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The best pizza in this neck of the woods comes from Brixx
in Greensboro. They are a very small chain with a handful of restaurants in North and South Carolina. Their ovens
are made of brick and fired with wood, and, being a potter who utilizes a brick kiln, I think the brick oven adds
an extra dimension to their pizzas. After eating at Brixx, I have just about sworn off "big box" pizzerias,
and the only thing that comes close is making and baking pizza at home. Occasionally Brixx offers a "Friday
night special", something off the menu, which is where the idea for this pizza recipe came from.
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The following is adequate for two 10" pizzas, using the dough recipe found below.
The toppings
6 ounces of grated cheddar cheese
6 ounces of mozzarrella cheese
3 TBL of horseradish sauce
2 thinly sliced Roma tomatoes
4-6 slices of deli ham
1/2 thinly sliced red onion
Prepare the dough ahead of time, stretch into shape, and place on a 12" x 12" piece of aluminum foil.
Preheat oven on it's highest setting. In a large bowl blend thoroughly the 2 cheeses and horseradish. Taste, and
if it isn't spicy enough for you, add more horseradish! Or, just squeeze deli horseradish on the crust first, then
add the cheese. Slice the ham into thin strips, the tomatoes crosswise, and the red onion very thinly. Place half
of the cheese mixture on each pizza, then half the ham, tomatoes, and onions.
Be sure and read through the dough recipe (below) for baking times and ideas.
The Dough
5 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/4 tsp. of active dry yeast
2 tbs. olive oil
1 3/4 cups water (room temperature)
1 tbs. honey
2 tsp. salt
Makes 4 - 10 oz. balls
This dough recipe makes a thin, crispy crust with small air pockets. First dissolve the yeast with a little of
the room temperature water, then add all the other ingredients, mixing them well for about 4-5 minutes. Let the
dough rest for 5 minutes, then come back and mix for 3-4 more minutes. If it's too sticky, add more flour, too
dry, add more water. The "wetter" the mix, the crispier the crust. Divide the dough into 4 separate pieces,
shape them into balls, rub with olive oil, and place them in individual ziplock bags. After letting them "rest"
for 15 minutes inside the bags, refrigerate until the next day, or place any balls you do not plan on using immediately
into the freezer. If you're going to use them the same day, turn that 15 minutes rest into one hour, then take
them out of the bag, punch it down, reshape into a ball, put it back in the bag, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Take
whatever you intend to use out of the fridge 2 hours before use, and allow to reach room temperature. Shape and
stretch into roughly a thin 9"-10" circle, or whatever shape you can manage. This dough is somewhat elastic,
and has the tendency to spring back into a smaller shape. It is finicky to work with, and I work it on a
countertop with a thin sheen of olive oil; olive oil being very good for you, and assists the crust in browning.
Some folks use water on the counter, or a light dusting of bread flour. I allow it to rest after the initial shaping
and stretching, then come back and do it again. I have found it easier to build the pizza on top of a 12"
x 12" piece of aluminum foil, on top of a pizza peel, once the dough has been shaped and stretched. I keep
an old 1" thick kiln shelf in my oven, on the middle shelf, and preheat the oven at it's highest heat setting
for about an hour before sliding the pizza (on the foil) directly on top of it. Baking time in our oven is approximately
7-8 minutes. When the cheese is bubbly, and the bottom of the crust has browned somewhat, it's done!
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