Posted by on Oct 17, 2012 in Press | 0 comments

Chef/Culinary Personality/Restauranteur/ Cookbook Author Fabio Viviani shares his tips and recipe on how to make the Ultimate Homemade Pizza
Fabio Viviani is perhaps best known for his appearance on season 5 of Bravo’s hit reality series “Top Chef” in 2008, earning the “Fan Favorite” title. Viviani returned to Bravo in 2010 to compete in their “Top Chef All Stars” edition and a spinoff culinary reality show “Life after Top Chef”, on air now. His on screen appearances have propelled him to become one of the fastest growing household names in the country. A gregarious host and entertaining guest, Viviani has appeared in a number of
television cooking segments and is a recurring guest on 
television shows such as Good Morning America, The Talk, The Chew, Ellen Degeneres, Good Day LA, Access Hollywood, and hosts a regular spot on QVC channel with various kitchen appliances and products. He is also the host of the award-winning web series “Chow Ciao!” on Yahoo!, the #1 lifestyle and food show on the internet that airs weekly on Mondays.    



For more on Fabio visit- http://fabioviviani.com  (or click on the pic above)


Fabio’s  3 Tips:

1-Dough 101. Use semolina flour if you want a crunchy texture, or all-purpose flour for a chewier one. IF you toss the dough in the air, be careful or the dough may spread thin and puncture. Tossing the dough is not necessary to make a perfect crust, just work it through with your hands!
2-The secret to a perfect crust is that the dough HAS to be cooked starting at room temperature.
3-Mistakes to avoid: always add wet toppings the end of the recipe to avoid soggy pizzas. Never use microwave tocook or reheat or it will be a soggy disaster. Never cover a hot pizza with foil or it will steam.

Fabio’s Recipe:
Yield- 1 large pizza

Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 packet (or ¼ oz.) dry active yeast
1 ½ cups water
1 tsp. sugar
4 cups all purpose flour (plus a few pinches for dusting)
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

For the topping:
16 oz. can whole plum canned tomatoes
1 large block of Gorgonzola cheese
1 cup buffalo mozzarella (packed in water)
10 oz. deli ham (sliced thin)
10-12 fresh basil leaves
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of coarse sea salt

Method:
1. In a stand mixer with the hook attachment mix the yeast, water and sugar.
2. Add the flour in small amounts, mixing well between each addition.

3When the dough is mixed well and not too sticky use a little oil to help remove it from the bowl. Place the doughon a lightly floured surface and cover with a dry towel to let rise for 30 min.
 4. When rested, use the whole amount to make one large pizza.
Use your hands to shape the dough and transfer to a sheet tray to bake.
5. Top with tomatoes crushed by hand, crumbled cheeses, strips of ham, basil leaves and a pinch of sea salt. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
6. Finish in a 400F oven to bake, until the crust around the edge is golden brown.
MANGIA!

 

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