Course: Pizza
Focaccia al Rosmarino
Pizza Bread with Rosemary
Focaccia has become almost commonplace throughout Europe, where once it was unfamiliar to all except Italians. This hasn’t diminished its deliciousness, though, and home-made focaccia is the best of all. The most common variety is simply topped with some oil and sea salt, and comes in large rectangular shapes which are then cut into squares. It can also be made, however, in the shape of a pizza. Focaccia dough should be slightly thicker than a normal pizza as it is very similar to bread in consistency and, like bread, it can accompany all sorts of foods.
Pizza
Basic Pizza
There are so many different combinations of ingredients that it is hard for me to give a global definition of pizza. If pressed, however, I will say that it is a species of flat bread, which (as its cooking time is very short) can be topped by anything that takes your fancy. The pizza has become so famed worldwide that even foreigners are now making and inventing their own variations, often adding the most unusual ingredients to the topping.
Pizza alla Napoletana
Neapolitan Pizza
This classic pizza is both one of the simplest to prepare and the most tasty. In Naples it is customary to eat pizza in one’s hands.
Pizza Margherita
Tomato and Cheese Pizza
This is an absolute classic – and is very easy to prepare. It was reputed to have been created to honour Queen Margherita of Italy. In fact its colouring is rather Italian, the red of the tomatoes, the white of the mozzarella and the green of the basil echoing the colours of the Italian flag.
