May
Pizza Ovens, Tips & tricks!, What to cook
Why Simplicity is Always Best When it Comes to Pizza
Alright, let’s talk about pizza – the ultimate comfort food, the unbeatable crowd-pleaser, the timeless classic. You know, that delicious creation of dough, sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings your heart desires. But here’s the thing: what makes pizza truly amazing isn’t all the fancy stuff you can pile on top. Nope, it’s all about keeping it simple.
Picture this: Naples, Italy, back in the day. Pizza was born on those bustling streets, and it was as straightforward as can be. Fast forward to today, and that simplicity still reigns supreme. So, in this blog we’re diving into why simplicity is best when it comes to pizza. From the basics to the traditional techniques and straightforward ingredients, we’ll explore how stripping things down to the essentials makes for the most mouth-watering wood fired pizzas.
All pizza aren’t made equal
Numerous elements set one pizza apart from another, including the thickness of the crust, its aeration, the selection and quantity of ingredients as well as the cheese and sauce. What makes pizza such a wonderful thing to behold is the fact there’s so much variation across the world. Different styles and different cultural tastes, country to country, mould the humble pizza into something unique.
Where we stand
One thing that we all agree on here at Igneus Wood Fired Ovens is that keeping things simple is the way forward. There’s nothing more humble than cooking with wood fire, which is of course the basis of all our ovens. But this also transcends into how we think proper pizza should be. Let’s dive into exactly what we mean.
It starts with the dough
Classic, simply, Neapolitan pizza dough. That’s it. Dough that’s light, soft and chewy in texture, coupled with its delicate flavour, creating the ideal canvas for those traditional toppings we all know and love. It’s like a blank slate, waiting to be adorned with quality ingredients. What’s more, because of its higher levels of hydration, the air pockets in the dough puff up during the cooking process, creating beautifully gnarly crusts around the dough. You might have heard these being referred to as leopard spotting. These not only make the dough look attractive, they add a subtle charred taste to the pizza which is synonymous with traditional pizza.
Tomato sauce
Speak to any Italian and they’ll tell you that any Italian household thinks they make the best tomato sauce in the world. They’re all super proud of this fact, but of course they can’t all be correct! The truth of the matter is they’re probably all incredible. And the one thing they have in common is without doubt their use of quality ingredients, and not too many of them at that. So, when it comes to tomato sauce for pizza, the same rule applies. Our recipe contains just five ingredients, listed below.
Ingredients
- 2x 400g Tins San Marzano DOP Plum Tomatoes
- 6 tbsp Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1-2 tsp Oregano (Fresh if you can get it, dried if you can’t)
- 3-4 leaves Fresh Basil (torn)
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
Method
Step 1: Begin by transferring the tomatoes into a bowl. Now comes the enjoyable part: gently crush the plum tomatoes using your hands until they break down into a saucier consistency.
Step 2: Incorporate the remaining ingredients into the bowl and thoroughly combine them. Allow the sauce to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour before use, allowing the flavours to marry together.
And there you have it—simplicity at its finest! We weren’t kidding when we said it was straightforward!
Go easy on the toppings!
Italians definitely subscribe to the ‘less is more’ school of thought when it comes to pizza toppings, and it’s a notion that we share here at Igneus. We get that it can often be tempting to go wild with every topping imaginable, but here’s the thing: piling on too many toppings can overwhelm the delicate balance of flavours that makes pizza so delicious. Instead, stick to the rule of three, opting for a thoughtful selection of three toppings that complement each other and let the quality of each of those ingredients shine through. Whether it’s a classic Margherita with just tomato, mozzarella, and basil, or a simple pepperoni with sweet bell peppers and oregano, simplicity allows the quality of your ingredients shine through.
Plus, when you go easy on the toppings, you avoid the risk of a soggy, overloaded crust – nobody wants that! Because the heat of a wood fired pizza oven can reach 500°C, if you overload your pizza with too many ingredients, the crust often burns before the base and toppings have had a chance to perfectly cook.
So next time you’re making your perfect pizza, remember: restraint is key. Stick to a few well-chosen toppings, and you’ll be rewarded with a pizza that’s bursting with flavour as well as being perfectly balanced.
Conclusion
So, there we have it. The key takeaway with this one is quality over quantity. If you have a set budget for your next pizza party, spend it on fewer quality ingredients rather than as many ingredients as you can think of! From the basic dough to the toppings, less is definitely more. By sticking to the classics and honouring authentic traditional pizza, you’ll thank us for it later!
Thanks for reading,
Team Igneus