Brazilian-Style Pizza with Ricotta, Za’atar and Arugula
One reader tells us that this Middle Eastern-style ricotta pizza with a thick Brazilian-style crust "knocked their socks off."
- MakesMakes two 12-inch pizzas
- Cook Time30 hours
- Active time plus cooling45 minutes active
In São Paulo, Brazil, where reportedly half the population of more than 12 million is of Italian descent, pizza reigns supreme. An estimated 1 million pies are served up each day at the 6,000 or so pizzerias across the South American metropolis. But whereas Neapolitan pizza is defined by restraint and exacting standards, we learned firsthand that Brazilian pizza is made with an anything-goes attitude, resulting in some uniquely delicious pies. The crust of the typical São Paulo pizza is thicker than that of Neapolitan pizza so it provides good support for generous toppings, whatever they may be. And though crisp on the bottom, it tends to be rather soft and tender. The sauce is almost always made from fresh tomatoes, uncooked and seasoned sparingly. To re-create São Paulo-style pizza crust, we found that unbleached all-purpose flour yielded the best results (in particular, Gold Medal brand, which has a protein content of about 10.5 percent). And to develop flavor as well as achieve the texture we sought, we allow the dough to rise at room temperature for a couple hours, then refrigerate it for 24 to 72 hours. It is all easy to do, but keep in mind that it does require some planning. This pizza was inspired by the “Napoli in Beirut” pie we tasted at Veridiana Pizzaria in São Paulo. Be sure to dress only half the arugula at a time and only just before adding it to the baked pie, otherwise the greens will wilt.
Don’t try to shape the dough while it’s cold. It will be elastic and resist stretching. Give it ample time to come to room temperature, which will take about 4 hours. As it loses its chill, be sure to keep the dough covered with plastic wrap to ensure the surface doesn’t dry out. Also, don’t use cherry tomatoes for the sauce. We found them to be too jelly-like after chopping and draining.
Step 1
To make the dough, in a stand mixer with the dough hook, mix the all-purpose flour, sugar, salt and yeast on medium until well combined, about 15 seconds. With the mixer on low, drizzle in the oil followed by the water. Knead on low until the mixture forms a smooth, elastic dough that clears the sides of the bowl, 8 to 10 minutes; if the dough sticks to the bowl, knead in additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. The finished dough should be soft but not stick to your hands. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled, 1½ to 2 hours.
Step 2
Mist the insides of two 1-quart zip-close plastic bags with cooking spray. Generously dust the counter with flour, scrape the dough out onto it and divide it in half. With floured hands, form each portion into a taut ball and dust with flour. Place 1 dough ball in each prepared bag, seal and refrigerate for at least 24 or up to 72 hours.
Step 3
About 4 hours before making pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Remove the dough from the bags and place on the baking sheet, spacing them apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until the dough has completely lost its chill, about 4 hours; after about 3 hours, heat the oven to 500°F with a baking steel or stone on the upper-middle rack.
Step 4
After turning on the oven, make the sauce and prepare the toppings. In a food processor, pulse the tomatoes until chopped into rough ¼-inch bits, about 13 pulses. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl and let drain at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or until ready to use; occasionally shake the sieve to encourage the liquid to drain off and make sure the bottom of the sieve is not touching the liquid that has collected in the bowl.
Step 5
While the tomatoes are draining, in a small bowl, stir together the ricotta, 4 tablespoons of the oil, 2 teaspoons of the oregano, the za’atar, sumac and ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. In another small bowl, toss together the onion and 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil. Set both the ricotta mixture and the onion aside.
Step 6
When you are ready to shape the dough, blot the tomatoes dry with paper towels and transfer them to another small bowl; discard the juices in the bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil, the remaining ½ teaspoon oregano and the pepper flakes, then season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Step 7
Dust the counter with flour and transfer 1 portion of dough to the counter. Flour your hands and, using your fingers, press the dough, starting at the center and working out to the edges, into a 13-inch round, flipping the dough once. The round should be thin at the center, with slightly thicker edges.
Step 8
Lightly dust a baking peel, inverted rimmed baking sheet or rimless cookie sheet with semolina. Transfer the dough to the peel and, if needed, reshape into a 13-inch round. Using the back of a spoon, evenly spread half of the tomato sauce (about ½ cup), leaving a ½-inch border around the edge.
Step 9
Top the shaped and sauced dough with half of the oil-tossed onion. Slide the pizza into the 500°F oven onto the hot baking steel or stone and bake until the crust is well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a wire rack. Cool for a couple minutes, then dollop on half of the ricotta mixture. Working quickly, in another medium bowl, toss half of the arugula with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, then top the pizza with the arugula.
Step 10
Shape, sauce, top and bake the second pizza in the same way using the remaining toppings.
