Pizza Argentina

Argentinean Pizza – Pizza Argentina

Makes four individual pizzas

For dough

1 packet dry active yeast

¾ cup warm water

¼ cup olive oil 

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

                                            

For topping
4 tsp olive oil
4 plum tomatoes
4, ¼ inch slices Mozarella or white frying cheese
8 garlic cloves, finely sliced
 16 basil leaves, chopped, plus more as desired

Make dough

1. Combine yeast, 2 Tbsp flour, and warm water in a large bowl and let stand until surface appears creamy, about 10 minutes. If mixture doesn’t appear creamy, discard and start with new yeast.
2. In a bowl, place the flour and salt. Add the yeast and olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon.
3. Turn the dough on to a clean, floured, surface and knead for 8 minutes until soft and elastic, lightly reflouring when the dough becomes too sticky.
4. Oil a plastic bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for at least 1 ¼ hours.

Prepare oven for pizza

1. Remove the metal dividers from the oven and cover them with aluminum foil. Place the covered dividers back in the oven.
2. At least 45 minutes before baking pizza, pre-heat oven to 500 degrees.

Shape dough and assemble pizza

1. 15 minutes before baking, deflate the dough and slightly knead on a floured surface.
2. Shape dough into a rope and cut into four equal pieces.
3. Shape each piece into a disk and dust with flour. On a floured surface, stretch dough with your fingers until it reaches a 5-inch diameter.
4. Brush pizza with olive oil. Arrange the tomatoes, cheese and garlic on its surface, leaving a 1 inch border. Sprinkle with basil.
5. Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough to accommodate the pizza. Generously sprinkle it with cornmeal. Place the pizza over the parchment.
6. Slide pizza on parchment pre-heated oven. Bake until dough is crisp and browned and cheese is golden and bubbling in spots, 13 to 16 minutes. Transfer pizza to a cutting board. Cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with more basil leaves before slicing.