Italian Pizza

Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the world. It is eaten in just about every country, and in many of them it's consumed by the score every year. It is considered one of the basic Italian dishes.

Is pizza Italian food?

Is pizza really Italian? It depends...

It is beyond reasonable doubt that pizza did spread to the world from Naples, Italy. There, someone had the idea to take a traditional flatbread and top it with a tomato sauce and cheese, the basic ingredients of pizza. There it was enjoyed by people of modest means, sailors (from which the word 'marinara' comes), and many others who sought a filling, inexpensive meal.

But the origins of many aspects reach much further back. The flatbread itself is probably the product of Greece. It was not a far journey for the sailors of that ancient land to cross the Mediterranean to southern Italy. Pizza traveled well on the voyage and they brought their recipes with them to their neighbor to the north.

Tomatoes were brought to Italy by 16h century Spanish explorers, returning from the New World. During that century this red fruit ('vegetable' is a culinary term, not a scientific one) was looked on with amazement, but not thought of as edible. Eventually, some unknown clever chef had the idea of mashing and cooking it.

The first known pizzeria, still in operation today, opened its doors in 1830 in Naples. Before long, visitors ran the gamut of poor sailors and royalty. At the time, it was common for young male aristocrats to enter the Navy as officers. That brought them into contact with the 'marinara'.

During the 19th century, pizza spread with the large immigration of Italians to America, England, and elsewhere. Naturally, the innovation literally and figuratively piled on to this dish took off rapidly. As far back as 1870 it was common to add oregano, basil, olives, and other toppings to the new country's favorite Italian food.

Near the end of the 19th century the Italians themselves kept changing the dish. In Bologna, the city in the north from which we get the name for that meat, they added their namesake topping. It soon became a favorite of the Queen.

But crown or commoner, pizza remains a favorite around the globe. Here's one sample of why...

Neapolitan Pizza

Making your own pizza dough is really not that difficult. Find below the recipe for the dough and how to finish off your pizza.

Traditional pizza dough

Pizza dough is really simple.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Procedure

Microwave the water for 1 minute and set aside. Pour the flower into a medium-sized bowl - you want to have a good sized mound - and mix with sugar and salt. Then make a small valley in the center. Into the valley, pour the yeast. Then pour on the water slowly and top with olive oil. Let it rest a minute, and then mix thoroughly. Knead and roll flat on a large board.

Neapolitan pizza recipe

Now, onto the pizza!

Ingredients

Pizza dough (from above, or prepared)
1 14 oz can Italian tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large cloves garlic
2 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Procedure

Grate the Parmesan and slice the Mozzarella. Crush the garlic. Dice half the tomatoes finely and puree the rest for 30 seconds in a blender. Spread tomato sauce, then the tomatoes onto the dough, then top with cheeses and spices.

The results turn out best when you have a large brick oven. If not, make do with an ordinary one. Cook at 450°F/230°C for about 10-15 minutes.