Slow Fermentation for Self-Isolation. How to Make a Neapolitan Style Pizza at Home.
The idea of facing quarantine, caused by a global pandemic, is a scary thing, especially if you don't know how long it will last. We are all watching the news with fear and anxiety, wishing that something good will come up.
At the same time though, we also now have plenty of extra time and the chance to find something to do with it. Which is not that difficult. After all, we are fortunate to live in a historical era - and in a specific area of the planet - in which the frightening prospect of an epidemic gives way to the calm awareness that the combination of the internet, smartphones, computers and Netflix will help us to spend our time.
So we now have time… something long desired that we finally have in abundance. So, alongside Netflix, why not make use of our stockpiled food also?
In fact, one of the most purchased products in the last few weeks has been flour… so why not take advantage of this regained time to explore the art of slow fermentation and make a real Neapolitan style dish?
So wash your hands and put some music on, because we're about to make pizza!
Ingredients
Makes 1 to 2 trays
For the base:
600g flour type 0 or 00
3g fresh yeast (if you have the dried one use 1.5g)
390g cold water
18g salt
Topping for the Margherita:
peeled plum tomatoes
mozzarella or vegetarian alternatives
basil
olive oil
parmesan
Method
Put 300g of water into a large mixing bowl, then add the yeast and stir gently until totally melted. Mix the salt and the remaining water in a separate bowl - you will need it later.
Now slowly add the flour to the water while bringing them together until you have a wet dough - don't worry if it isn't uniform at this stage. Once you added all the flour, add into the mixture the salted water you left aside earlier. Keep on mixing until all the ingredients are combined together.
Slightly cover a surface with flour and transfer the dough on top of it. Knead for 5 mins and then cover with a tea towel and leave it for 10 minutes. Repeat this two times. After that, the dough will be finally ready to start its fermentation process. To allow this, move it back to the mixing bowl - any deep container will be fine - cover with cling film and leave it at room temperature for about 2 hours, then move to the fridge overnight.
After this time, the dough should be doubled and almost ready to become a delicious pizza. Divide it into smaller balls of the desired size depending on your tray, and leave them into a box with a cover for 4 hours at room temperature. Grease the tray with olive oil, then open the dough balls on the table - help yourself with a bit of flour, but don't stretch fully. Now move it into the tray and adjust the size until it touches the edges.
Preheat the oven at 250 C° or at max. Roughly cut the tomatoes and season with salt and black pepper, then use it to cover the base. Add in order: few leaves of basil, olive oil, parmesan and mozzarella. Cook for about 20 mins. Start from the bottom shelf, and move the tray to the higher one once the base is cooked. Finish with a pinch of parmesan and a touch of olive oil, and enjoy!
One last thing. Pizza is a simple and powerful dish. It emphasises the value of time teaching us that sometimes we need to slow down our lives to appreciate the small things that are truly important for all of us.
Written by Food Editor & Writer, Bruno Cafiso
Ciao I'm Bruno, a Philosophy graduate, originally from Sicily, with a keen eye for human perception and decision-making process. Writing is my passion, but I'm also passionate about food, mainly because of its social and cultural aspect.
I'm curious and I love travelling, while I focus on what's essential in life, trying to live with less stuff and more meaning.