REAL CALIFORNIAN CATEGORY PIZZA CONTEST
Last year’s Real California Pizza Contest inspired this pizza recipe for the 2021 contest. In the “wild card” category, chefs were allowed to create a signature California recipe, showcasing the best of the Golden State with a special focus on Real California cheeses.
For me, when I think California cheese, it’s Cowgirl Creamery. For this pizza, the Mt. Tam pairs with smoked salmon beautifully. The Tide was born.
The perfect pizza starts with the perfect dough. My dough recipe is quite easy. The most important part is the right flour. 00 flour is pizza flour. It is extra fine and has the right amount of gluten. Next we have the sauce. Simply crush tomatoes into a bowl. Small bite size pieces are ok.
The dough is stretched out, sauce ladled on, some shredded mozzarella added, and the tide is coming in.
The Mt. Tam is sliced and placed with a smoked salmon piece on top per “slice” around the pizza. The shallots are broadcasted and the capers spooned over throughout. An “everything bagel" spice blend sprinkled on crust perimeter. In the oven, 750º 3 to 5 minutes.
- Cliff Buchanan, @pizza_bodega
Dough (Makes 9 Pizzas)
1 kg Flour (Tony Gemignani California Artisan Type 00 Blend)
10 g Brown Sugar
20 g Olive Oil
14 g Active Dry Yeast
15 g Kosher Salt
650 g Warm Water
Toppings (Per Pizza)
60 g California Plum Tomatoes
30 g Smoked Salmon (Tides Wharf and Restaurant)
60 g Mt. Tam (Cowgirl Creamery)
30 g Shredded Low Moisture Mozzarella (Gioia Cheese Co. Scamorza)
15 g Fresh Shallots
10 g Capers
5-10 g Spice Blend (dry onion flakes, dry garlic flakes, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and coarse sea salt)
Preparations (24 hours before baking)
- Combine warm water, yeast, olive oil and brown sugar.
- Add flour and salt.
- Mix 3-5 minutes.
- Let rise 2 hours.
- Divide and shape doughs into 180 g rolls.
- Cover and refrigerate until bake time.
- Shred mozzarella, crush tomatoes, and slice shallots. Refrigerate.
Cooking Instructions
- Bring dough balls to room temp.
- Toss and shape dough.
- Add sauce, shredded mozzarella, and sliced shallots.
- Layer first Mt. Tam, smoked salmon, then add rinsed capers.
- Broadcast spice mix on pizza perimeter.
- Oven at 750F, bake 3-5 minutes, turning regularly.
Recipe by Pizza Bodega for the Real California Pizza Contest.
