Home-made "Over the top" David's Pizza alla Arby's

I have perfected baking this type of pizza to a T. While my little boy came up with the toppings idea during our first pizza night, I have refined well and truly the recipe. In fact I could no longer remember how countless times I made this pizza for my little boy.

I have over-emphasized the importance of Less is more in making your own pizza. Do not overload your pizza with toppings. Let me say that again, don't overload lest your pizza gets too soggy and lest the Neo-Napolitans turn in their grave. A true pizza is simple. and it is the simple truth.

Making my own pizza in fact has a significant and deeply seated meaning in my baking life as well. I baked because in my mind I am continuing the legacy of the "greatest cook known to man", whom I simply call "my dearest Mommy". 

Mommy has whipped up the most complexed menu one could ever imagine, Mommy in her glory and all, simply liked pizza. It was her favourite food in the whole wide world. 

For someone - whose magic wand in the kitchen can whip up the most complexed or creative dish ever known - to favor pizza as her favourite food is simply beyond me and hard to fathom in epicurean world. :)

Ingredients:

1 dough recipe 

Click here for the dough recipe and other instructions

Tomato-based:

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 can whole tomatoes

1 small can of tomato paste (pizza flavour)

2 teaspoons of dried oregano

a good dash of salt

Toppings:

8 pieces of salami

6 pieces pepperoni

4 small anchovies in oil

4 slices of marinated artichoke

50 grams (or less) chopped black olives

100 grams mushroom

2 handful of grated mozzarella

1/3 cup of grated parmesan and strong cheddar combined

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees C (200 C for fan-forced oven)

Tomato based sauce:

Heat up pot with olive oil, when oil is already hot, stir in all ingredients in medium-low heat. Continue cooking for 30 minutes while stirring it every now and then to avoid tomato sticking on the pan. Let cool.

Toppings:

Spread tomato sauce. Dont put too much.

Arrange Salami, pepperoni, anchovies, black olives and mushrooms on top of dough

Sprinkle with a handful of mozzarella and 1/3 cup of other cheeses

Bake for 15 minutes then remove pizza from oven to sprinkle another handful of mozzarella on top. Bake for another 5 minutes.

Stromboli

Or Savoury Roulade

I have lost count of the number of cookbooks I have.  I cut out recipes from newspapers, plastic packages and even from the back of tomato sauce cans. I still do this to this day and age. I also have a moleskine notebook with all my favourite recipes and a tiny notebook with my old recipes and recipes I have memorised from TV cooking shows tucked away somewhere. My beautiful Mom used to do these as well. She was the original sentimental queen. But hey, I am proud to wear on my sleeve and take to heart that I'm a chip off the old block indeed. 

This beautiful, delicious and savoury roulade is lifted from "Mama's Italian Cookbook, Just like mama used to make" cookbook and truly channels the Italian ragazza in me.


Buon appetito!

Makes 1 loaf

675g/1 lb 8 oz strong white flour

2 1/2 tsp easy-blend dried yeast

2 tsp sea salt flakes

3 tbsp olive oil, plus water for greasing

350 ml/ 12 fl oz lukewarm water

Filling

85g/ 3 oz thinly sliced Italian salami

300g/10 1/2 oz diced mozzarella cheese

handful of basil leaves

2 red peppers, roasted, peeled, deseeded and sliced pepper

Combine the flour, yeast and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, then stir in the oil with enough water to make a soft dough.

Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in sized (I suggest keep it inside your cooled, dark and lurky (hahaha!) oven).

Knead lightly for 2-3 minutes, until smooth. Cover and leave to stand for a further 10 minutes. Roll out the dough to a rectangle about 38x25 cm/15x10 inches, and 1 cm/1/2 inch thick

Preheat the over to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7.

Grease a baking sheet. Spread the salami over the dough and top with the cheese, basil and red peppers. Season with pepper. Roll up firmly from the long side, pinch the ends and put on the prepared baking sheet. Join underneath, cover and leave to stand for 10 minutes

Pierce the roll deeply several times with a skewer. Brush with oil and sprinkle with the remaining salt. Bake in the preheated over for 30-35 minutes, until firm and golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Serve fresh and warm, cut into thick slices.