HOMEMADE PIZZA

The common belief is that Italians invented pizza, but its origin goes back to ancient times in the Middle East. Babylonians, Israelites, Egyptians, Armenians, Greeks and Romans, and other ancient cultures ate flat, unleavened bread cooked in mud ovens. The Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians were eating the bread topped with olive oil and native spices (what is today called focaccia). But Italy's version of the dish, especially from Naples, is the one we are familiar with - with tomato, cheese, and other toppings and seasonings. Supposedly, this pizza was first created by the baker Raffaele Esposito in Naples. The first known pizza shop was the Port 'Alba in Naples, which opened in 1830 and is still open today. Pizza spread to America, England, France, and Spain but it was little-known in these countries until World War II. The origin of the word pizza is uncertain. It is Italian for 'pie' and may have come from Latin pix 'pitch' or Greek pitta.

Serves 4
20 minutes + 30 minutes yeast
620 kcal per serving

Pizza Dough:
25 g yeast
2,5 dl lukewarm water
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
About 6 dl flour (360 g)

Filling:

• 400 g of ground beef
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 pinches of black pepper
• 1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 can of tomato sauce with basil (340 g)
• 200 g grated pizza cheese (17%)

Method

1. Place the yeast in a bowl and stir in the water.
2. Add the oil and salt and mix in the flour little by little to a smooth dough.
3. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
4. Dust with a little flour and let it ferment covered with a kitchen towel for about 30 minutes.
5. Sauté the meat over high heat in oil in a frying pan for about 2 minutes, then add half of the onion and sauté for another 2 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
7. Preheat the oven to 250 °C.
8. Put the dough on a floured work surface and cut it into 4 pieces.
9. Roll out each piece into a circle, then place them on parchment paper.
10. Spread the tomato sauce, then the ground beef, peppers and onions over the pizza.
11. Top with the grated cheese and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes.