Posts Tagged ‘mozzarella pizza recipe’

Bresaola Pizza

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Hello there!

I just got back from the International Pizza Expo where I did two cooking demonstrations; Vegan and Vegetarian Pizzas and Beyond Bread sticks which included all sorts of breads that I sell here at Avalanche, in Athens, Ohio. The Expo is held in Las Vegas and is the most interesting venue for all things pizza…and more.

Today, lets do the Bresaola Pizza. In the last blog entry, I showed you the easy and fast way to make bresaola which we will top this pie with.

This fabulous pizza will start with what should be a dead dough. In fact this dough has sat in cold fermentation an incredible 13 days!

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If my awesome baker Torrey had used commercial yeast, this dough would have died two days ago. So now I’ve pulled it an look for activity from a companion dough on the same tray. The alveoli, or cells (above right) that have formed from the gasses give my nose that sour-sweet wheat that hasn’t turned to an acidic nightmare yet. As it heats up in my proofing cabinet, it acts like an old racehorse that is gonna give it his ‘all’ to win one last race! This is what I live for, to push the limits of dough making and conventional wisdom to see what new flavor, textures and crust an old dough can enlighten me with. Enough with the sappy, egotistical B.S., lets roll baby!

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Because I am using an aggressive dough, I need a great strong cheese to compliment the chew and sourness of the disc. I was lucky enough to cop some great cheese named Everton from Jacobs and Birchford in Indiana. It’s one of those iconic cheesed that you never forget with a melt like an aged Gruyere. I loved the competing grass and incredible tangy depth of flavor this cheese has and wish I had a Jackie O’s beer to go along with it. Along with the Everton, I have some fresh mozzarella, wild mushrooms, lemon cream and watercress.

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I decided to cook the pizza at 630 degrees in my Matador oven. This would quick cook the mushrooms melting in the Everton and mozzarella for an old school pizza.

 

Check out this time lapse and see what a naturally fermented dough that is one third all purpose and two thirds high gluten can do. (Holy smokes, was that a sentence?)

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Here is the pizza right out of the oven. Now is time to dress this pie up.

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First I mixed up the lemon with local Snowville Creme Fraiche to give the pizza a bright note to go with the watercress. I let the salty bresaola just melt on the cheese and mushrooms then topped the pizza with more Everton, watercress and then the creme.

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Wow, this baby is the bomb! Salty sour crunch with acidic and smooth cheesy notes followed by the umami of the mushrooms…paradise!

 

 

The Incredible, Edible Mozza-Paw Egg

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Paw paws are not only the official fruit of Ohio but are also spectacularly flavorful in the few weeks of maturity here in the Southeastern corner of this “Buckeye” State.  Its this time of year that I find myself entombed in a broadleaf jungle of a massive paw paw patch looking up at a pair of testicular-shaped beauties and making a decision to either bend, shake or just grab, (Now, I know what you’re thinking- that’s disgusting you sicko!)

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You see, the paw paw trees that bear fruit are the medium sized ones that can usually be bent over, but some paw paws hang so high that you have to shake. Here is my son and I in a patch this year.

 

My intention weeks ago was to make a paw paw pizza, (Next blog entry) but I wanted to do something erratic, or if you will, out of the ordinary and since we were doing some fresh mozzarella fabrication, I thought an egg was an appropriate topping for said pizza. So here it is, but first another video about getting the flesh from the paw paw that some of you mere mortals may find annoying.

 

 

So, now that we have the custardy goodness in the bowl, its time for the “yolk” for my egg. Remember, that the ‘Vitamin C” I referred to is ascorbic acid in the form of lemon juice. This will keep the paw paw custard from turning brown.

 

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First take a hemispheric mold and fill as many half circles as you will need and place in the freezer. When frozen solid warm your finger under hot running water then rub the top of each half circle to melt some of the paw paw filling for cohesion with another. Place atop another half circle.

 

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Take both out of the mold and place in a square of plastic wrap and gently press together. The paw paw will melt quickly so you must work fast and get on ice fast.

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When the paw paw yolk is frozen, start the fresh mozzarella in the fashion of my previous blog post. Use only enough fresh curd as you will need. Heat the fresh curd and form and place in your hand. Quickly place the paw paw yolk in the center of the melting mozzarella and close the edges quickly. Even more quickly form the  mozzarella into an egg shape. Here I used a baking form pan to roll the mozzarella into shape. Place in ice bath quickly to set.

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When you are ready to place on a pizza, bring to room temperature, slice and place on a pizza. The yolk will melt out beautifully and people will think you’re utterly insane…until they eat this ‘gnad-pumping egg! late summer 2014 269ii Next on Pizza Goon, a real killer paw paw pizza!