A Piece Of Pisa – PIZZA DOUGH

A quick drive

It’s a quick drive through the country side to Pisa.  A lucky parking find put us within two blocks of the gates to the “piazza dei miracoli” (the miracle square).  As we neared the entrance, it was obvious that we were not the only ones eager to see the famous leaning tower that has adorned so many pizza boxes and has, for so long, been an architectural icon for Italy.

Spilled their load

Lines of tour buses spilled their load of people from the cruise ships waiting at sea and the nearby train station.  The scene reminded me of the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Every group representing their country of origin identified by their clothing, a hat style or ethnicity. At the head of each group, instead of a flag bearer, there was a tour guide holding up a stick with a brightly coloured scarf tied at the top.  Each one pumping and waiving it back and forth to keep the attention of their clan so they would not get separated and lost to the masses.

The bell tower

As we entered the gates, the bell tower stood out vividly due to its incredible tilt, especially compared to the cathedral anchored in the green lawn next to it. The main promenade was polluted with tourists racing in every direction.

Trinket dealers

Some were lined up at the banks of trinket dealers to buy their mini replica of the tower. Others jockeyed for position to pose for a picture.  As Nat tried to compose a shot of the tower we noticed that there was a common pose that most people were trying to line up.

Throngs of people

Looking down the fence line, throngs of people manoeuvered themselves so it would look as though they were holding up the tower. Uncle Bob was pushing it over, aunt Suzy was stopping it from falling, one clever girl was posing to look like she was blowing it over.

Church of Saint Mary

I was eager to go up the crooked winding staircase to the top but a three-hour wait to join a group ended that.  We opted instead to escape from the intense heat into the cool and silence (quieter) of the cathedral. The church of Saint Mary was founded in 1064 (young considering Pisa dates back to 313 AD) and was funded by the spoils of war.

Arab polychrome lozenges

Pieces of Roman monuments were built into the sides. The facade was decorated with Arab polychrome lozenges.  There is also an Islamic bronze griffon (replica) sitting on the roof.  Inside we were greeted with more opulence. Huge statues and frescos boggled our minds as we sat trying to soak it all in, incredible.

Away from the main attraction

As with any major tourist town, if you move away from the main attraction the crowds begin to thin.  You can discover some great hidden finds, that’s exactly what we did.  Beautiful buildings and architecture were waiting around every corner. We wandered for a couple of hours until we were starving.

Pizzerias

It seems that Pisa is synonymous with pizza as most of the restaurants we saw were pizzerias. Many of them displaying pathetic examples under heat lamps waiting for desperate tourists. The law of averages says that there are a lot of crappy pies out there.  

A nicely shaded trattoria

Not necessarily in the mood for pizza when we finally decided on a nicely shaded trattoria (filled with mostly locals) the waitress recommended their pizza. We decided to go for it. We ordered a pie topped with bresaola, arugula and shaved Parmesan (bresaola is salt-cured beef).  It was delicious and affordable at €7.

The long trek back

Making the long trek back to the car we discussed the best pies we had eaten and made. Pizza is a weekly meal for Nat and I and after making many we have a few tips. We’ve also included some flavour combinations (including the one above) that we think work well.

Tim’s recipe for pizza dough

Start with a good dough. 
1 packet of yeast dissolved in 3/4 cup warm water and 1/2 cup milk (the milk makes the dough soft).
Knead in 1 1/2 cups cake flour and 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour along with 1 T kosher salt.
The cake flour has less gluten and makes the dough easier to work with.
Let it rise, punch it down, let it rise, punch it down and then roll it out.
Rolling and baking the pizza on parchment paper makes it super easy to get it to and from the oven.

Golden rules

Three golden rules to adhere to are;
First, less is best. Don’t pile too much on or you will end up with a soggy limp pie.
Two, quality ingredients make a quality pizza, fresh mozzarella (not a brick), fresh toppings and homemade sauce (garlic, olive oil, oregano, tomato puree, S&P, Boom!).
Three, a hot oven, 420 degrees for a home oven works well and use a pizza stone, if you can, it makes a huge difference.
It’s not rocket science and with a little imagination and, practice you can have your own slice of Pisa.

Delicious combinations

Pizza Bianca with ricotta mixed with roasted garlic and fresh sage, porcini mushrooms, pine nuts and fresh mozzarella (no tomato sauce).

Tuscan salami, green olives and, fresh tomatoes.  Change up the cheese (gorgonzola is one of Nat’s favourites) and get creative with the toppings. A drizzle of your best olive oil after it comes out of the oven. A grating of Parmesan is always awesome too!