Pizza Today_February 23 - 48

Shake and Bake
The bake. Year after year, I see the best
professionals in the pizza business falter
at the ovens because of nervousness.
Rushing, distraction, over and under
baking or allowing other contestants to
open oven doors to release heat repeatedly
ruins their traditional bake.
Be prepared. The best pizza
competitors bring almost everything,
going over all they need time and time
again. Never, ever think you will find a
slicer on the show floor or that a mixer
will be available. The crew that you bring
to Vegas must be detail-oriented and
serious. I have seen some wonderful pizza
people frantically running in the back for
a spoon after their helpers wander away
from the area to talk to others. This just
adds to the stress of the whole situation.
Confidence: When you make it to the
finals (and I truly hope you all do), you
must confront the judges face to face.
The confidence and communication you
show to them will set you apart from
the apprehensive rookies. Speaking
clearly while showing your masterpiece
to all the judges is especially important.
This is where your game shines. This is
the pinnacle of your profession. Your
craftsmanship and your pizza must be
the best in the world. 11-time pizza
champion Bruno di Fabio put it perfectly
when he said, " Go in like a Viking. "
A WINNING SAUSAGE AND
PEPPER PIZZA
This pizza starts with the Pain a' l'
Ancienne method for the dough. This
cold and long fermented dough was
first introduced to me by Master Baker
Peter Reinhart in his book The Bread
Baker's Apprentice. The cold prohibits
the yeast from activating and affords the
enzymes a chance to break down complex
carbohydrates into sugars. This creates a
rich flavor and killer caramelization. The
sauce is a house made chunky tomato
sauce using the best sweet California pear
tomatoes to be had. The cheese blend is
designed to play with the fatty sausage
and is a 50/50 blend of mozzarella and
48 / PIZZATODAY.COM / FEBRUARY 2023
provolone with a touch of sour Asiago. The
sweet fennel sausage is house made with
no nitrates and has a spicy component; it
is placed on raw to draw out the natural
juices to cover the pie and meld flavors
while the green peppers are cooking.
For the sauce:
8-9 large, freshly canned pear tomatoes
(approximately 12 ounces)
5 tablespoons of the pear tomato juice
from the can
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 basil leaves sliced thin (approximately
1 heaping tablespoon after chopping)
After selecting the tomatoes, tear each
one lengthwise with your thumb and place
in a colander to drain.
Take half of the tomatoes and grind
them up in a food mill, food processor or
immersion blender. Add the tomato paste
and all the other ingredients to this sauce
and stir.
Chop the remaining tomatoes into a
small, diced slurry. Add this to the other
sauce and stir. The sauce should be thick
and flavorful.
For the dough:
This Pain a' l' Ancienne method for
doing dough will coax more flavor than
a typical direct method pizza dough.
The cold fermentation for 36 to 40 hours
will bring out more nuttiness and a mild
sweetness, along with a deep, dark
cornicione with a soft and airy inside.
Mix your proprietary flours with yeast,
salt and very, very ice-cold water using the
same method you usually do. I like a higher
hydration for this method but that is up to
you.
Ball up each dough ball to the typical
weight of your large dough balls and put
in the refrigerator immediately. Refrigerate
for up to 40 hours.
For the Sweet Fennel Sausage:
1 pound ground pork as fatty as
possible. (60/40 meat to fat is good)
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cracked fennel seed
¾ tablespoon Italian seasoning
¾ tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Mix the meat with all the other
ingredients. Place a small dollop on foil in
the oven or in a sauté' pan to taste. Adjust
flavors as needed. Reserve for topping.
For the Pizza:
1 pizza dough ball
1 spoodle of chunky tomato sauce
3 tablespoons of shredded Asiago
cheese
5 ounces of mozzarella/Provolone mix
4 ounces of thin sliced fresh green
pepper
5 ounces of sweet fennel sausage
Form a 14-inch disc with the proofed
pizza dough.
Top with the chunky tomato sauce
and the Asiago cheese, followed by the
mozzarella/provolone mix.
Spread the green pepper slices around
the pizza.
Pinch small pieces of the sausage from
the mass. Using your thumb and forefinger
press each piece into a thin, nickel or
quarter shaped piece. Continue around
the pizza.
Place the pizza in a 500 F oven for 9-12
minutes until completely cooked. Check
for a deep golden crust and a firm and
crispy bottom.
JOHN GUTEKANST owns Avalanche
Pizza in Athens, Ohio.
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today_February 23

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