Pizza Today - April 2020 - 38

contrast the pillowy, light middle. They
are rectangular in shape as opposed to the
traditional square shape of a Grandma. All
of our pizza is naturally leavened, AKA
sourdough. The Sicilian is where you can
truly taste the beauty of this method.
The long rise and fermentation really
accentuates the flavor and strengthens
the texture. I think of Sicilians as a cloud
that carries a light amount of toppings.
Some people might think that since the
Sicilian is thicker in structure it can hold
up to more toppings. This is a valid point.
However, the beauty of this pie is to taste
the phenomenal flavor and structure of
the dough. As such, I believe whatever it is
topped with should highlight and enhance
it instead of covering it up.

My favorite is when it is made into an
OTP or Original Tomato Pie. Sliced moz-

zarella on the bottom with sauce, garlic,
extra virgin olive oil, Sicilian oregano and
grated Parmesan on top. I cannot take
credit for this. Everything I learned about
OTP's was from Tony Gemignani. As with
most things pizza, he taught me the true
beauty and simplicity of this pie. Tony is

a pizzaiolo who sticks truly to the origins
of a style of pizza. If you eat a pie at any of
his places you know that it will not only be
one of the best pizzas you ever have, but
it will also be technically correct. I, on the
other hand, like to have a base knowledge
of a style and then veer off in my own
interpretation of it. So, to give you a more
concrete definition of what exactly the
differences and similarities are of Sicilians
and Grandma pizzas I thought I would ask
a few people I consider to be experts.
Tony said that "the bottom on a Grandma tends to be crispier because more oil
is used so it has an almost fried texture."
The perfect description of something I
always try to create but never know how
to put into words. Giovanni Cesarano, of
King Umberto's, agrees that it should have
a crispy bottom, finishing the pie on the
deck of the oven to achieve that quality.
Cesarano also says that the sauce is an
important characteristic of the Grandma,
stating that the "traditional style toppings
are an uncooked plum tomato sauce with
plenty of flavor. You should be able to taste
the garlic, and less cheese than a regular
pie." Gemignani also acknowledged this

important fact, describing Grandmas as
"more sauce centric." As for Sicilians,
Decker says that one of the most important qualities is "proof time." This is what
makes the Sicilian thicker and airier as
opposed to the thinner, crunchier
Grandma.

As with making any style of pizza,
I believe that the fun and beauty in it is
creating a product that reflects you and
that you are happy with. Some people like
their Sicilians with huge air pockets, others
prefer them dense. I've had Grandmas that
are soft and melt in your mouth and others
as crunchy as a cracker. If you want to pile
on the toppings, well that is up to you. The
one characteristic of the two that any pizza
maker I know will insist and judge it on is
that it better have a good, crispy bottom.
In the wise words of Chris Decker, I
leave you with this, "Both pizzas are fantastic when cooked with the most
important ingredient of all time, love." n
AUDREY KELLY is the owner and pizziola
at Audrey Jane's Pizza Garage in Boulder,
CO.
http://hotrocksoven.com/ http://hotrocksoven.com/
Pizza Today - April 2020

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