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Central Milling Pizza Flour

Central Milling Shootout Neapolitan Pizza Recipe

Todd Mitchell
AVPN approved recipe for Neapolitan Pizza Dough using one (or more) Central Milling Type 00 flours - makes two AVPN dough balls about 9 ounces each.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Resting time (2 periods) 1 day 1 hour
Total Time 1 day 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 2 Pizzas
Calories 569 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Stand Mixer (Optional)
  • 1 Outdoor pizza oven AVPN says wood-burning is required, but use what you've got!

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 Cups 00 Pizza Flour Your choice of Central Milling Type 00 Flour (320 grams)
  • 7 Ounces Water Filtered or bottled drinking water preferred. Do not use reverse osmosis purified water.
  • 1 Tsp Sea salt fine is best
  • 0.01 Ounces Dry yeast (1/2 of 1/8 Teaspoons)

Instructions
 

  • Pour the water into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
    Pour the salt into the water and whisk (or stir) until the salt is dissolved.
    Add about 1/2 cup of flour into the water.
    The three Central Milling Type 00 flours
  • Start your stand mixer using the hook attachment on its slowest setting.
  • Add the yeast to the water.
    1/3 of 1/8 of one teaspoon of dry yeast
  • Slowly add more flour. Not all flour hydrates the same, so it may be that you'll need a little less or a little more flour.
    Central Milling - Showdown flours
  • If you don't have a stand mixer, you can do this all by hand.
    Dissolve the salt in the water.
    Make a "volcano" of all of the flour and pour the salt water into the middle. Slowly move and mix the "volcano" walls into the water.
    Add the yeast into the paste of flour and water before kneading.
    The "volcano method" for making pizza dough.

Checking the Dough

  • The dough will form into a single compact ball.
    · When this happens, stop the mixer and check the texture.
    · Dust your hands with flour and pull the dough off of the hook.
    · Knead the dough in your hands.
    · The texture and moistness should be consistent throughout. If it is not, return it to the mixer and check again.
    · The dough should be slightly tacky and smooth but should not be leaving much sticking to your hands. If it is, return it to the mixer and continue adding flour - slowly.
    · The final dough ball should be "fat" in appearance and sticky, soft, elastic. It might not be perfectly smooth to the touch yet.

First Fermentation

  • Place the dough on a clean surface and cover with a damp cloth for one hour. The damp cloth is important to keep the outer surface from drying out.
    Damp cloth placed over the dough.

Second Fermentation

  • Remove the damp cloth and separate the dough into two balls of equal size (this recipe will make two dough balls approximately 9 ounces - which should make about a 11" to 12" pizza).
  • Work the two halves into balls (the traditional technique is to shape them the same way Italians prepare fresh mozzarella balls).
  • Place the two balls into one or two sealed containers - the dough balls will double in size, so make sure they have enough room.
    Dough in air-tight containers.
  • Let the dough rest for 24 hours at room temperature.

Stretching the Dough

  • After the second fermentation, the dough will have become extensible (meaning you can stretch it) but not very elastic.
  • Put 1 tablespoon of flour on your work surface
  • Remove one dough ball from its container onto the floured work surface.
    Dough ball
  • Stretch the dough by hand from the center to the edge. Create a round shape but ensure that the edge of the crust is about 0.5" tall and 0.5" to 1" wide and the rest of the crust is very thin (less than two pennies, if you can).
    (If needed, add more flour to the work surface so the pizza does not stick, but do not use more than you need)
  • With this recipe (which makes two 9 ounce pizza dough balls), you should be able to make up to a 12" pizza.
  • Put 1 tablespoon of flour on your pizza peel and rub it into the wood (so the dough will not stick when launched into the oven).
    Floured pizza peel
  • Transfer your dough to the pizza peel.
    Biga Pizza Dough Recipe
  • You will want to quickly apply your toppings and get the pizza into the oven before the dough sticks to the peel. Start with the sauce.
  • Fresh sliced mozzarella is always the best on a Neapolitan pizza, but you can use shredded. A bit of grated parmesan is also a nice addition!
  • I was making this pizza for several people to help me evaluated and they asked for pepperoni - so I complied (even if that's not a traditional Neapolitan topping).
  • Launch the pizza into the oven on the hottest part of the stone without being in the flames.
    Pizza into the oven.
  • Rotate the pizza one quarter turn every 30 seconds. Generally, the pizza will be done in 3 minutes or less. So watch it closely!
    One of our Central Milling pizzas in the pizza oven.
  • Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for about 3 minutes.
    Tony Gemignani Flour
  • Cut and serve immediately.
    Central Milling Pizza Flour

Notes

Note that the nutrition facts do not include the toppings. Like we did, you can use whatever you prefer, although the Margherita and Marinara are the true classics.
Conventional Oven option:
  • If you are going to cook this in a conventional oven, you'll want the highest temperature you can get the oven to. 
  • If you have a pizza stone (or pizza steel), that's going to help a lot in getting the most authentic crust. If not, a pizza pan (or cookie sheet) will still turn out a great pizza.
  • You can either start the pizza on a pan (or cookie sheet) and transfer it to the stone after about 10 minutes (when the crust is firm enough to be safely transferred). At this point, turn off the oven and let the pizza cook on the stone for another 5 minutes. Remove and let rest on a cutting board for another 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
  • Alternatively, you can start by launching the pizza directly to the pizza stone in your oven. This is more tricky and you might want to practice with some dough with no toppings!
 

Nutrition

Calories: 569kcalCarbohydrates: 119gProtein: 16gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 1.169mgPotassium: 169mgFiber: 4gSugar: 0.4gCalcium: 26mgIron: 7mg
Keyword AVPN Neapolitan Pizza, Central Milling 00, Central Milling Flour, Neapolitan Pizza
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