Pizza Bianca

[charisstoma]

Pizza Bianca
Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001 - 2018

The challenge of devising a pizza bianca recipe for the home cook was to figure out how to handle the super-hydrated dough. Forming the dough required both a 20-minute resting time and 10 minutes of machine kneading at high speed. Rather than rolling it, the dough was pressed onto a baking sheet and the sheet placed on top of a preheated pizza stone on the middle rack of a 450-degree oven. Following these steps gave a superbly crisp, chewy crust. Good served as a snack or with soup or salad.

3 C (15 oz) unbleached flour
1 2/3 C water, room temperature
1 1/4 t table salt
1 1/2 t instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/4 t sugar
5 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 t kosher salt
2 T whole fresh rosemary leaves

Mix flour, water and table salt in mixer bowl with bread hook on low speed until no area of dry flour remains. ~ 3 - 4 minutes. Occasionally scrape down the bowl sides. Turn off the mixer and let dough rest for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle yeast and suger over the dough.
Kneed on low speed until fully combined, ~ 1 - 2 minutes, occasionally scraping down the bowl sides.

Increase mixer speed to high and knead until the dough is glossy and smooth and pulls away from the3 sides of the bowl, 6 - 10 minutes. (This is while the mixer is on, while mixer is off the dough will fall back to the sides.)

Using fingers, coat a large bowl with 1 T of oil, rubbing the excess oil off onto the rubber spatula.
Transfer dough to bowl using spatula and pour 1 T more oil over top. Flip dough over once to it is well coated. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at room temperature until nearly tripled in volume and large bubbles have formed, 2 - 2 1/2 hours. (Dough in covered oiled bowl can kept in refrigerator 24 hours. Bring dough to room temperature, 2 - 2 1/2 hours)

One hour before baking pizza, adjust oven rack to middle position, place pizza stone on the rack and heat oven to 450 degrees. (Use upturned baking sheet as alternate to pizza stone)

Coat rimmed 18 x 13" baking sheet with 2 T oil.
Using rubber spatula turn dough out onto the baking sheet along with any oil in bowl.
Using fingertips, press the dough out towards the edges of the baking sheet, being careful to not tear it.
(The dough will not fit snugly into corners. If dough resists stretching, let it relax 5 - 10 minutes before trying stretching again.)
Let dough rest until slightly bubbly, 5 - 10 minutes. Using a dinner fork, poke the surface of the dough 30 to 40 times and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake until golden brown, 20 - 30 minutes, sprinkling the rosemary over the top and rotating the baking sheet half way through baking.

Transfer to a cutting board.
Brush dough lightly with the remaining 1 T oil. Slice and serve immediately.