Delfina’s Carbonara Pizza
Thomas J. Story
Time: About 2 hours, plus rising time. This is the best home pizza dough we’ve ever tried—smooth, supple, and easy to work with. You can use regular flour, but for a truly awesome, springy-yet-crunchy crust, go for high-protein Italian “00” (finely milled) flour. Weigh the flour for best results.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Make dough: Put yeast, oil, and 2 cups plus 1 tbsp. cold tap water in bowl of a stand mixer and mix, using dough hook, on lowest speed, 5 minutes or until yeast has completely dissolved. Add flour and mix another 8 minutes.
Step 2
2
Cover bowl loosely with a dampened towel and let dough rise 20 minutes.
Step 3
3
Add salt and mix on low speed until incorporated and dissolved, about 7 minutes.
Step 4
4
Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion with a circular pressing motion into a tight ball. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet.
Step 5
5
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at least 4 hours at warm room temperature. Dough balls have risen properly when they are soft, pillowy, and full of air.
Step 6
6
Heat a pizza stone or baking sheet on lowest rack of oven at 550° (or as high as oven will go), at least 30 minutes.
Step 7
7
Make toppings: Cut green onions into long slivers, soak in cold water for 20 minutes, and drain in a colander. Set aside.
Step 8
8
Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add guanciale, and boil until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Step 9
9
Working with 1 dough ball at a time (keep the rest tightly covered), set on a well-floured pizza peel or baking sheet. To stretch into an 11- to 12-in. circle, first tap down the center of the ball with your fingertips to gently deflate it. Next, push it outward from the center with your fingertips. Then pick up the dough circle and, holding it under the rim, turn it like a steering wheel, letting the gravity of the dough help it stretch. Drape the dough over the backs of your hands and gently stretch outward, rotating periodically. Flop the stretched dough down onto the pizza peel.
Step 10
10
Spread about 1/2 cup pecorino evenly over dough. Top with a third of green onions, then a third of guanciale. Grind on some pepper and drizzle with 3 tbsp. cream. Give the peel a good shake every few seconds to keep dough from sticking.
Step 11
11
Plant tip of pizza peel (or long edge of baking sheet) on pizza stone and shove pizza quickly onto stone (or preheated sheet). Bake 2 minutes, then remove from oven with pizza peel or baking sheet, crack an egg onto center, gently push back into oven from peel with your fingers, and bake 3 minutes more. Just before serving, drag a knife through the egg to spread it around.
Step 12
12
Repeat with 2 dough balls and remaining toppings (top remaining 3 dough balls differently or freeze).
Step 13
13
Make ahead: Form dough into balls (through step 4) and chill overnight, tightly covered with plastic wrap, instead of letting rise on counter (it will rise slowly in the fridge). You can also freeze dough for up to 2 weeks (let chilled or frozen dough come to room temperature before stretching).
Step 14
14
*Find at well-stocked grocery stores and Italian markets.
Step 15
15
Note: Nutritional analysis is per slice.
Ingredients
Dough
1 teaspoon (slightly rounded) fresh yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
30 ounces (about 6 cups) "00" flour, preferably Caputo*, or all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons kosher salt
Carbonara Topping
8 or 9 green onions
9 ounces coarsely chopped guanciale (cured pork cheek) or pancetta
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated pecorino romano
Freshly ground black pepper
9 tablespoons heavy cream
3 eggs
Directions
Step 1
1
Make dough: Put yeast, oil, and 2 cups plus 1 tbsp. cold tap water in bowl of a stand mixer and mix, using dough hook, on lowest speed, 5 minutes or until yeast has completely dissolved. Add flour and mix another 8 minutes.
Step 2
2
Cover bowl loosely with a dampened towel and let dough rise 20 minutes.
Step 3
3
Add salt and mix on low speed until incorporated and dissolved, about 7 minutes.
Step 4
4
Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion with a circular pressing motion into a tight ball. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet.
Step 5
5
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at least 4 hours at warm room temperature. Dough balls have risen properly when they are soft, pillowy, and full of air.
Step 6
6
Heat a pizza stone or baking sheet on lowest rack of oven at 550° (or as high as oven will go), at least 30 minutes.
Step 7
7
Make toppings: Cut green onions into long slivers, soak in cold water for 20 minutes, and drain in a colander. Set aside.
Step 8
8
Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add guanciale, and boil until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Step 9
9
Working with 1 dough ball at a time (keep the rest tightly covered), set on a well-floured pizza peel or baking sheet. To stretch into an 11- to 12-in. circle, first tap down the center of the ball with your fingertips to gently deflate it. Next, push it outward from the center with your fingertips. Then pick up the dough circle and, holding it under the rim, turn it like a steering wheel, letting the gravity of the dough help it stretch. Drape the dough over the backs of your hands and gently stretch outward, rotating periodically. Flop the stretched dough down onto the pizza peel.
Step 10
10
Spread about 1/2 cup pecorino evenly over dough. Top with a third of green onions, then a third of guanciale. Grind on some pepper and drizzle with 3 tbsp. cream. Give the peel a good shake every few seconds to keep dough from sticking.
Step 11
11
Plant tip of pizza peel (or long edge of baking sheet) on pizza stone and shove pizza quickly onto stone (or preheated sheet). Bake 2 minutes, then remove from oven with pizza peel or baking sheet, crack an egg onto center, gently push back into oven from peel with your fingers, and bake 3 minutes more. Just before serving, drag a knife through the egg to spread it around.
Step 12
12
Repeat with 2 dough balls and remaining toppings (top remaining 3 dough balls differently or freeze).
Step 13
13
Make ahead: Form dough into balls (through step 4) and chill overnight, tightly covered with plastic wrap, instead of letting rise on counter (it will rise slowly in the fridge). You can also freeze dough for up to 2 weeks (let chilled or frozen dough come to room temperature before stretching).
Step 14
14
*Find at well-stocked grocery stores and Italian markets.
Step 15
15
Note: Nutritional analysis is per slice.
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