Seems like time to give a shout-out to Alice Waters’ method of making pizza dough, a favorite of mine for more than 40 years.
It was published in Chez Panisse Pasta Pizza & Calzone, a slim volume co-written by Waters with Patricia Curtan and Martine Labro in 1984. The jacket of my copy is tattered and its pages splattered with food stains. But this remains a glorious book, especially the pizza section.
Soon after the book came out, Waters did a cooking demo with one of her chefs near our home in the DC area. Mainly she chatted with the audience, exuding radiance and inspiration, while the chef mixed and formed the dough. I could see that the dough was somewhat sticky, not easy to work, requiring a light touch until kneading made it more cooperative.
At home it took some time to master that light touch and resist adding more flour. But I had the recipe, which explains in leisurely fashion exactly what to do at each stage, and I had watched it being made. So, even as an inexperienced cook, I was confident of success. My reward was a crust that managed to be crisp but tender.
One subtlety is a slight sourdough flavor, thanks to an initial short rise of yeast with rye flour and water. Does the single tablespoon of milk contribute to the magic? Seems doubtful but I never leave it out.
Largely due to Waters, California pizza gained a reputation during the ’80s. (The chain called California Pizza Kitchen is a whole other thing but was founded during this time.)
Alice’s pizza crusts are topped sparingly with creative European-style toppings that seemed exotic to most Americans at the time and still appeal. The cookbook offers 37 of these. No quantities, just the idea, which is enough. None of the combinations consists of more than three main ingredients. Some examples: pancetta, mushrooms and garlic; squid and red peppers; crawfish tails and yellow tomatoes; escarole, capers and fontina.
My favorite topping from day one has been thinly sliced new potatoes, brushed with seasoned olive oil and roasted. The dough is brushed with pesto, followed by a single layer of potato slices. Once the pizza is cooked, more pesto is brushed over the pizza.
The lesson of these no-recipe toppings is that you can improvise. Baby artichokes were in my market recently—a once-a-year event—so I snapped them up. I sauteed the thin slivers in olive oil and mixed them with fresh thyme leaves. When it was time to top the pizza, I spread layers of grated gruyere, sauteed leek, the baby artichoke slices and a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano.
Back to that crust. To approximate the effect of a commercial pizza oven, Waters suggests heating a pizza stone or individual tiles and preheating the oven to 450F to 500F. After rolling/patting/stretching the dough, she transfers it to a pizza paddle for topping before sliding onto the pizza stone.
I learned the hard way that, if the dough sticks at any point, I’ve mangled or even lost the pizza. So I substituted an easier method that ensures success. I shape and top the pizza on the back of a floured sheet pan, bake a few minutes to firm up the crust and then slide the pie onto my hot pizza stone.
Chez Panisse Pasta Pizza & Calzone is out of print but it’s worth trying to get your hands on a used copy. The contents, which include charming illustrations, commemorate a moment in American culinary history when we were learning to choose worthy ingredients, take inspiration from European cooks and master some new techniques.
Adapted from Alice Waters’ recipe in Chez Panisse Pasta Pizza & Calzone
- ¼ cup rye flour
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for kneading
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Topping of your choice
- semolina flour optional
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Make a sponge by mixing the rye flour and yeast with ¼ cup lukewarm water in a large bowl. Cover and allow to expand and turn bubbly, about 30 minutes.
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Add flour, salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, milk and 1/2 cup water. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough starts to come together, then knead on a floured board or countertop. Use quick light motions with your hands to reduce sticking. Add more flour as you knead but no more than necessary. A soft moist dough makes a light, crisp crust. Knead for about 10 minutes to develop strength and elasticity in the dough.
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Place dough in a bowl rubbed with olive oil, and oil the surface of the dough to prevent a crust from forming. Cover the bowl and put it in a warm place. Let the dough rise to double its size (about 2 hours), then gently punch it down. Let it rise about 40 minutes longer.
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To shape and bake in a home oven: If you have a pizza stone, set it on the middle rack. Set temperature to 450-500F.
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Cover the back of a sheet pan with all-purpose or semolina flour,* place the dough on top and gently roll or stretch it to 12 x 14 inches or other desired dimensions. After adding the topping, place the pan on a rack to cook for 8 minutes, until the crust firms. Then slide the pizza onto the stone and cook about 8 minutes longer until the crust is lightly browned and the topping is hot.
*If you don't have a stone, use the right side of a sheet pan or pizza pan to cook the pizza.
