Old Forge White Pizza
White Pizza (Old Forge style)
1 double-crust rectangular pie, about 10" x 16" (six slices about 4" x 5")
1 double-crust rectangular pie, about 10" x 16" (six slices about 4" x 5")
Crust
Notes:
1. This crust is different from the "standard" crust recipe I usually use, which is found in Pizza Basics.
2. This is the recipe actually tested. For a further adjustments suggested by my advisors (but not yet tested), see the Addendum below.
Notes:
1. This crust is different from the "standard" crust recipe I usually use, which is found in Pizza Basics.
2. This is the recipe actually tested. For a further adjustments suggested by my advisors (but not yet tested), see the Addendum below.
2-1/4 tsp instant yeast
3 C flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 C + 2 T warm water (about 105º)
1-1/2 T olive oil
Filling
2 C fontina cheese, shredded
2 C aged provolone cheese, shredded
2 C Cooper sharp American cheese, shredded (see the Comments attached to the post for discussion of alternatives)
1 T fresh rosemary (whole leaves, removed from stems - but see Addendum, below)
kosher salt
olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400º.
Place all the crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor with the steel blade and process until the dough clumps together and starts to ride around on the blade. Place dough in a bowl, coat it with 1 tablespoon olive oil, cover with clear plastic and allow to rise 'til doubled, about an hour and a half.
Punch down the dough, knead it for a few seconds and then cut in half. Wrap one half tightly in plastic wrap. Roll the other half into a thin rectangular sheet, about the same size as the pan, with edges the same thickness as the center. (Use a dark-colored metal jelly roll pan.) Oil the pan with about 1-1/2 tablespoon olive oil and lay the crust in the pan. Roll out the other piece of dough to about the same size and shape. Cover the dough sheets with clean towels and allow to rise 30 minutes.
Spread 1 tablespoon olive oil over the bottom crust, stopping half an inch from the pan edge. Mix the three cheeses and spread over the crust, again stopping half an inch from the pan edge. Salt lightly and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the cheese. Lay the top crust over the bottom crust and filling. Stretch the edges of the lower crust up and over the upper crust and crimp together to form a seal.
Brush the top of the pizza liberally with water, then bake 15 minutes, or until just starting to brown. Brush the top liberally with olive oil and scatter on the rosemary. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Allow the pizza to rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.
3 C flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 C + 2 T warm water (about 105º)
1-1/2 T olive oil
Filling
2 C fontina cheese, shredded
2 C aged provolone cheese, shredded
2 C Cooper sharp American cheese, shredded (see the Comments attached to the post for discussion of alternatives)
1 T fresh rosemary (whole leaves, removed from stems - but see Addendum, below)
kosher salt
olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400º.
Place all the crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor with the steel blade and process until the dough clumps together and starts to ride around on the blade. Place dough in a bowl, coat it with 1 tablespoon olive oil, cover with clear plastic and allow to rise 'til doubled, about an hour and a half.
Punch down the dough, knead it for a few seconds and then cut in half. Wrap one half tightly in plastic wrap. Roll the other half into a thin rectangular sheet, about the same size as the pan, with edges the same thickness as the center. (Use a dark-colored metal jelly roll pan.) Oil the pan with about 1-1/2 tablespoon olive oil and lay the crust in the pan. Roll out the other piece of dough to about the same size and shape. Cover the dough sheets with clean towels and allow to rise 30 minutes.
Spread 1 tablespoon olive oil over the bottom crust, stopping half an inch from the pan edge. Mix the three cheeses and spread over the crust, again stopping half an inch from the pan edge. Salt lightly and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the cheese. Lay the top crust over the bottom crust and filling. Stretch the edges of the lower crust up and over the upper crust and crimp together to form a seal.
Brush the top of the pizza liberally with water, then bake 15 minutes, or until just starting to brown. Brush the top liberally with olive oil and scatter on the rosemary. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Allow the pizza to rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Addendum (10/26/05):
1. Thicker Crust. Les and Joe have said they would like a thicker crust, so the following is a recipe for a thicker crust for 1 pizza, assuming the same Old Forge White Pizza pan dimensions:
4 tsp instant yeast
4-1/2 C flour
2 tsp salt
1-3/4 C warm water (about 105º)
2 T olive oil
4-1/2 C flour
2 tsp salt
1-3/4 C warm water (about 105º)
2 T olive oil
This recipe variation is as-yet-untested for O.F.White Pizza, though based on my extensive experience with pizza dough I have high confidence that it will work. As with all bread recipes, of course, the measurements will vary according to type of flour used (I use King Arthur All-Purpose Unbleached), specific yeast characteristics and freshness (I use the SAF brand, usually less than one year old and stored under refrigeration -- this is a sort of weaponized version of yeast that seems to be extremely consistent), atmospheric conditions and altitude. Similarly, baking time is approximate.
2. Rosemary. As noted in the Comments, a rough chop of the rosemary is advised, for a more even distribution on the surface of the pizza.
3. Cheese Quantity. Full disclosure: when we ate the results of the second test (the basis for the main recipe above), Lex and Joe both said that there could be more cheese. I ignored them in preparing the original post because to me a cup of cheese per serving is an appalling amount already. However, if the goal is to reproduce the original classic Old Forge White Pizza, the cheese quantities apparently have to be greater, according to my experts. How much greater? In my opinion, once you pass the 0ne-cup-per-serving barrier you're free to go as high as you want...1-1/2 times as much? twice as much? Hey, your arteries are already thick with goo, what's a little more?
