A CLASSIC NEAPOLITAN PIZZA
Bartolomeo Scappi, a sixteenth century cook famous for a banquet he prepared to celebrate the first year of the reign of Pope Pius V, left us a Renaissance recipe for a “torta con diverse materie, dai Napoletani detta pizza”:
“You must have six ounces of shelled almonds and four ounces of soaked pine nuts and three ounces of fresh dates without the stones, and three ounces of fresh figs, three ounces of sultanas and you pound everything in the mortar, sprinkling on rosewater so the mixture becomes like a paste. Add to these ingredients eight raw fresh egg yolks, 6 ounces of sugar, one ounce of crushed cinnamon, 1-1/2 ounces of mostaccioli (small hard biscuits with candied fruit and grape must) ground to a powder, four ounces of rosewater, and when all this is well blended, cover a tart dish with marzipan, line the edges all around with a twist of the paste (not too thick), and put the mixture into it, mixed with four ounces of butter, making sure that it is not more than one inch high. Bake it in the oven without covering it and serve it hot or cold as desired. Almost any spiced thing may be put into this pizza.”
His recipe makes a rich pizza that is sweeter than the modern version below, which has become a contemporary Neapolitan classic.
3 tablespoons raisins, soaked in water
6 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 anchovy fillets packed in oil, minced
1 pound endive, thinly sliced crosswise
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 ounce fresh yeast
¾ cup lukewarm water
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons pine nuts
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1. Soak the raisins in warm water for about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
2. In a skillet fry the garlic in the oil over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the anchovy fillets and cook, stirring, until they dissolve, another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the endive and the raisins. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water; set aside to proof for about 10 minutes.
4. Heap the flour in a mound on a board. Make a well in the center and pour in the water and yeast. Mix and knead for about 10 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
5. Punch down the dough on a floured board. Roll out into a circle ¼ inch thick.
6. Lay the dough on a well oiled baking sheet. Cover with the endive. Sprinkle on the pine nuts. Bake in a preheated 400* oven for about 30 minutes, until light golden in color. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.
adapted from Lorenza de’ Medici, The Heritage of Italian Cooking