Italian Brick Oven Pizza
OK. So, it’s probably NOT Italian and I definitely do not have a brick oven but I make a mean pizza just the same. Pizza is one of those really interesting foods that has made its way across the globe. I like to try pizza everywhere I travel just to see where the locals have taken it. Shanghai? Yep. Thailand? Sure. Peru, England, France, Cuba, uh huh. Sometimes it’s inspired by local flavors and ingredients and other times there’s a faithful recreation of the American style red-sauce and mozzarella cheese. No matter what, it’s a great culinary adventure. Here’s my go to:
Ingredients
- Pizza dough (I tend to use the store-bought pizza thins these days for ease, sometimes I buy dough from the local shop, and other times I make it myself which is, invariably the worst choice of the three).
- Olive oil
- Garlic (roasted if you’ve got some around)
- Ricotta cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Grape tomatoes
- Basil (fresh)
- Fig jam
Put a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. This is actually an important step. You should own a pizza stone. It makes all the difference unless you actually have a brick oven or a pizza oven of your own. Prep the dough (if using fresh, proof it for 5 minutes in the oven). Rub a thin layer of olive oil on the dough (trust me). Don’t forget the edges. Lay out the garlic, cover with mozzarella and then 5 (always use odd numbers) spoon-sized drops of ricotta cheese. Slice the tomatoes in half and arrange on the pizza between the ricotta. If you have fresh basil you have two choices. Chop some and set aside to garnish as soon as the pizza comes out of the oven or better, make a pesto with olive oil and spread that on the pizza before you bake it. 8-9 minutes in the oven for a thin crust. Just before serving, dollop some fig jam on the pizza.
