This is the ultrathin style of pizza we had at Pizzeria da Baffetto in Rome last summer. Shhh – don’t tell, but Reinhart’s version is better! Why? Reinhart adds a little semolina to make the dough stiffer and easier to stretch very thin, almost paper thin if you like. The semolina also adds extra crispness as it’s baked so that it’s not wet and droopy in the middle. Even though I like this American’s version of Roman pizza better, I’m happy to go back to Rome to give da Baffetto another try any day!

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This is our sauce of choice for pizza, calzones, or pizza rolls. It’s a bold, strong flavored sauce – there’s nothing shy about it. It can make even mediocre dough taste good. Plus, it’s super quick and easy since there’s no cooking involved. So, take five minutes and make this slightly chunky sauce. Your taste buds will thank you.

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(continued from American Pie by Peter Reinhart)

After making your choice of pizza dough (steps 1-3), such as the Americana or Roman…

4. An hour before making the pizza, place a baking stone either on the floor of the oven (for gas ovens), or on a rack in the lower third of the oven. (I use the lowest shelf in my electric oven.) Heat the oven as hot as possible (500 in my oven). If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.

5. Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal. Make the pizzas one at a time. You can shape them by gently stretching them on the counter, bouncing and stretching them on your knuckles, tossing them into the air (for you daring souls!), or rolling them out with a pin – your choice.

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Friday night at our house means pizza night. But it’s not delivery, it’s not DiGiorno, it’s homemade. Sure, making your own pizza may sound complicated but really it isn’t – thanks to Peter Reinhart and his awesome book American Pie. If you’re serious about perfecting your pizza, read this book. However, if you just want the CliffsNotes version (kinda like back in high school English), I’ve got you covered. Think of this post and the next few as your pizza primer. I’ll walk you through the steps, starting with the dough, so that you can start a weekly homemade pizza tradition at your house, too.
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