Making authentic Italian pizza at home is easy with the right guide. Learn how to create the perfect sourdough crust and pizza basics like the Positanese.
Homemade pizza is delicious, but can it live up to the artisanal pizza tossed at the finest Italian pizzerias in Italy and beyond? They can if you have the proper technique and tools! No need to have a pizza stone or wood-fired oven to create the perfect crust, according to Giuseppe Mascoli and Bridget Hugo’s new cookbook and guide, Artisan Pizza to Make Perfectly at Home. 
Restaurant partners, Giuseppe and Bridget run the popular London pizza restaurants, Franco Manca, famous for their sourdough crust.
The book is packed with beautiful topping combinations, a fool-proof crust, and all the tips you need for the perfect pie. Not convinced? Here are our questions when it comes to making a perfect pizza at home, now answered thanks to Giuseppe and Bridget.
Do I really need a pizza stone?
No! This is music to our ears. Not only can we save cupboard space, but we also don’t have to buy and store a peel. Rather than relying on your home oven to get a stone hot enough, the Franco Manca owners recommend baking your pizza in a cast iron pans. Get the pan hot enough on the stovetop and then transfer to the oven for baking. Genius!
How do I make the perfect dough, every time?
“There is no secret to a dough recipe—it is flour, water, and salt…and yet each of these elements is key.” So. True. Pizza dough is made with the simplest elements, but yet is has always seemed like a mystery to be able to create a thin, soft crust, with a perfectly crisp bottom. The cookbook breaks down each one of those simple ingredients and gives easy guidelines to a sourdough starter, fermentation, and temperatures. So which flour is best? At Franco Manca they only use stone-ground bread flour. And for the best possible dough, be sure to make it 24 hours ahead of time so it is able to ferment and the gluten is able to relax. Check out the book for the perfect dough recipe.
h3>Can I easily make pizzette at home
Pizzette or small fried pizza dough is easy to make in your own kitchen. Take your tried and true sourdough recipe and fry in about 3/4 of a cup of vegetable oil at 350F degrees. That’s it!
What are the traditional cheeses used on Italian pizza?
The world of cheese, especially artisanal cheeses, used on Italian pizzas is endless. Today, more than ever, Italian pizzerias are branching out and sourcing local, interesting varieties to top their pies. At Franco Manca and in their book, they suggest mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan Reggiano, roquefort, gruyere, provolone, and caciocavallo. Want to add smoked mozzarella? This book easily teaches you how to make your own!
True Italian pizza only uses olive oil as a fat, right?
Actually, the book recommends trying lard, duck or goose fat, and even peanut oil. However, if you choose to stick with the original olive oil, make sure it is cold pressed and high quality.
The cookbook goes on to feature recipes for traditional Margherita or Neopolitan pizzas, plus many more unorthodox styles. The pages are laden with recipes for basic tomato sauces, pesto, Italian sausages, or cured meats. Never again will pizza night be boring!
Try a favorite pizza recipe from the book, Positanese. This raw salsa is a classic from Positano on the Amalfi coast. You need very good tomatoes for this, so make sure that you find some that are super-sweet and fruity. We also call this pizza “a la Eduardo,” a reference to Eduardo di Filippo, the famous Italian actor, playwright, author, and poet, who passed this recipe on to us many years ago.
? Get the recipe: Positanese Pizza — raw-salsa pizza from the Amalfi coast
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a cast iron pan instead of a pizza stone?
Yes, using a cast iron pan is recommended. Heat the pan on the stovetop before transferring it to the oven for optimal crust results.
What is the key to making the perfect sourdough crust?
The perfect sourdough crust relies on a simple combination of flour, water, and salt, where the quality and ratio of each ingredient play a crucial role.
What toppings work best with the Positanese pizza base?
The Positanese pizza base pairs well with fresh ingredients like mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, which highlight the crust’s flavor.
