Flour: The Basis of Everything
Choosing the right flour is the first crucial step for an excellent pizza.
Italian flours are classified according to their refinement: 00, 0, 1, 2 and wholemeal.
For traditional Neapolitan pizza, type 00 flour is mainly used, characterised by a fine grind and a protein content between 11% and 13%.
This ensures an elastic and resistant dough.
More and more professional pizza chefs are choosing to mix different types of flour to obtain doughs with specific characteristics.
Adding small percentages of spelt, rye, or whole wheat flour can impart particular flavors and consistencies.
The quality of the wheat is fundamental, and it must be carefully selected and ground.
Tomato: Perfect Red
Tomato is the ingredient that characterizes most Italian pizzas.
The most renowned variety is the San Marzano DOP, grown in the volcanic plains around Vesuvius.
These tomatoes are distinguished by their elongated shape, intense red color, fleshy pulp with few seeds and the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity.
For a traditional pizza, the tomatoes are simply crushed by hand or coarsely pureed, maintaining their natural consistency.
No pre-cooked sauces or concentrates: freshness and simplicity are the key.
Some master pizza chefs prefer piennolo or datterini tomatoes for their more concentrated and sweet flavor.
Mozzarella: The White Soul
The real Margherita pizza requires DOP buffalo mozzarella from Campania, produced with whole buffalo milk.
It stands out for its soft and elastic consistency, its porcelain white colour and its delicate but characteristic flavour.
Alternatively, you can use fior di latte, a mozzarella made with cow's milk, which is drier and better able to withstand the high temperatures of the oven.
The quality of mozzarella can be recognized by its freshness, by its consistency which must be elastic but not rubbery, and by its flavor which must be sweet and slightly acidic.
For pizza, the mozzarella is cut into cubes or slices, never grated, to preserve its consistency and allow it to melt perfectly during cooking.
Olive Oil: Liquid Gold
Extra virgin olive oil is a fundamental element in Italian pizza.
It is added both in the dough and as a final seasoning.
A good extra virgin olive oil must be obtained from the first cold pressing of the olives, have an acidity lower than 0.8% and a fruity aroma.
The Italian regions produce oils with different characteristics: more intense and spicy in Tuscany and Umbria, more delicate in Liguria, fruitier in Sicily and Puglia.
For pizza, many master pizza chefs prefer medium-flavored oils that enhance the other ingredients without overpowering them.
The oil is added raw, after cooking, to preserve all its organoleptic and nutritional properties.
Basil: Mediterranean Fragrance
Basil is the quintessential aromatic herb for Margherita pizza.
The most popular varieties are Genoese DOP basil and Neapolitan basil, characterised by large leaves, an intense aroma and a sweet flavour.
Basil leaves should be added to the pizza only at the end of cooking or in the last few seconds, to prevent them from blackening and losing their aroma.
They must be fresh and never dried: dried basil does not have the same aroma and flavor as fresh basil.
Some pizza chefs use basil leaves infused in the oil to flavor it before topping the pizza.
Salt: Balance of Flavors
Although often overlooked, salt is a crucial ingredient in both pizza dough and toppings.
Whole sea salt, rich in trace elements, is preferred by pizza chefs who are more attentive to quality.
Trapani salt, Cervia salt or flower of salt are some of the most prized varieties.
In the dough, salt not only adds flavor but also regulates fermentation and strengthens the gluten structure.
The quantity must be calibrated precisely: too little makes the dough tasteless, too much makes it excessively tasty and can slow down the leavening.
The Yeast: The Invisible Soul
Yeast is one of the ingredients responsible for the fermentation of the dough and therefore for its lightness and digestibility.
There are mainly three types of yeast used in pizza: fresh brewer's yeast, dry brewer's yeast and sourdough (or mother yeast).
Sourdough, a naturally fermented dough containing lactic acid bacteria and wild yeasts, is considered the best choice for gourmet pizzas and long leavening times.
It gives the dough complex aromas and makes the pizza more digestible.
Its management requires experience and dedication, but the results amply repay the effort.
Special Ingredients: DOP and IGP
These certified products are the fruit of the Italian gastronomic tradition and represent the excellence of the territory.
Using them on pizza means enhancing the Italian culinary heritage and ensuring an authentic and high-quality taste experience.
Discover all the secrets of the ingredients for Italian pizza
In our ebook "The Magical Art of Italian Pizza" you will find a complete guide to quality ingredients, with advice on how to select and use them best to prepare real Italian pizza in a pizzeria or at home.
If you are interested in the paper version visit my sites:
Italian version: web https://lartemagicadellapizzaitaliana.jimdofree.com/
French version: https://lartmagiquedelapizzaitalienne.jimdofree.com/
English version: https://themagicalartofitalianpiz.jimdofree.com/