Three types of pizza à la Vjeze Fur
Lekker Fred is full of fun recipes and even more fun tips. I mean: ‘If I were you, I’d make all these pizzas and get everything ready in advance. Then, when you’re at step 7, you won’t be thinking, “Oh, I was supposed to have this ready”—that’s just a life tip, right?
Freddy: ‘You can make quick pizza. I’ve never done this myself, but apparently it’s possible. You can also make pizza my way. I have done this a few times. Take your time and wear a black shirt; flour and sauce will end up on it, giving you that extra feeling of “yes, I’m really making pietza now.” I usually make a lot because it’s a bit of a hassle. I then invite about five friends who can chat with one another while I cook in the kitchen with one of them. And I use a pizza stone; if I were you, I’d do that too if you think you should bake pizza more often. I usually make the dough a day in advance. I use homemade pasta sauce as tomato sauce. Don’t feel like making that? Then use passata and leave me alone.’
Here’s how to make it:
- Add the salt to the water and stir briefly. Combine the flour and yeast and give them a quick stir as well. Add the water and stir with a spoon or something. Do this for a little longer than 1 minute. It doesn’t look like much yet, and the dough may or may not be coming together.
- Take the dough out of the bowl and continue kneading by hand on a very clean countertop, together with a small splash of the measured olive oil. Keep kneading for 3 minutes, then add a little more olive oil. Knead well for a bit longer, then add the rest of the olive oil.
- You’ve now kneaded for about 8 to 10 minutes, your forearm is getting tired and you’re ready to be done. Put the large lump of dough in a bowl, cover it with a half-damp cloth and let it rest on the countertop for 5 to 20 minutes.
- Divide the lump of dough into 2 pieces. Divide each piece into 3 parts. You now have 6 pieces in total. Shape them into balls by folding the edges inward so a ball forms without rolling; if you do it right, the ball will become taut. Put all the balls in a large shallow container or oven dish. Cover with plastic wrap or the damp cloth and place in the refrigerator for 1 day.
- Take the dough balls out of the refrigerator 2 to 3 hours before you bake the pizzas. Now continue with your mise en place for the toppings—in other words, get everything ready before moving on to the next step.
- Set the oven to its maximum grill setting and heat the pizza stone along with it. Dust your clean countertop with some flour (cornmeal is most convenient). Throw the dough onto it. Stretch the dough from the center using the side of your hand; don’t use a rolling pin. If you’re feeling wild, toss it through the air. Just remember that you’ve already invested an annoyingly large amount of time in it, and if a hole appears in your dough, it’s somewhat ruined.
- Spread the sauce over the pizzas. Not too much, otherwise they’ll become too wet. You should be able to see the dough through the sauce in some places. Continue with the various toppings you just prepared. Bake the pizzas in the preheated oven at the highest setting, preferably on a pizza stone, for about 8 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Title: Lekker Fred
Author: Freddy Tratlehner
Publisher: Carrera Culinair
Price: €25,-
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