Picture a pizza as you know it, inclusive of all toppings and a delicious, crispy base that has been baked to perfection. Sounds almost drool-worthy if you get the combination right. But did you ever think that your mental image of a pizza could be dramatically different to that of another person? There’s no telepathy involved, but I can almost guarantee that if we compared that picture to a local from another country, it would be completely different. What makes me so bold about this prediction? Let’s consider what comes to your mind first when you think of a pizza. Perhaps it would be any number of the adjectives yeastless, hand-tossed, thin-crust, deep-dish, pan-fried, cheese-crust, 12-incher and even ‘magic dough’ – all of which are non-existent in the most traditional sense of a pizza recipe, but are so prolifically advertised by commerical pizza companies. In truth, pizza, one of the world’s most popular take away foods, has as many varieties to choose from as there are varieties of coral in the deep blue sea. But did you ever think about how it has been received around the world, how the locals of a country have adapted it to their local fare and daily diet? Sydneysiders are blissfully unaware of the dense variety of their favourite home-delivery food, though slowly they are becoming more and more familiar with the New York, Chicago, Greek, French, Mexican and Lebanese versions among others, and at a crawling pace, are also rolling up their sleeves to add their own variation to the mix. And by showcasing this easy-to-follow recipe, hopefully you’ll soon be inspired to give it a try yourself.
But before we dive straight into the details, a little bit of history into this recipe to tantalise your tastebuds. My grandmother and my mother each have their own unique knack for making pizzas that I am still unable to parallel. In their wisdom and experience, the tricks of the trade have been passed down and only by applying a bit of observational learning have I been able to collect their best secrets for the best results. While my grandmother will choose a non-stick stainless steel tray that has been liberally coated with quality oil and spread over the pizza top evenly with concentrated tomato paste, anchovies and Spanish onion, my mother will instead make sure that the toppings meet the edges of the pizza topping and ensure the bottom is dusted well with flour with garlic granules. When I asked my grandmother politely one day in my youth, she passed me a cheeky grin and simply said, “You gather this, that, and the other, and mix them in a bowl.” Of course, she never mentioned what ingredients were needed, what quantities or even the method for bringing it all together! Although she wouldn’t tell me what goes into a great pizza, my mother was delighted to give me a few pointers that I have built upon with practise and insight into better edibility and nutrition (Okay, maybe not the second one). In my opinion, what makes the best pizza is time and thyme. Time is needed to let the flavour of the oil, sugar, salt and herbs soothe the dough as it rises in the right setting for the right amount of time, while fresh or dried thyme add a unique pepper-savoury flavour to cheese and tomato bases — the quintessence of the classical Margherita.
By far the best pizza I have ever experienced was home-made from a wood-fired oven in a open bushland setting in regional New South Wales, with a pizza dough that was golden-brown from baking beneath the fresh air and warm sun, with the perfect amount of yeast and a rubbery consistency. The natural aroma of the wood, the smoky residue of the warm brick, the rural town air and the freshest ingredients made for a delightful tasting experience that – quite surprisingly, is more easily replicable in a city setting than you might think.
So, if you care to hear some of the secrets and techniques to a great pizza night or pizza party, you’d best keep reading on to gather all I have learned about this finnicky but rewarding art. A sneak peak? As always – use only a pinch of yeast and a lot of love and you’ll see the difference in your final product!
… Not on purpose, though. It just sort of sunk the minute it made contact with the cooler air outside the oven (it did, honest!) and it needed some cosmetic surgery performed with a handy pairing knife that just happened to have been in proximity of the wire bread rack. This is just to prove that even the most well-written and time-weathered and trialed of recipes can end in a disaster, especially when it comes to dough. Thankfully though, the final product turned out to be a lot more desirable than what you might assume from the picture from the photograph above.
The Wild Thyme and Sweet Pea project found its roots when it was plucked excitedly from the garden, washed briskly in a basin of water and lovingly left out to dry in a soothing marinade of vision and ambition ... More »
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