RECIPE MAGIC!

It's tough to get homemade pizza to taste like it came from a wood-burning oven. The secret? Crank up your oven to its highest setting. Even better, use your grill! Both recipes are included here for your one stop DIY pizza making fun. 

INGREDIENTS:
3 dough balls for 12" pizzas (homemade, see below or fresh store-bought)
1 cup fresh tomato sauce or high quality store bought Passata (eg. Mutti)
2 tsp dry active yeast
4-1/2 cups all purpose flour (extra for dusting)
2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 cup EVOO

DIRECTIONS:

For the dough: Put 1-3/4 cups lukewarm water in a food processor bowl. Pour in yeast and let yeast dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add flour, salt and olive oil and using kneading hook or plastic blade, process until rough dough forms, about 5 minutes. Place dough on lightly flour-dusted work surface. Knead by hand a bit more until smooth. Cut into 3 equal pieces. Place individually in resealable plastic bags in fridge for a few hours, overnight or use the dough immediately. The longer the rise, the more flavour. When ready to use remove from fridge, form dough balls until smooth and firm. Place on flour-dusted parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or dish towel then let rise for half-hour in a warm spot on counter. Each dough ball will make a 12-inch pizza. Use as directed below.

Directions for oven-baked pizza:  Arrange oven rack in lower position. Pre-heat oven to 550°, or its highest setting for at least 30 minutes. Place sheet of parchment on counter. Lightly flour the parchment. Using you hands gently stretch dough ball to remove air pockets. Then place on parchment, flatten and stretch by hand or roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness and 12-inch diameter. Brush olive oil evenly across surface. Then spoon half the sauce and spread using a rubber spatula. Add toppings. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes rotating halfway through until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Repeat with second and third balls of dough. 

Directions for grilled pizza: 
Heat grill to high (+500°) careful to leave one side of grill off. Set up a table or bench near the grill so you have easy access to tomato sauce and cheese (or any other toppings you might choose to add). Bring pizza dough to room temperature. Let rest, covered for half-hour. Before rolling dough, stretch it with your hands which can crush air pockets that prevent the dough from rising and bubbling during grilling. Then roll out your pizza dough with a bit of flour so that it’s not super­ sticky. Divide into 3 oblong or roundish pies. Minimize the height of the edges; just enough to keep everything in place. Clean grill racks. Brush one side of dough with oil, then place directly on the grill, oil side down. Brush the other side with oil. After 1-2 minutes, check to see for doneness. There should be a smattering of dark patches. Then carefully remove from heat, turning charred side up and place on unheated side of grill. Brush charred side with olive oil then spread a light amount tomato sauce evenly. Add dollops of mozzarella and other toppings of your choice. Cover with lid and leave for another 4-6 minutes checking occasionally to prevent too much charring. Remove from grill and place on cutting board. Repeat with other pies.

DEEP, RICH ITALIAN HERBS & BALSAMIC IN OUR VEGETARIAN PIZZA

An Italian summer feast on your pizza. Freshly harvested herbs, sauteed mushrooms and just the right amount of Tuscan Herb olive oil and Traditional barrel aged balsamic. So yummy. 

PIZZA NIGHT WITH THE WORKS
For the maximalists, load up your pizza with a big dose of gourmet delights, plus a drizzle of Neopolitan herb balsamic. Try shrimp with lemon; thinly sliced prosciutto with oregano; chunks of chorizo or chicken with hot or sweet peppers; or black or green olives, arugula and onions or even green beans and carrots, just make sure to blanche them first. 


CALABRIAN NDUJA 

Nduja is a spicy spreadable pork salami that originates from the southern Italian region of Calabria. And it is key to their pizza. Spread an even layer of tomato sauce over pizza. Add thinly sliced pre-cooked soft onion rings. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan across surface. Dollop 1-tsp amounts of Nduja  paste randomly. Add pitted black olives, about 15. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake as above. Serve with extra olive oil drizzles. 

THE CLASSIC NEAPOLITAN - OUR SPECIAL RECIPE

The inhabitants of Naples claim to be the inventor of the original pizza. The Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba in the port of Naples was initially established in 1738 but only as a stand for peddlers -- the real pizzeria opening in 1830. The classic Pizza Margherita was born featuring locally sourced San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and a charred pizza crust out of a blazingly hot wood-fired oven. In our neck of the woods, the secret is to use your grill which gets much hotter than anything in your kitchen. Buon Appetito!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb pizza dough, room temperature (store bought is fine)
1/4 cup fresh Garlic olive oil
1 can San Marzano tomatoes drained, then crushed
3 tbsp Neapolitan balsamic
1 ball of fresh mozzarella, torn in 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Heat grill to high, careful to leave one side of grill off. Set up a table or bench near the grill so you have easy access to tomato sauce and cheese (or any other toppings you might choose to add). Bring pizza dough to room temperature. Before rolling dough, stretch it with your hands which can crush air pockets that prevent the dough from rising and bubbling during grilling. Then roll out your pizza dough with a bit of flour so that it’s not super­ sticky. Divide into 3 oblong or roundish pies. Minimize the height of the edges; just enough to keep everything in place. Lightly brush clean grill racks with oil. Brush one side of dough with oil, then place directly on the grill, oil side down. Brush the other side with oil. After 1-2 minutes, check to see for doneness. There should be a smattering of dark patches. Then carefully remove from heat, turning charred side up and place on unheated side of grill. Brush charred side with olive oil then spread a light amount tomato sauce evenly. Add dollops of mozzarella. Drizzle 1 tbsp of Neapolitan balsamic leaving the rest to the side for serving. Then return to heated side of grill, cover with lid and leave for another 4-6 minutes checking occasionally to prevent too much charring. Remove from grill and place on cutting board. Distribute basil leaves. Cut and drizzle with Garlic oil and Neapolitan balsamic to taste. 

ITALIAN SEAFOOD PIZZA

Those with a passion for fish or seafood, load up your pizza with poached salmon bits or shrimp. Add farm fresh arugula, lots of mozzarella and sweet tomatoes. And a generous drizzle of both Lemon oil and Sicilian Lemon white balsamic. A sprinkling of dried chili peppers or a some Cayenne oil are the perfect finishes.

TOMATO BASIL CORN (BACON) PIZZA

Whether fresh or frozen, corn is a fabulous sweet topping. Add tomatoes, your choice of cheeses, basil and bacon. Dazzling drizzles include Chipotle olive oil, Traditional Aged dark balsamic and Persian Lime olive oil.

BRINY DILL PICKLES + GARLIC
Sliced briny dill pickles work on pizza because they compliment classic flavours of cheese and chilis. Use Garlic olive oil to spread on pie's base and crust areas in stead of EVOO. Spread a thin layer of homemade tomato sauce. Then add a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes. Add grated parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Then place pickles across the pizza. Drizzle additional garlic olive oil before placing on BBQ. You can also sprinkle some ground beef to make your own cheeseburger pizza. 

VEGGIE EXTRAVAGANZA

Your own individual combination of veggies. Combination of red onions, fresh cherry tomatoes, zucchini, arugula, sweet peppers and mushrooms. We suggest you quick pan fry in olive oil for sweet peppers -- and deeper saute of mushrooms - before adding them as toppings.