Pizza is the #1 food in America, according to the results of a recently released Oxfam survey of more than 16,000 people globally, followed by steak, chicken, Mexican food and pasta. Pizza is #2 in Germany and #5 in Brazil.
I can’t say I’m surprised about the US result (although I thought #1 would be burgers). Pizza night – whether homemade or take-out – is almost a weekly occurrence for us. That being the case, you’d think I’d be a lot better at rolling the dough into a circle. But when it comes to pizza, I’m geometrically-challenged. Not unlike my experience in 10th grade geometry, I understand the technique, but there’s a disconnect between my brain and the rolling pin. It does make for interesting shapes — oblongs, rectangles, squares. I’d say this one is between bent snowboard and Christmas stocking.
The search for the perfect pizza crust is a lifelong pursuit, and while the overnight rise in the fridge usually results in the most flavorful crust, I don’t always plan that far in advance. Right now, I’m really liking this thin crust pizza dough over at Simple Scratch Cooking. The combo of bread flour, semolina and rye flour give it a nice texture and crunch. The par-baking helps ensure a crispy crust, but you gotta move quickly and have your toppings at the ready. I do find that docking it with fork ahead of the par-bake helps keep it from puffing up too much in the center.
My twist is to add seeds to the crust, something we loved at Abbot’s Pizza. They call it a bagel pizza, but this crust is so thin there’s nothing bagel-y about it. It’s a 2:2:1 ratio of poppy seeds, sesame seeds and salt. If you really want to go for the everything bagel effect, add dried onion flakes (not powder). I’ve also thought dukkah, the spice/nut mix usually associated with Egypt, would be an interesting alternative on the crust, too, but I haven’t tried it yet. Brush the edges of the crust with a little bit of water before the par-bake and sprinkle on the seeds as lightly or liberally as you like.
Toppings on this pizza: Trader Joe’s organic marinara, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, red onion, red pepper and fresh jalapenos.
BTW – the Oxfam survey covers much more serious issues than just what people like to eat around the world. The findings are worth a read as issues around food cost, supply and concerns about food safety in various countries are a telling picture of how we’re living globally.