Why New American Pizza Nails the Best of Modern Slices

By King Arthur Baking

Ingredients

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt and yeast, then add the oil, sourdough culture (if using), honey and water. Mix, then knead by hand in the bowl until you have a rough but cohesive dough. Cover and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Dust a work surface lightly with flour, divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and ball each tightly. Place seam side down in a lightly greased container, cover tightly and let rise at room temperature for 8 to 10 hours.
3. Set oven racks in the lower and upper thirds. Place a baking steel or stone on the lower rack and preheat the oven to 500°F for at least 1 hour.
4. Shape each dough ball: flour the surface generously, flip the dough to coat both sides, then press the centre outward with your fingertips, keeping the outer edge intact, until you have an 8-inch circle.
5. Tug the dough gently east-west by the edge, rotating and repeating, until it measures about 10 inches. Lift it and stretch with your knuckles into a 12-inch round, letting gravity do most of the work.
6. If the dough resists, rest it on the floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes, then try again; add more flour if it is sticky. Give a few more east-west tugs until the round measures 13 inches.
7. Dust a peel or an overturned baking sheet with semolina and transfer the shaped dough onto it. Gently re-form it if it retracts, and shimmy it to make sure it is not sticking, adding more semolina under any sticking edge.
8. Spread the sour cream over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Cover evenly with mozzarella, then top with the corn, jalapeños and canned chiles.
9. Slide the pizza onto the steel or stone and bake for 5 to 7 minutes. The bottom should be spotted and charred in places and the edge should have some colour; if not, rotate and bake 1 to 2 more minutes.
10. When the bottom is sufficiently coloured, move the pizza to the top rack, switch the oven to broil and broil 2 to 3 minutes until well charred in spots. Watch closely, as it can burn quickly.
11. Remove the pizza to a wire rack to cool briefly, top with the cilantro, tajín and hot sauce, then slice and serve.

Summarized from King Arthur Baking's video. Watch it for the details.

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