"WHAT IS in a name?" If Shakespeare's Juliet had been thinking of pizza when she asked Romeo this question, their story might have ended happily. Through its history, pizza has assumed a variety of names and forms. But then variety is part of what makes pizza so irresistible.
An early Venetian precursor to traditional Italian pizza, calzone has an overstuffed half-moon shape reminiscent of a giant turnover. Sicily's pizza repertoire includes a delightfully cheesy variation that contains no tomato but puffs and browns just like a souffle. And France's historic province of Alsace has produced the flammekeuche, a large pizza like tart topped with bacon, egg, onions and soft cheese. These varieties may be less well-known than traditional pizza, but they share its tremendous appeal.
SUCCESS TIPS:
For pizza with a crisp crust, use a baking stone, a flat, porous slab of ceramic or high-fired stoneware to help distribute oven heat evenly. Before baking the pizza, preheat the baking stone for 30 minutes in a 450-degree oven or, for an extra-crisp crust, at 475 degrees.
To transfer a pizza to and from a baking stone, use a baker's peel (a flat wooden paddle) or a rimless baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal.
Flammekeuche
Translated as 'flaming tart,' a flammekeuche is a rich, mellow-flavoured Alsatian variation on Italian pizza. Start this recipe the day before you plan to serve it, since the ricotta topping (Fromage Blanc) needs to chill for 12 hours. If you do not have a baking stone, bake the flammekeuche on a baking sheet or pizza pan.
Fromage Blanc
3/4 cup ricotta cheese (substitute cottage cheese)
3 tbsps. plain yogurt
Pinch of salt
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm (105 degrees) water
4 cups bread flour, plus flour for dusting
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 tbsp. salt
Oil, for bowl
1/4 lb. lean slab bacon, cubed
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
3 tbsps. yellow cornmeal, for dusting pan
1 large egg
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese (substitute Parmesan or
Romano cheese)
2 tbsps. water
METHOD
1. To prepare Fromage Blanc, combine all ingredients in a blender; blend 30 seconds. Refrigerate in a covered container for 12 hours before using.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine yeast and warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Stir with fork to blend. Add 1/2 cup of the bread flour; blend well. Cover and let stand 45 minutes.
3. Add cold water and salt. Begin adding remaining bread flour 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When dough becomes too stiff to stir, transfer to lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and shiny (7 to 10 minutes). Place in lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat dough with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 3/4 hours.
4. In a medium skillet over moderate heat, slowly render bacon until fat is melted and bacon is browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour out and discard excess fat from skillet. Add olive oil and onion to the same skillet; over moderate heat saute onion
until slightly softened (about 5 minutes). Cool to room
temperature.
5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Dust baker's peel, rimless baking sheet or pizza pan with cornmeal. Whisk together Fromage Blanc, egg and the 1 tablespoon flour; reserve.
6. Punch down dough; roll out into a large circle or rectangle. Transfer to prepared baker's peel or baking sheet. Spread dough with Fromage Blanc mixture to within 3/4 inch of edge. Top with onions and rendered bacon; sprinkle with grated cheese. Lightly brush edge of dough with the 2 tablespoons water. Transfer to oven. Bake on preheated baking stone or in pan until golden brown (15 to 20 minutes). Serve hot.
Serves 6.
Sicilian Pizza Souffle
Simple but extraordinarily good, the creamy topping on this pizza rises just like a souffle. For the crust, use your favourite homemade pizza dough, a mix, or a ready-to-bake crust.
Pizza dough for a medium (14- to 15-inch) pizza
2 tbsps. yellow cornmeal, for dusting pan
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
4 ozs. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (substitute Feta
cheese)
3 eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsps. minced parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Shape prepared pizza dough into a 14- or 15-inch round. Place on a baker's peel (if using a baking stone) or a rimless baking pan or pizza pan that has been dusted with cornmeal.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, Gorgonzola, eggs, 1/2 cup of the parsley, garlic and half of the Parmesan. Spread mixture over dough. Drizzle with olive oil; dust with remaining Parmesan.
3. Place pizza into preheated oven. Bake until browned and puffy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into thin wedges or small squares and serve hot, garnished with remaining parsley.
Serves 4 to 6.
