Diane Morgan - Pizza: More than 60 Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pizza

To Greg, my fabulous husband, whos game to try any pizza I make. To Eric, my dynamo college son, who is always hungry, ready for pizza, and, thankfully, has friends in tow. To Molly, my wonderful daughter, who only wants vegetarian pizzas. And, in beloved memory of Qerbie, our sweet Bouvier: You would have loved all the pizza crusts.

Diane Morgan

While working on this book, our ovens were cranked to the highest heat possible, our grills were glowing, and our counters were dusted with flour ready for the next dough to be rolled, stretched, or tossed. For months, sacks of flour, packages of yeast, and refrigerator shelves filled with cheese dominated our kitchens. We wanted to cover pizza in America from its humble roots, starting with a coal-fired brick oven at the back of a grocery store, in New York to the West Coast, where anything goes on top of pizza as long as it tastes great. In the middle of the country, delicious, eat-it-with-a-fork deep-dish pizza has earned its respected place. With the gracious help of colleagues, family, and friends, this pizza book went from a simple concept to a dedicated search for the best pizza recipes and techniques. Without all of you, these insights and recipes wouldnt exist.

DIANE MORGAN THANKS:

My husband, Greg Morgan, love and soul mate for life; and my children, Eric and Molly, my favorite recipe tasters and critics extraordinaire. To Cheryl Russell, my valued and beloved assistantI dont know what I would do without your support and talent. I offer a very special thank-you to my co-author, Tony Gemignani, whose talent, generosity, and kindness have been a true inspiration. This book wouldnt have been nearly as much fun to work on and write without you.

At Chronicle Books: A huge hug to my terrific editor and dear friend Bill LeBlond; and I am grateful to Amy Treadwell, Michele Fuller, Michael Weisberg, Kendra Kallan, Leslie Jonath, and Jan Hughes for being so wise, creative, and fun, and for all their hard work. Many thanks to Carrie Bradley for her careful line editing.

For so generously giving me great leads, pizza insight and wisdom, and appetites as my pizza tasters, I thank: Marlene Parrish, Sam Selario, Roberto Caporuscio, Cathy Whims, Laura Shapiro, Amy Albert, Tom Boyles, Domenica Marchetti, Laura Werlin, Fred Mortati at Orlando Food Sales, Atimo Caputo at Caputo Flour in Naples, Italy, Belinda Ellis at White Lily Flour, Lynne Devereux at Context Marketing, Lize Willers at Cantare Foods, Jim Freeland at Lou Malnatis, Peter and Harriet Watson, David Watson, Paola Gentry and Eric Watson, Marci and Steve Taylor, Margie and Ken Sanders, Mary and Jack Barber, Sara and Eric Whiteford, Summer Jameson, Josie Jimenez, Roxane and Austin Huang, Ann and Brijesh Anand, Prentice Price, Jennifer Kuhlman, Heidi Yorkshire, Joseph Anthony, Rick Rodgers, Toni Allegra, and Peter Reinhart.

TONY GEMIGNANI THANKS:

My friends, students, competitors, and fellow employees, who have provided so much support, direction, and information over the years. You have broadened my palate and given me the confidence that, in turn, has driven me to be the best I can be. For this I am grateful. Thank you for all the little talks and long walksmemories of you will last a lifetime.

Thank you: Andy Costa of The Pastabilities Are Endless, Andy Lo Russo (The Singing Italian Chef), Big Dave Ostrander (The Pizza Doctor), Sandy Plotkin of Carry Hot/ProdoughUSA (thanks for believing in me), Chef Landry, Brian Cain of Foremost Farms, Chris Arena of Swiss American Sausage Company, Charlene Rouspil of Dacor Ranges, Dino Ciccone, Don Farlio (thanks for not missing that fishing trip), Emilio Giacametti, Frank Giovanni (thanks for the little talks), George Giove of Brothers Pizza and Big Apple Pizza, the Grande Cheese Company, Bellissimo Foods, Chris Bangs, Todd King and staff of Green Mill restaurants, Jeanie Lauren of Skyanna Entertainment, Michael Dorian and Joe dos Santos of Cat Price Productions, Joe Carlucci, Ken Bryant (my best student and toughest competitor), Marsha Garland, Ann Lukezic, Michael Sheapard, Brian Edler, Pizza Paul Nyland, Pizza Today (my first competition and the one that started it all), Steve and Linda Green, Tom Lehmann (The Dough Doctor), Tom Boyles and all the staff at PMQ, Steve Coomes at pizzamarketplace.com, Joey Altman, Jay Leno and the staff of The Tonight Show (my biggest break ever), Jay Sunderwalla, Nick Angileri, Grazziano,Ross Sutherland, Ryan Baldino, Rusty Toth, Siler Chapman, Stanislaus, Supakit Rungrote, and Tom Fuller. In addition, many thanks to culinary director Kathleen Taggart and former director Pamela Keith at Draegers Cooking School, Karen Alvarez at Andronicos Cooking School, and Doralece Dullaghan at Sur La Table for giving me opportunities to teach.

There are over 61,000 pizzerias in America. Three billion pizzas are eaten every year. More than 11 million tons of pepperoni are consumed each year. It is a $32 billion-a-year industry. From its humble roots as peasant food in Italy, pizza has become the Italian import America has adopted as its own.

From ancient roots as an unleavened wafer spread with oil to the happenstance discovery of leavening by the Egyptians to the travels of the Greeks into southern Italy and the Etruscans who settled in the north, a flat bread was developed by the Neapolitans that has morphed over time into what we now know as pizza. Other styles developed alongside the Neapolitan, such as Roman style, or pizza by the meter, sold in varying lengths. Once pizza hit the American shores, distinct regional styles developed over time, taking liberties with the traditional toppings and baking techniques. Now we have New Yorkstyle pizza, Chicago style, California style, pizzas on the grill, and even dessert pizzas. Not only have pizzerias become a fixture in every city and suburb, now food manufacturers have made it easier to make pizza at home by developing frozen pizza dough, refrigerated pizza dough, and prebaked crusts.

Pizza is an in-depth survey of all of the major styles of pizza making, with a chapter dedicated to each, as well as additional chapters on grilled pizza, quick-and-easy kid-friendly pizzas made with premade crusts, and dessert pizza. Chapter 1 covers all the basics for beginning to make pizza at home. Through recipes and stories, we want to take you on a tour of American pizza. We start from the beginning, focusing on Neapolitan-style pizza in all its authenticity. Diane discovered and studied with a charming, true Neapolitan pizzaiolo, Roberto Caporuscio, owner of Robertos Pizzeria in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dedicated to the preservation of true Neapolitan pizza, Roberto imports all of his ingredients from Italy, including the flour to make the dough. Our chapter on Neapolitan pizza reflects those sensibilities and provides the home pizza maker with authentic recipes straight from Roberto. If we thought substituting American all-purpose flour for the Italian flour that Roberto usesfarina di grano tenero tipo 00would yield identical dough, we would have made the substitution; but its not the same, and we wanted you to have his recipe exactly. His dough is perfection, and now you, too, can make it at home.