She Strengthens

The Art of Crafting a Winning Sicilian Pizza

When my head pizzaiolo, Laura Meyer, decided to enter the world championships in Parma, Italy, I knew she had a good chance of winning. After all, she’s lived and studied in Italy and speaks the language fluently. We worked together to perfect her entry, a classic pizza alla diavola with a twist.

The Secret to a Perfect Crust

To create a crust worthy of the championships, you’ll need high-protein flour, such as All Trumps High Gluten Flour or Pendleton Flour Mills’ Power Flour. Don’t forget to add diastatic malt powder, like King Arthur’s or Central Milling’s Low Diastatic Artisan Malt. You’ll also need two pizza stones and a seasoned 12-inch-by-18-inch steel Sicilian pan.

The Recipe

Tomato Sauce:

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 17 ounces ground tomatoes
• 8 ounces tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 fresh basil leaf, torn

Dough:

• 6 grams active dry yeast
• 100 grams warm water
• 578 grams high-protein flour
• 12 grams diastatic malt
• 305 grams ice water
• 12 grams fine sea salt
• 6 grams extra-virgin olive oil

Assembling and Finishing:

• 6 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded
• 12 large slices soppressata piccante
• Olive oil for drizzling
• Large handful of arugula leaves
• 12 thin slices prosciutto
• Small pieces Piave and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for shaving
• Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

The Process

1. Make the hand-crushed tomatoes by rinsing your hands frequently and working near a sink. Pinch off the head and any unripe areas, then break the tomato into small pieces or strips.
2. Combine the ground tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, garlic, and salt in a deep bowl. Purée with an immersion blender, then stir in the hand-crushed tomatoes and basil.
3. To make the dough, combine yeast and warm water, then whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. Add flour, malt, and ice water, mixing on the lowest speed for 1 minute.
4. Coat a half sheet pan with olive oil, then scrape the dough onto the pan. Cover with a damp dish towel or plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and mix for 30 seconds to de-gas. Form into a ball and wrap airtight with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
6. Next day, remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and let warm to 50°F to 55°F. Pour olive oil into the center of the Sicilian pan, then flip the dough over to coat both sides with oil.
7. Press the dough outward in all directions, extending it toward the corners to make an even layer. Let rest for 30 minutes, then push outward a second time.
8. Preheat the oven to 450°F for 1 hour. Bake the crust for 7 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 7 minutes.
9. To finish the pizza, spoon the tomato sauce onto the center of the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border on all sides. Mound the mozzarella and provolone in the center, then arrange the soppressata over the cheese.
10. Bake for 7 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for 6 minutes. Lift a corner of the pizza and peek at the bottom. If desired, transfer the pan to the top stone to bake for 1 to 2 minutes.
11. Run the spatula around the edges of the pizza to make sure it has not stuck. Lift the pizza on the spatula and transfer it to a cutting board. Make 2 evenly spaced cuts the length of the pizza, then make 3 evenly spaced cuts across the width.
12. Scatter the arugula over the top, drape a slice of prosciutto over each piece, and garnish with shavings of Piave and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

The Winning Touch

Laura’s clever addition of arugula on top of the finished pizza gave her entry the edge it needed to win. And with a name like “La Regina,” Italian for “queen,” it’s no wonder she took home the top prize.