Chirsty Alia
Oven: Pizza oven (wood, gas, or electric) or Conventional Oven
Style: Neo-neapolitan
Ingredients
Dough:
- 415 g room temperature water
- 100 g active & ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 50 g finely ground durum wheat flour 585 g
- 00 flour (or bread flour if baking temperature is below 600°F)
- 18 g salt
Marinated Feta:
- 1 cup Truly® 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp oregano, freshly-ground
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped (chiffonade)
- ¼ tsp red chili flakes
- 8 oz feta cheese, cut into ¼-in cubes
Sautéed Spinach:
- 3 oz baby spinach
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 Tbsp Truly® 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pizza:
- 1-290 g dough ball
- 4 oz Piccolo® Datterini Tomatoes, drained
- 1 tsp Truly® 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- pinch of salt
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella
- 3 oz Sautéed Spinach
- 2 oz Marinated Feta
- 8-10 fresh basil leaves
- 1 Tbsp pine nuts, lightly roasted (optional)
“Pizzaiola Sarah Minnick (of Lovelys Fifty-Fifty in Portland, OR), whose creativity and unwavering commitment to her values, in particular using local, fresh ingredients, are truly admirable.”
Directions
For the Dough: Hand mix all the ingredients until a shaggy dough ball forms. Cover and let rest for 30-45 min. Next, stretch and fold or knead the dough every 30 min for 2 hrs, covering each time. After 2 hrs, form it into a tight ball and place in a clean bowl. Cover and let dough rest untouched for 1-3 hrs until volume has increased 25%. Refrigerate covered dough for 2 days to develop its complex flavors.
After 2 days, remove dough from fridge. Divide into 4 equal pieces, approximately 290g each. Shape and put dough into a covered container or on a sheet pan covered with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2-3 hrs before baking, then allow dough to sit at room temp for 2-3 hrs before stretching for best results.
For the Marinated Feta: In a bowl, mix Truly® 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil, garlic, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Add feta cheese; toss gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 min to allow flavors to blend, up to 1 day for best flavor. Recipe yields enough for 4 pizzas, or the extra quantity is also great eaten on its own with bread and charcuterie.
For the Sautéed Spinach: Heat Truly® 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and baby spinach. Sauté until wilted, then cool to room temperature.
To Assemble and Serve: Heat a pizza oven until baking stone reaches 750°F-850°F. (For a conventional oven, heat to 500-550°F.) Crush Piccolo® Datterini Tomatoes into a bowl; stir in Truly® 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil and salt. On a floured surface, push air from center of dough toward crust, then use knuckles to stretch out dough to 12 inches. Place onto floured peel. Top dough with crushed tomatoes, sautéed spinach, and mozzarella. Slide pizza from peel onto baking stone. In pizza oven, bake for 1 1/2-2 min, turning with peel every 20 seconds for an even bake. (For a conventional oven, bake 6-8 min, or until golden brown.) Remove pizza from oven and top with marinated feta, fresh basil and pine nuts.