Pizza is perhaps the world’s most well known food. It is, traditionally a round piece of bread topped, and baked in an oven. While many cultures have some type of topped bread, the Italian pizza what
people widely recognize as “pizza”
Italy is famous for pizza. The very first modern pizza was made in the Naples region of Italy. This pizza is known as Neapolitan pizza. Neapolitan pizzas are traditionally a thin crust topped simply with tomato and mozzarella cheese.
Today there are thousands of variations on the Italian pizza. Crusts vary from thick to thin. The shape of the pizza might be square or round, and topping choices are limitless. If you ask an Italian, however, the Italian pizza has
some very distinct characteristics.
The first is the cheese. An Italian pizza is made with fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella has grown in popularity in the United States in recent years. It can be found on the shelves of most large grocery stores. This cheese is much
softer and somewhat sweeter than the processed mozzarella that can be shredded. Fresh mozzarella is normally kept submerged in a whey mixture until use. It also spoils much faster than processed mozzarella, so if you choose this topping
for your recipe, eat it quickly. Also check the expiration date on fresh mozzarella to make sure it’s fresh before you buy it. Many claim that the very best fresh mozzarella is made from buffalo milk. This type is sometimes difficult
to find, and is significantly more expensive than regular cow milk fresh mozzarella.
The crust of an Italian pizza is thin. Traditional crust is made with wheat dough, yeast, and salt. The dough is mixed and kneaded by hand, and stretched by hand. A wood oven is preferred method for cooking.
Some popular toppings for a traditional Italian pizza include a four-cheese combination of fresh mozzarella, gorgonzola, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Tuna, shellfish, and anchovies are also common on Italian pizza. |
