Sicilian Pizza, Dough Preparation

1. In a Pyrex cup heat 1/4 cup of water in the microwave, add honey and stir to dissolve, check the temperature then add the yeast, stir again and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl combine flour and salt, yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water. Begin mixing with your hands until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  NOTE; depending on the relative humidity of the air, you may need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky or more water if the dough is too dry.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead by hand for 4 or 5 minutes until dough is smooth and firm,.
4. Transfer dough to a large bow dusted with flour, and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Place bowl in a warm spot, and let rise for 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide dough into two, three, or four balls, depending on the desired finished pizza size.
6. You can make pizza now, and this is what I do most time, but its best to let the dough rest in the fridge for 24-36 hours before making your pizza. This allows time for the fermentation, and a more elastic dough.
7. Use only your hands and fingers to make your pizza, starting from the middle and working out toward the edges. Rollers will compact and drive out the air bubbles.

Pizza Sauce, Preparation

1. Sauté minced garlic in oil or vegetable broth, or water for several minutes.
2. Add chopped fresh oregano, diced capers and chile flakes, and sauté for another minute.
3. Add the dried oregano and the crushed tomatoes and bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer.
4. Cook for about 20-25 minutes.
5. Adjust seasonings.

Note; This sauce can be served over pasta or as a dipping sauce for garlic bread or fried vegetables.  Store any extra in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.

Chefs Notes; Making Your Pizza

This is where you can get creative.  For the cheese I use Buffalo mozzarella,  you can also buy regular mozzarella, but its best to buy mozzarella in slices or a whole piece rather than pre-grated cheese. For the toppings I like classic toppings, mushrooms, red onion, red bell pepper, and black olives. There are two more toppings, and this is why I use the name Sicilian style. The final toppings are to sprinkle the pizza with seasoned bread crumbs, then drizzle with olive oil. I also like to add a touch of black pepper, this gives the pizza a little smokey flavor when cooked.

Finally, ovens and temperatures vary greatly, but you want your oven as hot as possible. Professional pizza ovens are at 900* F. At home an oven temp. of 5oo* F  is a good place to start. I have a special pizza oven called The Pizza Pronto, and I can get a temp of 700* F. At 700* F the pizza takes 5 minutes, but I am there watching it and I start checking it at 3 minutes.