Fried Pizza

- Have you eaten fried pizza ever?

- Say what? Fried ??? What do you come up again ...?

I hear it every time and I assure you that it is worth to try and fast to prepare. The recipe comes from "Jamie's Italiy" and according to the author this way of preparing pizza (frying and then toast) was the primary method.

So the first pizza in the world was fried pizza and this is reason enough to try it.

Ingredients:

(Number of servings 5)

Dough:

1/2 kg flour *

4 tblsp. semolina (groats)

325 ml of warm water

7 g instant yeast or 17 g fresh

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of sugar

oil for frying

Tomato sauce for pizza:

400 g  tinned tomatoes (whole) or 4 large, fresh, ripe tomatoes

1 tblsp. olive oil extra virgin

2 medium cloves garlic

1 bunch fresh basil * or 1 tblsp. dried

salt to season

Additional ingredients:

200 g buffalo mozzarella balls

* First, a bit about flour. Best for pizza would be a bread flour (not to be confused with wholemeal!) Mixed with semolina flour on a four-for-one basis. But I see no problem to make pizza with plain flour + semolina groats.

Preparation:

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the semolina groats. If you use fresh yeast it should be crushed in a bowl, add the sugar and add a little warm water (from the prepared for the whole cake). The ingredients mix well, leave to rise for approx. 10-15 minutes and pour into a bowl with the remaining ingredients. If you use instant yeast just pour them into the flour. Then add salt and pour on a little bit water while stirring a large spoon. When we add all the water already and the dough is too thick to stir it with a spoon, transfer it on the counter spilled flour and kneading until you have a tight, firm and smooth dough. Then transfer it into the same bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to rise until the dough doubles in volume (approx. 30 min).

Put dough on a floured counter and divide into parts of the half size of a clenched fist. Roll dough into round pieces with a diameter of the pan, which we will use for frying. It should be a large frying pan (Teflon) with a minimum diameter 20 cm. Fry each pies on very hot oil after approx. 30 seconds on each side, transfer on paper towel and dry with fat. Set the oven for toasting option and preheat to 180 C. Each spread pizza with tomato sauce, put on pieces of mozzarella and sprinkle with dried oregano (optional). Put into preheated oven on the upper level. Remove when the cheese is melted. Submitted pizza on half  and just eat in your hands as apparently they do it themselves Italians in the street bars ...

Tomato sauce:

Prepare all the ingredients. Peel the garlic and cut into slices. If you use fresh tomatoes then wash them, punching the middle and cut into thick cubes. In a small saucepan warm up the oil, toss garlic with dried basil. Fry on high heat for a while until the garlic is browned, add tomatoes. Reduce heat and cook until the sauce thickens. If you use canned tomato sauce will be ready after 25 minutes of slow cooking without cover. For fresh tomatoes this time will be extended to an hour. If you use fresh basil, then add half of the prepared portion after adding tomatoes to the fried garlic, cook together, and the other half added 5 minutes before the end of the cooking sauce. Leaves best wash and not cut into pieces but grab - so they taste best !!!

This sauce is also great for pasta or grilled white meats and fish.