Pizza Today - August 2023 - 32

475-490 F. Some bakers prefer larger
pans up to 30 inches to accommodate
awaiting crowds of focaccia lovers.
* Connecticut Hot Oil Pizza. These
pizzas said to originate in 1935 during
the depression at the Colony Grill in
Stamford, which was owned by Irish
Americans but had cooks that were
Italian. They were designed to be
smaller 12-inch size rather than a large
pizza size to fit on the bar. These thincrust
pizzas are distinguished by a thin
sauce and cheese followed by a nice
slathering of serrano pepper oil all over
it and the addition of local sausage.
* Man 'oushe'. This Lebanese pizza
gets its name derived from the word na
'sh, which refers to the way the bakers'
fingertips " engrave " the dough. Many
different bakeries sell these thin and
foldable pies mixed with both bread
flour and cake flour at 58 percent
hydration. This direct method dough
is held from two to four hours at room
temperature. The Jibneh wa harr, or
" Hot cheese pie " is a favorite which is
baked in a 450 F oven with tomato,
onion, cumin and hot pepper paste
with plenty of 'Akkawi cheese. Another
favorite is the Za 'tar Man 'oushe wa
jawz, or Wild thyme pie with walnuts.
* Scrocciarella. Derived from the
word Scroccia, (which means " crunch " )
This type of Roman pizza style can
easily confused with Pizza Tonda,
a round, crunchy-stiff but foldable
pizza served in Rome. This somewhat
complicated name is used to describe
other Roman-style crusts that exhibit
a cracker crunch (but) an airy interior
with large bubbles like Pizza in Teglia
cracker-like exterior, baked plain and
often looks like a long, very thin,
cracker-crusted focaccia made with 5080
percent hydration with three to six
percent olive oil (some prefer seed oil).
While some bakers don't use yeast and
others proof for six to eight hours to
bake the same day in a non-aggressive
wood-fired oven. Other Scrocciarella
bakers prefer baking the plain dough
after long cold fermentation. These
pizzas are popular with Romans and
are cut or cracked like crackers and
topped with a myriad of toppings
32 / PIZZATODAY.COM / AUGUST 2023
like anchovy mayo, artichokes, ricotta,
stracciatella, olives and tomato. The
name Scrocciarella is also used now as a
proprietary flour mix sold by Italmill.
* Sardinian Pane Frattau. Initially
invented by Sardinian housewives to
honor King Umberto I when he visited
the island. This magical transformative
pizza from Barbagia, a central region
of Sardinia is made from one of the
thinnest breads in the world called
Pane Carasau, or " toasted bread " in
Sardinian dialect and called Carta di
Musica or " sheet music. " Two thin and
brittle sheets of dried bread undergo
this transformation to a pasta by an
initial soak in vegetable broth then
placed on a plate and topped with
tomato sauce, Pecorino Sardo and a
poached egg.
* Tarte Flambee'. This Alsatian Pizza
is also called Flammekueche in the
German speaking Moselle region of
Alsace. This is a traditional pizza baked
by farmers who baked only once a week
and was used to test the heat of their
wood-fired ovens. The traditional square
or rectangular style is covered with
Cream Fraiche or Fromage Blanc, sliced
onions and lardons of bacon and baked in
a very hot oven for one to two minutes to
form a charred crust. Variations include
Gratinee or Munster, using Gruyere and
Munster cheeses respectively, or Forestier
with mushrooms.
* St. Louis Thin Crust: This thincrusted
pizza is made without yeast
producing a thin, cracker-like crust.
This pizza is cut into three to four-inch
squares, as some would call " tavernstyle
cut " , some say because a founder
of a local chain used to be a tile-cutter,
but others say to support the weight of
multiple toppings. The distinguishing
characteristic of the sauce is said to
reflect the Sicilian immigrant influence
and is sweeter with a strong oregano
flavor. St. Louis style often includes
Provel cheese, which is a trademarked
cheese combining Swiss, Provolone,
and White Cheddar.
JOHN GUTEKANST owns Avalanche
Pizza in Athens, Ohio.
http://www.GalbaniPro.com/ http://www.GalbaniPro.com/FreshMozzarella http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
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