The Elements of Pizza

INTRODUCTION 

IT S REALLY UP TO YOU. 

The hidden reality of pizza is that you can easily make better pizza at home than you can buy at any but the best independently owned, quality-focused pizzerias. All you need are good ingredients flour, canned tomatoes, and cheese plus a few tools and a standard home kitchen oven. And some good instruction. Even if you live somewhere that has great pizzerias, imagine making your own a pizza that you can be proud of and is exactly how you like it. Discover for yourself what different cheeses are like on pizza: splurge on water buffalo mozzarella, see what happens when you seek out caciocavallo cheese, or try adding freshly grated Pecorino Romano. Master thin-crust and Neapolitan-style pizza. Bang out a couple of killer pan pizzas to eat with Sunday football. Serve it with confidence to your family and friends. Making it yourself will give you a greater appreciation for the craft of the pizzaiolos at your favorite pizzeria: you will probably find yourself looking more closely at their shaping technique; the dough they use and its texture; and how it s topped, loaded into the oven, and baked. By making pizza yourself, you become more intimate with it. It s seductive. You are more informed, and that understanding leads to better pizza, great pleasure, and plenty of pride. 


THE FERDINANDO
Makes one 12-inch pizza 

Imagine yourself as the king of Naples in 1782. You want pizza, but you don t want your wife, Queen Maria Carolina, to find out. So you disguise yourself as a commoner, sneak out of the castle, and slink through the streets to a pizzeria called Ntuono (Tony s) to satisfy your craving. Pizza is for common folk, not for royalty like you; don t you know that? You order the same pizza everybody else orders, topped with olive oil, garlic, oregano, and salt, with a little bit of cheese sprinkled on after it is baked. DUDE, she s going to smell the garlic on your

CONTENTS

1 Introduction 

11 CHAPTER 1 THE SOUL OF PIZZA 

39 CHAPTER 2 PIZZA STYLES 

51 CHAPTER 3 EIGHT DETAILS FOR GREAT PIZZA CRUST 

61 CHAPTER 4 INGREDIENTS AND EQUIPMENT 

83 CHAPTER 5 METHODS 

103 CHAPTER 6 PIZZA DOUGH RECIPES 

SATURDAY DOUGHS 
108 Saturday Pizza Dough 
110 I Slept in but I Want Pizza Tonight Dough 
112 Single Dough Ball 
114 Enzo s Pizza Dough 
116 Saturday Pan Pizza Dough 

REFRIGERATED LONG DOUGHS 
118 24- to 48-Hour Pizza Dough 
120 48- to 72-Hour Biga Pizza Dough 
124 48- to 72-Hour New York Pizza Dough 

NATURALLY LEAVENED DOUGHS 
127 Wild Yeast (Levain) Culture 
130 Overnight Levain Pizza Dough 

SPECIALTY DOUGHS 
134 Al Taglio Pizza Dough 
136 Bar Pizza Dough 
138 Gluten-Free Pizza Dough 

141 CHAPTER 7 PIZZA RECIPES 

SAUCES 
145 Basic Tomato Sauce, Two Ways 
146 FWSY Sauce 
147 Vodka Sauce 
148 New York Pizza Sauce 

ITALIAN & ITALIAN-INSPIRED 
150 Pizza Marinara 
153 Pizza Margherita 
156 The Ferdinando 
158 Pomodoro Royale (with Cheese) 
161 Prosciutto and Bufala 
163 Mortadella and Pistachio Pizza 
166 Zucchini Blossom Pizza 
168 River Po Pizza 
171 Carbonara Pizza 
173 Pizza Bianca and Pizza Rossa 

NEW YORK & NEW YORK INSPIRED 
175 New York Cheese Pizza 
177 Simple Tomato Pie 
181 Meatball Pizza 
183 A.J. s Pie 
184 Vodka Sauce and Sausage Pizza 
187 Brooklyn Hot Honey Pie 

Ken Forkish is the author of the James Beard and IACP Award winning book Flour Water Salt Yeast, and the owner of the popular Portland, Oregon, restaurants Ken s Artisan Bakery, Ken s Artisan Pizza, Trifecta Tavern & Bakery, and Checkerboard Pizza.

If there were ever to be a bible for all things pizza and I mean all things Ken Forkish has just written it. The detail that went into this book is so vast and exact that after reading it you will simply never have another question about any kind of pizza, from anywhere in the world. Marc Vetri, author of Mastering Pasta and owner of Vetri

Ken Forkish is one of the world s great pie men, so it should be no surprise that The Elements of Pizza is an essential addition to the pizza canon. Forkish s formidable intellect and knowledge, combined with his can-do spirit, will turn any pizza lover into a pizza maker. Ed Levine, founder and CEO of Serious Eats

If you re into pizza and who isn t? The Elements of Pizza is your new holy book. There s something here for every cook, from weeknight-ready recipes to intricate explorations of dough chemistry. Ken Forkish is clearly a man obsessed, and lucky for us: much has been written about this globally beloved food, but this book has them all beat.   Molly Wizenberg, author of Delancey and A Homemade Life

With The Elements of Pizza, Ken Forkish proves there is no right or wrong style of pizza. The right pizza is whatever you like and whether you fancy Neapolitan, Roman, New York, or any other style, Ken guides you smoothly through the process. But this is not just a book about crusts and toppings: it is also full of interesting history and fun stories. In fact, this terrific book is itself one of the essential elements of making great pizza at home.   Nancy Silverton, chef/co-owner of the Mozza Restaurant Group

The Elements of Pizza is a cookbook for anyone who loves pizza particularly those with a deep appreciation for the crust. Ken s own passion for pizza took him to Italy and across the United States to uncover the techniques and ingredients that make incredible pizza. Starting from the ground