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What Is A White Pizza?

A pizza made without tomato which is, as its name suggests, white in color because of its garnish! Cheeses (ricotta, mozzarella, fresh goat cheese…), onions, mushrooms, fennel or even pears: there are many ingredients to make these delicious homemade pizza recipes. Discover our easy and quick recipe ideas!

Which dough to choose? You can make the pizza dough yourself. Just mix 250 g of flour with 10 g of baker’s yeast diluted in 10 cl of lukewarm water and a pinch of salt. After having kneaded it for a long time, let the dough rest in a ball under a cloth and let it rise for about 2 hours until it doubles in size.

If you are short on time, opt for a ready-made dough roll that you find in the store. A ball of bread dough (about 250 g) bought from your baker can also be ideal for making your pizza!

On the wine side, a white like a Bandol or a rosé like a Corbières will go perfectly with the Italian dish in its all white version.

izza is the standard of Italy throughout the world. But the reverse is also true. From the conquest of the United States through New York immigrants, to the inventive transformations by the Americans of the original recipe, the pizza has not ceased to amaze as much by its traditional side as by the audacity of the new recipes. After the USA, the true-false Italian flagship was able to conquer the world which, perhaps, paradoxically contributed to saving the soul of Italy.

Pizza made in the USA

Pizza is probably the most globalized dish. If its origins are in Italy , its global success is due to its passage through the “America”   box where multiple variants, more or less distant from the original version, have been imagined.

The history of pizza in the United States

American pizza has its origins in the large Italian diaspora which has established itself in this country since the second half of the 19th century. It actually dates back to 1905, in an Italian grocery store in the Little Italy district of New York. Gennaro Lombardi, the boss of the sign, would have hired Anthony Totonno, a pizza maker freshly arrived from Naples. He prepared his pizzas on a wood stove, which the customers then reheated at home on their heating.

Following the success, the Lombardi grocery store became the Lombardi pizzeria, the very first in the United States. In 1924, Totonno freed himself from his boss to open his own establishment. This is the oldest pizza place in the USA since Lombardi closed its doors a few years ago. It is his granddaughter Antoinette Balzano who is today the patron.

However, in the United States, pizza has long remained confined to Little Italy, where the majority of Italian immigrants were concentrated. And again … Pizza is Neapolitan before being Italian, and many Italians did not know it before leaving Italy! It was during World War II, and in particular from the Italian Campaign in 1943, that GIs really discovered pizza. This dish will therefore follow its own parallel history: in Italy, attached to the authenticity and maintenance of the Neapolitan tradition, and in America where all exuberances are allowed.

American specialties

In the United States, pizza has taken (very) great liberties with the Neapolitan tradition. To such an extent that some, choking to see such dishes called “pizza”, have successfully undertaken to protect respect for tradition in Italy. However, here are some of America’s most iconic pizzas.

Gluten, Elasticity And “Special Pizza” Dough

Manitoba flour is important for preparations that require long proofing. Thus, for panettone, brioches, pizzas, bread and other preparations rich in eggs and butter, it is essential. In fact, yeast releases CO2 by feeding on starch. Gluten envelops the air bubbles caused and thus causes abundant levitation.

By way of comparison, French flours have a gluten rate of between 7 and 9% at most; for Manitoba-type wheat flours, this percentage goes up to 13%! Gluten, often pointed out in recent years, is a natural binder that is absolutely harmless to health, which makes it possible to obtain a very elastic dough. It is this elasticity that allows your dough to rise well while maintaining real strength.

Note : Molino’s Manitoba PZ9 flour has a gluten content that varies from 14 to 16%!

Manitoba flour: the secret to a successful pizza dough

Much of the secret to successful pizza dough lies in Manitoba flour. When used, this flour makes it possible to obtain, after kneading and rising, a dough that is easy to spread and flexible. While the pizza is cooking, the dough always rises, becomes golden and crisp, but retains a perfectly soft inside. This type of flour reacts very differently from flours produced in France, even if they are organic.

Manitoba flour is easily manipulated to obtain dough. Whether in a bread machine or by hand, just add organic sourdough or yeast and salt. Often, on the back of the bag of flour according to the brand, recipes are given, here is an example:

Mix 300 g of T65 flour and 200 g of Manitoba flour. Add lukewarm salted water to the mixture, then the yeast.

Work the dough thus obtained by kneading the mixture properly.

Leave to rest in a floured basin for three hours.

Don’t forget to cover the basin with a tea towel. Then prepare dough pieces and let stand for 30 minutes.

Your pizza dough made in this way is just waiting to be tasted!

Which Manitoba flour to choose?

The letter “T” symbolizes the types of flour that exist. There are white flours (T45, T55, T65), semi-complete and whole flours (T80, T110, T130, T150). It is advisable to use flours from organic farming, especially when you need a flour above T55 such as Manitoba flour. Why ? In fact, whole flours contain a lot of bran. However, bran contains residues of herbicides and pesticides …

In addition, there are many brands that offer Manitoba flour. The choice of a precise brand is therefore not easy. Each brand has a specific characteristic. For example, the Molino Spadoni brand offers “00” type flours, including Manitoba flour. “00” is an Italian typology. Type “00” flours have great baking value and are refined.

1 kilo bag of manitoba flour

Indeed, the classification of Molino Spadoni noted PZ makes it possible to differentiate between Manitoba flour and plain flour. Manitoba flour of this brand is PZ8 and has a leavening time of 24 hours.

In addition, Priméal also offers T65 Manitoba wheat flour from organic farming. You can find it on the net or in supermarkets. These flours are to be stored away from light and in a dry place. Caputo Manitoba Oro flour, offered on Amazon , is also great value for money.

A word about the brand: Mulino Caputo is a family brand of flour, and Caputo’s slogan could not be clearer: “Il mulino di Napoli”, in other words “The miller of Naples”. Do you want to make Neapolitan pizzas? You know which flour to choose!

How much is a kilogram of Manitoba flour?

The question is worth asking because the purchase of a single kilogram of Manitoba flour is often peaking. Thus the already mentioned brand Caputo Manitoba Oro offers for sale bags of flour of 1 kg, made in Italy, for almost 11 €! This price is excruciatingly high, but it can turn out to be much sweeter if you go for a set of 10 bags. In this case, the price is only 2.81 € / kilo, which turns out to be a very good price. It is in fact this type of “batch” that should hold your attention, as Manitoba flour keeps easily in a cool, dry place.

The advantage of Amazon is to offer you fast delivery at a low price (or free if you are an Amazon Prime member) but also to offer you several types of Manitoba flour, with higher or lower gluten levels, and with various characteristics, especially organic flour.

For Italian delicatessens, Manitoba flour is generally sold between € 3.5 and € 5 per kilo depending on the brand, the source and the hardness of the product. These prices vary, of course, depending on the city in which you reside.

Products imported from Italy generally have a rather expensive unit price, hence the advice to prefer “semi-wholesale” purchases. Another point: do not hesitate to ask your local seller, in the Italian delicatessen in your city: he will undoubtedly be able to refer you to types of flour and wheat particularly suited to your needs. , be it pizzas or other classics of Italian cuisine. His advice is that of an expert, and he or she will undoubtedly have valuable advice for you.

A recipe for pizza dough with Manitoba flour

Among the countless pizza dough recipes, we’ve decided to share our little favorite with you. Pizza lovers, cook!

Manitoba flour pizza recipe

Ingredients needed for 4 pizza dough (= 4 pizzas):

550 gr of Manitoba Caputo flour

1 to 2 tablespoons of salt

about 1 gram of baker’s yeast / fresh yeast

260 grams of lukewarm water

40 ml of virgin olive oil

The preparation steps:

Mix the yeast and water, set aside. Place your flour in a bowl, then form a well in the center. Pour your yeast and water mixture into this well, and add the olive oil and salt.

Form a ball with this mixture, and knead 10 to 15 minutes using a food processor.

Once kneading is complete, wrap your dough in a damp cloth, then let the dough rise for 48 to 72 hours.

Bake your Manitoba Caputo flour pizza:

Preheat your oven to 270 ° (thermostat 9). Meanwhile, separate the dough into 4 equal dough pieces.

Stretch each dough by hand until the dough is 3-6mm thick.

Spread your tomato sauce (or your cream base!) As well as the desired garnish on each dough.

Once your oven at 270 °, bake for 5 to 6 minutes of cooking.

All you have to do is enjoy!

Why such a long lifting time?

Yes, you read that correctly above: with such products, it is recommended to respect a time to rise of 2 to 3 days. Quite simply to make the most of the unique properties of this type of flour and of the “hard” wheat that composes it! The rate of proteins contained in this flour requires a longer standing time than the average. It is also thanks to this that the quantity of yeast used is very low: count between 0.5 and 1 gram!

What Can You Really Cook In A Pizza Oven?

To cook a good pizza, of course, you need the right oven. With wood, it’s even better. But many of you wonder if there is anything else you can cook in a pizza oven and if so, what exactly? Meat and pastry, temperatures and tips, here’s how to get the most out of your oven.

What can you really cook in a pizza oven?

Some technical elements to start. The pizza oven is specifically designed for the food of the same name. However, it is possible to use it to make other very tasty recipes. The only drawback of this kind of cooking comes from the shape and the particular dimensions which force you to adapt to put food in the oven without worry.

We are going to talk here about the wood-fired oven, which seems to allow the most delicious recipes. But you should know that there are gas. The traditional oven is made of refractory stone or brick, there are some in other materials.

Cooking begins with good heating

You will therefore have understood that on the temperature side, you will have to be careful if you do not have a thermometer, because you will not have a thermostat! But, for thousands of years that humans have been cooking like this, it would be surprising if you didn’t get by with your pizza oven !

Some tips, however, to make your job easier:

– Throw a pinch of flour on the sole. From 270 ° C it begins to smoke and burn, while it turns brown and eventually blackens when reaching 220 ° C.

– Put on some sugar. It turns brown from 170 ° C.

– Throw in drops of water. If they wet the brick before evaporating, you are below 100 ° C. If the drops scatter and crackle, the 200 ° C has been exceeded.

– The “sky” (understand the vault of the oven) whitens at a good temperature.

Note, however, that the heating time is at least one hour for the small ovens and two hours for the larger ones.

What are you going to cook in your pizza oven?

You know how to heat your oven, now here are some of the dishes that you can put in the oven and cook for a result that will thrill even the most demanding taste buds. Indeed, cooking in a wood oven is special. It gives a very pleasant taste of yesteryear.

We must distinguish two types of cooking . Cooking over high heat, like pizzas. And cooking over slow heat, de-greased. It remains to determine what type of cooking for which foods.

On high heat: grilled meats. Chicken, beef, pork and other grilled meats are very well suited to this type of cooking. Arrange them on a wire rack with aluminum foil or an iron pan, and season before placing in the oven. In this case, it will be cooking in an open oven, in order to sear the meat.

Slow heat: the pastries have a very pleasant old-fashioned flavor. Let the oven temperature drop to 220 ° C, or even below. You will have to spread the embers at the bottom of the oven to distribute the heat, then remove them before placing your cakes in them. Consider trying a frangipane pancake recipe and grandmother’s cake!

wood oven

The wood-fired oven obviously lends itself wonderfully to baking bread! You will have a real bread “cooked in a wood fire” very sought after. Watch the cooking carefully and remember to turn pastries and breads regularly for even cooking. If you see that the temperature is very high, move them closer to the oven door.

Lasagna and other gratins will also be delicious! In this case, leave the oven half-open. Cooking over slow heat is also suitable for simmering roasts, braised beef, etc.

Tips for cooking in a wood-fired oven

In any case, consider using plates, pans and dishes resistant to high temperatures . If so, you would see them warp. Whatever recipe you prepare, constant vigilance is recommended. Especially at the beginning, as long as you are not yet familiar with your oven. Take a look at the cooking every ten minutes and don’t hesitate to turn the food regularly.

Watch out for embers when you take them out! They are extremely hot. Remember to keep them out of the reach of children, or to cool them immediately, with water for example.

It’s up to you to be inventive and try out other recipes in your pizza oven, you will surely make some great discoveries. Nothing like the flavors of yesteryear, preserved and authentic. They will contrast with the sometimes formatted tastes that we know today.

The Best Italian Wines To Enjoy Your Pizza

Pizza has the advantage of being enjoyed with different drinks: sparkling water, sodas, beers, for meals without frills. But to appreciate this dish at its true value and raise the level of tasting, you might as well combine it with a good wine! In this selection, we present 10 Italian wines that go wonderfully with pizzas. Depending on the cheese, the tomato sauce, the various ingredients and your personal taste, the best wine will not be the same.

The best Italian wines to enjoy your pizza

Eating a pizza is a trivial act for some consumers, but it is a real ritual for others, who see in this dish a condensing of the flavors of Italy. To sublimate a tasting, you might as well opt for one of the best Italian wines that will highlight the various ingredients of the chosen pizza, for a result in the mouth that will delight gourmets. Here is a selection of 10 wines from the bunch, to pair with a pizza.

The 10 best wines from Italy

With more than 500 appellations, Italy is one of the largest wine producers in the world and there are excellent vintages, from north to south of the boot. While red is certainly the wine that goes best with a good pizza, there are excellent whites or rosés to pair with lighter pizzas – especially white pizzas – for a guaranteed treat. Grands crus available at Millesima , expert in online wine sales, to enhance your next pizza evenings.

Amarone della Valpolicella

An Amarone della Valpolicella is a powerful red wine (15 °) but fruity which accompanies the most classic pizzas such as Margherita as well as recipes with cold cuts. In general, the valpolicella, produced in Veneto and more precisely in the surroundings of beautiful Verona, is a good choice to accompany your Italian meals.

Chianti

The Chianti , a native of Tuscany, is known for its light weight that allows him to marry beautifully with some classic pizzas. This does not prevent this DOP appellation from offering excellent vintages, in particular Riserva which are sold in the bottle and not in flasks surrounded by wicker as is still the case for the most classic Chianti.

Montepulciano

Another Tuscan delight, to combine with a delicious pizza, the Montepulciano , which we find under the name Vino Nobile de Montepulciano . Produced exclusively on the wine-growing region of the town of Montepulciano in the province of Siena, this is a not too powerful red wine that allows you to highlight the flavors of the fattest products in your pizza (the cheese in the lead) .

Barolo

The Piedmont region also offers some excellent wines to pair with your favorite pizzas. We will first mention Barolo , which is sometimes compared to certain Burgundy wines. It gets the nickname “Wine of Kings”, which says a lot about its qualities.

Barbaresco

Another Piedmontese wine, Barbaresco , also made from the Nebbiolo grape variety. With a deep and intense taste, it can accompany the most garnished pizzas like a Quatre-Saisons.

wine and pizza

Fiano di Avellino

Going down a little in the South of Italy, we find white wines that go well with pizzas, because reds are not the only beverages that deserve a place on your table. Among them, the Fiano di Avellino , produced in Campania. Considered one of the best Italian whites, it is often present on the menus of good Neapolitan pizzerias .

Aglianico del Vulture

In the neighboring region of Basilicata, a DOC red wine called Aglianico del Vulture is produced , which combines well with pasta and with the simplest pizzas. It will allow the ingredients – tomatoes, herbs, cheeses – to release the maximum of their aromas.

Lamuri

Let’s continue the tasting with a Sicilian wine made from the Nero d’Avola grape variety, which produces very good rosés and reds, such as Lamuri . Balanced and complex, it will give an additional note of refinement to your pizza evenings.

The great wines of Puglia

In Puglia, one of the sunniest regions of the country, the wine tradition is strong and there are some very good wines to accompany a pizza. For example, the Angelini Squinzano from the Salento area will be ideal for eating your pizzas, just like the Primitivo di Manduria known to go well with fine cold cuts like Parma ham, pizzas covered with speck or a good calzone

The Different Flours To Make Your Pizza Dough

To concoct your pizza dough, you immediately think of wheat flour. However, there are many others, which allow you to make tasty homemade pizzas. Rye, corn, rice or even quinoa, discover 10 flours to vary the pleasures.

The different flours to make your pizza dough

Have you put on your apron, ready to dip your hands in flour to knead your pizza dough? But have you thought about which one you want to use? Wheat flour is the most classic, we all have it in the kitchen cupboard. There are however a dozen of them that allow you to make a pizza in a more original but just as delicious way.

Durum wheat flour

Widely used in Italy, this flour has a high gluten content, and it is therefore well suited to baking: ideal for pizza dough! So much so that it is often found on the market under the name “special pizza flour”. We cannot be clearer.

Corn flour

Used at home rather for pastry, it is the delight of New York pizza makers. In the big apple, pizzas are indeed often prepared with corn flour. With or without gluten, it contains magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. It gives a nice yellow color and a nutty flavor to the dough. Please note, corn flour is used in addition to T55 wheat flour, up to a maximum of 20% of the weight of the flour. Not to be confused with cornstarch, which is corn starch.

Rice flour

Gluten-free, it gives the dough a softness. Light and with a discreet taste, rice flour can be used in addition to wheat flour (30% maximum of the total weight).

Rye flour

Poor in gluten, but rich in fiber, iron and vitamin B, rye produces flour known for its dietetic properties. This fragile flour can be stored in a cool, dry place. It brings a special flavor to your pizza dough. You can even cut it with wheat flour.

Quinoa flour

Original but a little bitter, quinoa flour is used sparingly: 20 to 30% as a replacement for classic flour. On the other hand, it is gluten-free.

Pizza dough

Buckwheat flour

Also called “buckwheat flour”, this flour known for crests and pancakes brings a little nutty taste to a pizza dough. Gluten free, it is rich in fiber, protein and antioxidants. You can cut it with wheat flour.

Spelled flour

Very trendy in bakery, this flour is a good alternative to classic wheat. It brings a light nutty flavor to the dough. Spelled flour is a source of protein but also of magnesium, zinc, copper and iron. Note that there are two varieties: small spelled (also called engrain), low in gluten, and large spelled.

Chestnut flour

This original flour is used in addition to a traditional flour. Gluten-free, it brings a special flavor to a pizza dough.

Soy flour

With its pretty pale yellow color and nutty scent, soy flour is rich in protein, amino acids, magnesium and iron. Gluten-free, low in carbohydrates, it contains lecithin, which avoids the use of eggs.

Khorasan flour

Also called kamut, khorasan is an ancient variety of wheat. With a well tolerated gluten, it is rich in protein, magnesium and selenium. It brings a mild and sweet flavor to a pizza dough. Be sure to use a flour that is neither bleached nor refined.

How To Cook A Pizza Other Than In The Oven?

If you easily combine pizza with a wood-burning oven, or even an electric oven, it is quite possible to cook a pizza differently. All you need is a sufficient heat source and the right equipment, and you can prepare and enjoy good pizzas. Whether it’s already ready – and therefore only to be reheated – or totally homemade, your next pan, plancha or barbecue pizza should delight you.

How to cook pizza other than?

You don’t have an oven but still want to eat a good pizza? Don’t panic, it is possible to cook pizza without an oven! We explain how to properly use the heat sources at your disposal – barbecue, plancha or non-stick pan – to obtain a puffed and crispy dough topped with delicious grilled ingredients and melted cheese. If the wood-fired oven remains the best way to cook a pizza, do not deprive yourself of this dish if you are not equipped.

Bake a pizza in the pan

We could explain to you how to make a pizza in the microwave, but that would be cheating, because although popular and very widespread even among those who do not have a traditional oven, this device is indeed a kind of oven. On the other hand, cooking a pizza in a pan is much more original.

If you’ve taken the time to make a good homemade pizza dough, all you have to do is garnish and bake. For this, you will only need two things: a non-stick pan and a good baking sheet . The choice of material is important, to have sufficient power to swell the dough, which will be the case with quality plates. They can be found at low prices at Electro Dépôt, guaranteed for 2 years and payable in several installments. As for the pan, choose models that do not attach, so as not to see your preparation disintegrate before your eyes.

Make circles around the surface of your pan and oil the bottom , before heating the pan. When it is hot, place the pizza dough (virgin) in the bottom and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, with a lid, checking that it does not stick. When it has inflated, turn it over and place the intended filling. When the cheese is melted and the dough is crisp , it’s ready.

Pizza and barbecue, a summer solution

Barbecue enthusiasts have certainly asked themselves this question: what if I cook a pizza on the grill? But few dare to attempt the adventure, for fear that it will be a failure. However, without an oven, the barbecue is a viable alternative for cooking pizza. It is even a method that gives a delicious grilled flavor to the pizza, thanks to the charcoal, reminiscent of cooking in a wood oven !

For this to be effective, you need a barbecue with a lid or a brick barbecue , which will be able to retain the heat and thus allow the garnish to cook. Otherwise, with a traditional barbecue, only the underside of the dough risks cooking.

If you are worried about placing the pizza directly on the grill, as you would with a piece of meat, you can use a baking sheet or pizza stone to stabilize it. With a thin dough, it works best, for quick cooking.

barbecue pizza

Pizza a la plancha: why not?

If you have a fairly powerful plancha (electric or gas) capable of swelling the dough of your favorite dish, then you can opt for this method to cook your pizzas at home.

Above all, do not place your pizza directly on the plate, otherwise the house will smoke and your preparation will burn. It should be placed beforehand on a pizza stone or on a ceramic plate, after having garnished it with your favorite ingredients. Cover it with a bell to harmonize the cooking and wait about 15 minutes. When the cheese is melted and the dough is golden brown, you can cut it and serve it!

The plancha remains a less practical solution than cooking in a pan and less tasty than barbecue pizza, which is only recommended as a last resort. But it’s always better than going without pizza!