Pizza with Sausages and Vodka Sauce
Pasta and Pizza | American cuisine
⏳ Time
20 minutes + 9 hours
🥕 Ingredients
15
🍽️ Servings
2
Description
Recipe from a cookbook by John Smith, 'Elements of Pizza'.
Ingredients
- Water - 4 fl oz
- Ocean salt - 6½ g
- Dry yeast - 0 oz
- Wheat Flour - 5.9 oz
- Vodka - 0 fl oz
- Heavy cream - 12½ g
- Grated Pecorino Pepato Cheese - 0 oz
- Sausages - 5.3 oz
- Melted Cheese - 3.9 oz
- Fresh basil leaves - 4 pieces
- Olive Oil - 0 fl oz
- Garlic - ¼ cloves
- Oregano - to taste
- Chili Flakes - to taste
- Crushed Tomatoes in Their Own Juice - ¼ cans
Step by Step guide
Step 1
First, prepare the dough. Using electronic scales, measure out 116 ml of water (at 32–95°F) and pour it into a mixing bowl. A small bowl will suffice for this recipe. Weigh 5 grams of fine sea salt and add it to the water, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Measure out 0.1 grams of instant yeast. Dissolve the yeast in the water and let it sit for a minute to hydrate, then gently shake the bowl in a circular motion until the yeast is fully dissolved. Add 166 grams of flour (preferably type '00') to the liquid.
Step 2
Knead by hand: first, mix the ingredients in the bowl with circular motions until you achieve a uniform mass, then alternate between pinching and folding to knead the dough for 30-60 seconds until it reaches a smooth consistency. The dough temperature at the end of kneading should be 27 degrees; measure it with a thermometer.
Step 3
Leave the dough for 20 minutes, then knead it for 30–60 seconds on a lightly floured work surface. The surface of the dough should become very smooth. Place the dough ball seam side down in a lightly oiled container where the dough was mixed. Cover tightly with a lid and let it rest for 2 hours at room temperature (21–75°F).
Step 4
Shape the dough into a ball of medium firmness, working gently and carefully to avoid tearing the dough.
Step 5
Place the dough ball on a floured plate, lightly dust it with flour, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 6 hours. Alternatively, you can let the ball rest for 4 hours at room temperature and then refrigerate it to use the next evening. If not refrigerated, the dough can be used within 4 hours after the second fermentation phase is completed. If it has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for an hour while the oven is preheating and the filling is being prepared.
Step 6
Prepare the tomato sauce. Place olive oil, garlic, salt, oregano, and chili flakes in a blender. Add a tablespoon of tomatoes and quickly blend into a smooth emulsion. Add the remaining tomatoes and pulse rapidly until all ingredients are combined. Over-blending will release too much moisture from the flesh, resulting in a sauce that is too runny.
Step 7
Prepare the vodka sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, reduce the vodka until about 0.5 tablespoons remain. This will take approximately 4 minutes. Add the cream and continue to cook the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1–2 minutes.
Step 8
Add the sauce with tomatoes and cheese, increase the heat to high for a few minutes. Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat and continue to simmer the sauce on low.
Step 9
Remove the sauce from heat and let it cool.
Step 10
Prepare the pizza. One to one and a half hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Place a baking sheet or stone on the rack in the upper part of the oven, no lower than 20 cm from the grill. Preheat the oven to 554°F for 45 minutes.
Step 11
Slice the sausages at an angle into pieces about 0.6 cm wide, place them in a baking dish, and put them in the oven for 2–3 minutes while it preheats.
Step 12
Prepare your workspace. To do this, lightly sprinkle about 60 cm of the countertop with flour. Place a wooden paddle nearby, dusting it lightly with flour as well. Keep the sauce, cheese, and sausages within reach, along with a large spoon or ladle for the sauce. Before putting the pizza in the oven, turn on the grill for 10 minutes.
Step 13
Place the ball of dough on a floured work surface and turn it several times to coat it with flour on all sides. Shape it into a disk using either the New York or Neapolitan technique. Transfer the disk to a floured pizza peel. Use your hands to gently smooth the surface and remove any imperfections.
Step 14
Using a tablespoon or ladle, spread the tomato sauce in circular motions over the surface of the disk, leaving a 0.6 cm border from the edge. Arrange pieces of sausage slice-side down on the disk. Lay out slices of mozzarella, covering part of the sausages.
Step 15
Turn off the grill. Carefully transfer the pizza from the peel to the baking stone or sheet. Close the oven door and set it to bake at 554°F. Bake the pizza for about 5 minutes, until the crust is golden. Switch the oven to grill mode and bake for an additional 2 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and the base is golden with slight charring (check after one minute). Using tongs or a fork, transfer the pizza to a large plate. Use scissors to cut the basil leaves and sprinkle them over the pizza. Serve immediately.
Cooked This Dish? Share Your Delicious Creation with the Community! 🥰
Snap a photo and let everyone see your culinary masterpiece. Inspire others and showcase your skills!
Users Photos
No photos yet
Leave a Comment
Please log in to leave a comment.