Ready Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Preparation Time: 1 hrs 10 mins (Incl. 30mins Rest)
Cooking Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
Serves: 4
Opened by two of Sydney's prominent Italian restaurateurs-Giovanni Pilu of the two-hatted Pilu at Freshwater and Lido Russo, owner of Walsh Bay's Ventuno Pizzeria, is enough to take you to Cavallino.
The executive chef Roberto brings with him a passion for food that developed at the age of 14 when he first learnt how to make true Italian pizza in his home town of Verona.
Ingredients
Dough
- 225–250ml water
- ¼ heaped teaspoon dry yeast or ½ teaspoon (2.5g) fresh yeast
- 450g "00" (strong bakers) flour
- 50g semolina flour
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pumpkin puree
- 500g peeled pumpkin, cut into 2.5cm pieces
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Topping
- 12–16 slices hot salami, halved
- 24 thin slices grilled zucchini (see note)
- 200g fiore di latte mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
To serve
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Shaved parmesan
Note
You can buy chargrilled zucchini. To make zucchini, using a vegetable peeler, peel thin slices lengthways. Spray with olive oil and cook on a chargrill until golden.
Method
Dough
- Divide dough into four balls. Place dough balls into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap. Set aside in a warm drought free place for 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.
- Turn dough out on a floured surface and knock back (punch) the dough to remove excess air, lightly knead.
Pumpkin puree
- Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced. Combine pumpkin with rosemary and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes or until tender. Transfer pumpkin and remaining oil to a food processor and process until smooth.
Cooking the pizza
- Turn the ON/OFF switch to the ON position.
- Preheat Pizza oven on setting PREHEAT for 15 minutes.
- Roll out one piece of pizza dough to form a 24–26cm disc and place onto a large square of baking paper.
- Prick base with a fork or pizza docker.
- Spread base with 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree.
- Divide toppings evenly into four. Top base with salami and zucchini. Top with mozzarella 3cm from the edge.
- Select CLASSIC crust setting.
- Transfer pizza and baking paper together onto the pizza stone and close the lid. Cook for 2 minutes
- Open lid and slide paper out carefully. Close lid and cook for 6–7 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
- Monitor cooking progress through viewing window. Topping should be cooked and golden and base crisp and brown.
- Open lid carefully with oven mitt and remove pizza onto chopping board.
- Top with parmesan cheese and drizzle with oil.
- Cut into wedges and serve immediately.