Cullina of Argyle Winery, to top focaccia with split red grapes and pine nuts. The grapes bake beautifully, their sweetness offset by the cheese and salami that crisps while it bakes. Top the dough with the cheese, salami, oregano, pepper, and grapes, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Iron-Skillet Pizza with Cherry Tomatoes and Bacon

12 to 15 whole cherry tomatoes

4 to 6 basil leaves

4 strips of bacon, cut into halves or thirds and lightly cooked

Cracked black pepper

For this pizza, the trick is to lightly cook the bacon, rendering some of its fat while leaving it uncooked enough that it will crisp but not burn in the oven while the pizza is baking. Cook the bacon until about halfway to crisp, then let it drain on paper towels before putting it on the pizza. Scatter all of the toppings evenly over the dough and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon cooks to a crisp on the pizza and the tomatoes crack and burst under the high heat, oozing their juices into the dough.

Iron-Skillet Pizza with Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, and Summer Squash

1 small yellow crookneck squash or zucchini, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt

12 to 15 whole cherry tomatoes

4 to 6 basil leaves

1 clove garlic, chopped

Cracked black pepper

Chile flakes (optional)

1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

I like this pan pizza topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese right after it comes out of the oven. It tastes like summer. Toss the squash with the olive oil and a bit of salt in a bowl, then scatter the squash, tomatoes, basil, and garlic evenly over the dough. Season with black pepper and additional salt, along with some chile flakes. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the dough is cooked through.

Deep-Dish Quattro Formaggi Pizza

2 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated

1 ounce provolone cheese, grated

1 ounce Gruyère cheese, grated

¾ ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Marco Frattaroli, chef/owner at Portland’s Bastas Trattoria, suggested this combination of cheeses for a classic four-cheese pie. Layer each of the cheeses on the dough in the order listed, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

FOCACCIA GENOVESE

The soulful home of focaccia is along the Ligurian coast of Italy. Genoa is the capital of Liguria, and focaccia Genovese is a staple of the local cuisine. Traditionally, it’s made from a very soft dough, spread out in rectangular or round pans and dimpled by the baker’s fingers in the process of working olive oil into the dough. After being baked to a golden hue, it’s sometimes topped with more olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.

For the basic Focaccia Genovese, use this book’s Overnight Pizza Dough with Poolish, made with either 00 flour or all-purpose white flour. This soft dough can easily be worked to conform to the shape of the baking pan, then you work in the olive oil with your hands, sprinkle on some sea salt, and bake it to a golden color. In this recipe I call for using 800 grams of dough, baked on a 12 by 17-inch baking sheet. However, you could also use two pieces of dough, each between 250 and 350 grams, and bake them in 9-inch cast-iron skillets.

MAKES ONE ROUGHLY 12 BY 5-INCH FOCACCIA

800 grams of dough from any recipe in chapter 13, but preferably Overnight Pizza Dough with Poolish

White flour for dusting

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste, fine or small-flake like fiore di sale

1. Bring the dough to room temperature About 2 hours before you plan to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature. This step is optional but recommended, as it will make the dough easier to stretch and help it hold the finger dents. In essence, you’re slightly overproofing the dough. It will get gassy before you flatten it out, and that’s fine.

2. Preheat Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Very lightly coat a 12 by 17-inch rimmed baking sheet with a thin film of oil where your dough will rest while baking.

3. Shape and dimple the dough Put the dough on your floured surface, and turn it over to flour each side. Use your hands to flatten the dough and stretch it to about half the size of the baking sheet.

Using both hands, grab the rim and lift, letting gravity pull the rest of the dough down. Run the rim between your hands, working all around the circumference of the dough for one or two turns. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Pour the olive oil over the dough and spread it evenly over the dough with both hands, simultaneously spreading the dough out evenly in the shape of the pan. Enjoy working the oil into the dough with your fingers, pressing down to make dimples, and using the viscosity of the oil to spread the dough out in the pan. If the dough resists, let it rest for 10 minutes, then return to it. You want the dough flattened and dimpled evenly all around. It feels great.

4. Bake Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the bottom is firm, and the dough is completely baked through. (With experience you can judge the doneness with a quick look, but if you aren’t sure, pull it out of the oven and snip through the rim with kitchen scissors to see if there’s any raw dough inside.)

5. Slice and serve Sprinkle salt over the top. Cut the focaccia into strips (it’s fine to do this while it’s still hot), and serve.

FOCACCIA TOPPING IDEAS

As I’ve mentioned a few times, I think the sky’s the limit when it comes to focaccia. Any type of bread dough can be used, and you can really let your imagination run wild with toppings. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Then enjoy crafting your own, season by season.

– Fresh tomatoes, olives, and rosemary

– Pizza sauce and chopped garlic

– Cheese or a combination of cheeses

– Sliced stone fruit, butter, and sugar

– Chopped herbs

Focaccia “Pissalidiere”

FOCACCIA “PISSALIDIERE”

Pissalidière is a savory pastry from Southern France, usually made with caramelized onions, black olives, and anchovies on puff pastry dough. I like to top focaccia the same way, and add red chiles for both color and kick. We use oil-packed Calabrian chiles for our Arrabiata Pizza at Ken’s Artisan Pizza, and I copped some of those for this recipe. The heat naturally compliments the olives and anchovies, and this focaccia tastes to me like summer vacation on the Mediterranean coast. Serve it with chilled rosé and a simple green salad. You can caramelize the onions a day or two in advance.

MAKES ONE ROUGHLY 12 BY 5-INCH FOCACCIA

800 grams of dough from any recipe in chapter 13

White flour for dusting

1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin

½ tablespoon butter

12 to 14 salt-cured black olives

6 anchovy fillets, dredged in their packing oil

1 ounce oil-packed red chile peppers, drained and chopped

2 teaspoons olive oil

Sea salt to taste, fine or small-flake like fiore di sale

2. Caramelize the onions Place the onions, salt, and butter in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent sticking. After five minutes, reduce the heat to low. Cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, and make sure to scrape up any dark bits that stick to your pan. Once the onions are soft and completely brown, turn off the heat and set aside.

3. Preheat Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Very lightly coat a 12 by 17-inch rimmed baking sheet with a thin film of oil where your dough will rest while baking.

4. Shape and dimple the dough. Put the dough on your floured surface, and turn it over to flour each side. Use a fist and then your fingers to flatten out the dough and stretch it out gently until it is at the desired thickness (I prefer medium-thin for this).

When the dough is stretched out and before placing it on your baking sheet, spread a very light film of olive oil over one side of the dough, then place the dough oiled-side down on the baking seet. Dimple the dough with your fingers.

5. Top the focaccia Arrange the onions evenly over the top, being careful not to overload the focaccia, then spread the olives and anchovy fillets on top.

6. Bake Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the bottom is firm, and the dough is completely baked through. (With experience you can judge the doneness with a quick look, but if you aren’t sure, pull it out of the oven and snip through the rim with kitchen scissors to see if there’s any raw dough inside.)

7. Slice and serve Cut the focaccia into strips (it’s fine to do this while it’s still hot), and serve.

Zucchini Focaccia

ZUCCHINI FOCACCIA

This recipe is one of my favorites in the summertime and early autumn, when garden-fresh zucchini is abundant. Thinly sliced disks of zucchini are spread out across the dough and resemble fish scales if you stand back and squint. Don’t use the softball bat–sized zucchinis from your Aunt Zelda’s garden for this; use zucchini that’s just a couple of inches in diameter. This focaccia looks cool if the dough is shaped into a freeform oblong on a sheet pan.

MAKES ONE ROUGHLY 12 BY 5-INCH FOCACCIA

800 grams of dough from any recipe in chapter 13

2 zucchini, about 2 inches in diameter, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste, fine or small-flake like fiore di sale

Ground black pepper

Chile flakes (optional)

2. Preheat the oven and prepare the zucchini Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). I don’t recommend oiling the baking pan, but if you choose to, only oil the part of the pan that will have dough on top of it, otherwise the oil will smoke. Toss the zucchini with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt until evenly coated.

3. Shape the dough Moderately flour the work surface. Put the dough on the flour and turn it over to coat each side with flour. Use your hands to flatten the dough and stretch it to a size and shape you like. Transfer to a rectangular baking pan and, using floured hands, stretch it out further if necessary and fine-tune the shape. (Alternatively, you can put the dough in a rimmed baking sheet, lightly coat the dough with oil, and stretch it out to fill the pan, pushing it to the sides of the pan in each direction.)

4. Top the focaccia Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top and use your hand to evenly distribute it over the surface. Arrange the zucchini over the top, overlapping the slices. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

5. Bake Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown, the bottom is firm, and the dough is completely baked through. (With experience you can judge the doneness with a quick look, but if you aren’t sure, pull it out of the oven and snip through the rim with kitchen scissors to see if there’s any raw dough inside.)

6. Slice and serve Cut the focaccia into strips (it’s fine to do this while it’s still hot), and serve, passing the chile flakes at the table.

LAGNIAPPE: OREGON HAZELNUT BUTTER COOKIES

I was once testing a tart dough made with nut meal and was happy to discover that the dough also made excellent cookies, and this apparently remained bookmarked somewhere in my memory. Years later, when we were starting the Monday Night Pizza venture at my bakery, I wanted to offer complimentary fresh-baked cookies to go out to each table with the check as a lagniappe—a little something extra. This is the recipe we used. The lagniappe is something of a baker’s tradition (think “baker’s dozen”), so this recipe seems a fitting way to end the book.

We still make these cookies, continuing to use hazelnut meal delivered to the bakery directly from Freddy Guys hazelnut orchard in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Hazelnut meal is readily available in markets and online. Alternatively, you could use almond meal, and in either case, you can grind your own from whole, shelled nuts.

MAKES ABOUT 75 COOKIES

500 grams bread flour

250 grams hazelnut meal

125 grams granulated sugar

300 grams cold butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 eggs

20 grams cold water

½ cup heavy cream

Granulated white or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, hazelnut meal, sugar, and butter until sandy. Add the eggs and water and mix until the mixture comes together around the beaters or the paddle.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 4 equal portions and shape each into a firm roll about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, until firm. (For any logs you won’t bake within a couple of days, store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before slicing and baking.)

To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the chilled dough into ¼-inch-thick slices and place them on the lined pan, leaving about ½ inch of space between them. Brush the cream over the tops of the cookies, then sprinkle each with a bit of sugar.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.