Introduction to my Pizza Margherita with Brewer's Yeast
This Pizza Margherita with Brewer's Yeast is a quicker alternative to traditional Sourdough. It follows the Neapolitan style with a doughier texture and proper border. Brewer's Yeast offers a faster and more straightforward method than Sourdough, yielding a similar result.
Pizza making may seem simple with few ingredients and steps, but precision is critical. Before you begin, carefully review this page's tools, instructions and tips, and your Pizza Margherita will rival that of a pizzeria!
If this is your first time working with yeast, read before starting.
It is crucial to discuss the preparation time, especially for recipes involving flour and yeast. The rising time depends on factors like yeast quantity, ambient temperature, and the heaviness of the water (the amount of limescale in it), all of which follow chemistry principles.
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Get the right Tools to Make your Pizza Margherita
The Dough Scraper / Cutter is your secret weapon. It is useful for infinite purposes, including recovering the dough from the machine or the bowl after kneading, closing it, breaking it into the desired weights, and, above all, giving you a big hand in cleaning the work surface. Trust me, for organisation freaks like me, it's essential. This is the one I got, but hundreds of options are available in the market.
You will need a wooden shovel to slide your pizza on the backing stone and recover it once cooked. This wooden shovel is the best choice because it doesn't stick to the dough if it's floured enough, and it is also the cheapest.
A baking stone prevents soggy bottoms, but remember to heat the stone before backing your pizza. This is a must for the backing stone to perform and to release the heat slowly during the backing process.
Quick History of Pizza Margherita
Pizza Margherita with Brewer's Yeast is a personal favourite and is renowned worldwide as the most famous Italian pizza. Originating in 1889, Neapolitan pizzamaker Raffaele Esposito created it in honour of Queen Margherita of Savoia. It features tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, symbolizing the Italian flag.
Ingredients for Your Pizza Margherita with Brewer's Yeast
For the dough:
500g Caputo Pizzeria or Caputo Nuvola flour
300g Water (preferably bottled to avoid chlorine affecting dough)
17g Extra virgin Olive Oil
10g Sea salt
1 teaspoon Brewer's Yeast powder (approx. 4g)
For the topping:
250g Passata (e.g., Passata Mutti)
300g Mozzarella
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pinch of salt
2-3 basil leaves
Pizza Margherita with Brewer's Yeast Step by Step
Let's begin making your Pizza Margherita with Brewer's Yeast. You can prepare the dough manually or with a dough-maker, ensuring gluten development for 10-20 minutes.
NOTE: When hand-mixing, allow the dough to rest for 30-45 minutes after initial mixing to enhance water absorption and gluten formation, saving effort.
Combine all ingredients except the oil in a bowl, kneading until elastic. This elasticity prevents the pizza from breaking during stretching, which is attributed to gluten formation from flour protein and water.
Only add the oil after achieving elasticity, ensuring complete absorption.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface, shaping it into a round ball through a process called "Pirlatura" in Italian. Strengthening the dough and trapping air inside is essential for successful pizza preparation.
Return the dough to the bowl, covering it to prevent drying for a couple of hours. Experience will guide you on the ideal duration; I typically check after 90 minutes.
Afterwards, divide the dough into portions for your pizzas. With 500g of flour, you can make four large or six medium pizzas. Cover the dough balls with flour and a kitchen towel or cling film and allow them to rise for an additional hour.
While waiting, prepare the pizza Margherita sauce using these ingredients.
Tomato Passata - Mutti Passata Gastronomia Baby Plum
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - preferably high-quality
Sea Salt
Basil Leaves
Combine the ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon, allowing the sauce to rest for at least an hour before use.
Prepare the mozzarella and preheat your oven to the maximum temperature for optimal results with your Pizza Margherita with Brewer's Yeast.
Remember to preheat the oven adequately for the best results with this Pizza Margherita with Brewer's Yeast.
Now, assemble your Pizza Margherita.
Place a pizza ball on a well-floured pizza paddle, which is essential for making multiple pizzas. Alternatively, use a baking tray, but ensure your oven is sufficiently hot to prevent a soggy bottom.
NOTE: Ensure sufficient flour on the paddle for easy pizza transfer to the oven. Preventing sticking is crucial to avoid discarding the pizza.
Stretching the Pizza Margherita Dough before Moving it onto the Paddle or Tray
Press the dough's centre thrice, moving upward.
Rotate the dough 90 degrees, repeating the upward presses thrice, creating a border and depression.
Gradually enlarge the disc using various techniques, such as lifting and rotating to maintain a circular shape. Be cautious to prevent dough breakage or oblong shapes.
Once stretched, the dough should resemble this.
Add tomato, mozzarella, and basil, ensuring minimal sauce or mozzarella to prevent a heavy, hard-to-handle pizza. If needed, combine dry and fresh mozzarella for optimal results.
Time to Bake Your Pizza Margherita
To achieve the perfect pizza, consider investing in a professional pizza oven that can reach high temperatures for quick cooking. Alternatively, adjust the baking time based on your oven type and temperature.
For standard kitchen ovens, utilize a baking stone for improved results.
About Brewer's Yeast
Brewer's Yeast is a fast-acting yeast suitable for various recipes. It offers distinct flavour and ease of use. Available in fresh or dehydrated forms, it ferments efficiently at low temperatures, delivering quick results compared to sourdough yeast.
Fresh Brewer's Yeast: Fresh and perishable, typically sold in cubes with limited shelf life.
Dry Brewer's Yeast comes in convenient packaging options for occasional bakers. Its efficacy diminishes over time, but it maintains freshness by storing it in the fridge.
Essential Information Before Making Pizza Margherita
Choosing Quality Ingredients for the Best Pizza
Premium ingredients are essential for exceptional pizza. The post will detail the products used and their sources for reference.
Preparing Pizza Dough
Mastering dough preparation is crucial for excellent pizza. Whether manual or with a mixer, maintaining dough temperature below 28°C (82.4°F) is vital for optimal elasticity and structure.
Baking your Pizza
High oven temperatures are key to successful pizza baking. Proper preheating and the use of tools like a baking stone can enhance home pizza quality.
Choosing the Right Cheese for Pizza Margherita
Mozzarella's water content poses challenges in home ovens. Optimal drying methods include using dry mozzarella, a mix of dry and fresh, or pre-drying fresh mozzarella to prevent a soggy pizza.
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