Food Mexico and Me Aug. 2015 | Page 38

Pizza time Hand-made Pizza with Mexican Ingredients P izza is one of the favorite meals around the world and homemade pizzas are the best. Mexico is not the exception and has adopted this Italian dish adding Mexican ingredients to furnish a pizza with a different and delicious flavor. Please get ready for this adventure and delight your loved ones with a delicious Mexican pizza. Hands on… let’s start with the dough. The Dough Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups warm water 2-4 teaspoon olive oil 2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 3 1/2 cups flour 2 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast DOUGH PREPARATION METHOD: Dough forms the base of your pizza. You will obviously want to win your beloved’s heart with a smooth, soft and yet crispy base. Can you find yeast fermented for 3 months? No! So just carry on with the yeast you have at hand, if the preferred one is not available. Add lukewarm water into your blender along with the dry yeast. Let the yeast ferment for about 5 minutes. Add the flour, salt, sugar and olive oil to the mixture. Blend all the ingredients until they form a smooth paste for the preparation of the base. The base should be flexible enough to make the pizza crispy and tasty to eat. In case you don’t have the blender, you can do the procedure with your hands but it requires more time and patience to handle the dough with extra care. Brush the dough with olive oil and place it in a bowl, so that it gets impregnated in oil for 1 to 2 hours. The idea is to make the pizza crispy and fresher to eat. This dough can be kept in the refrigerator to be used within 2- 3 weeks. The base should have 1/2 inch thickness and 10 to 12 inches diameter with a flat and even surface. If the edges are thick make them flat with your fingers to spread them evenly. This gives an attractive look and helps the heat to spread evenly throughout the base with lesser heat. Add the olive oil on the top of the base for preventing it from sagging. The base should be dry enough to make the batter non sticky and smooth. Use a baking sheet and transfer the base to it. Then flatten the extra thickness in the edge and the center of the base. You can change the shape of the base to the requirements of the occasion. This makes pizza more enjoyable and memorable and will last longer in everyone’s mind. Though the ingredients act as a vital role in the making of the base, your patience is key to a successful and fine base. If the base is not fully impregnated 38  Food Mexico and Me  Special Edition 2015 with ol ]