National Dish of Italy Pizza

For the Dough

Other Pizza Ingredients

Pizza is considered the national dish of Italy. However, it is popular in many other countries, especially in the West. It is essentially a large flat open-faced sandwich topped with cheese and tomato sauce as well as meat and vegetables.

Directions for Preparing Pizza

1. Mix the yeast and warm water together in a bowl, then let it sit for five (0:05) minutes.
2. Mix the flour, salt, and oil together in a food processor, then add the yeast and water.
3. Allow dough to form, then place it onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth ball.
4. Coat the ball of dough in a little oil, then place it into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
5. Let the dough sit for one (1:00) hour until it has doubled in size.
6. Punch down the dough and divide it into halves, then set it aside.
7. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F°.
8. Place two baking sheets onto a flat metal baking dish and sprinkle with cornmeal.
9. Roll out each piece of the pizza dough into a circle measuring about ten inches in diameter and place each onto a baking sheet.
10. Smear two teaspoons of oil and minced garlic over each pizza base, then drizzle tomato sauce over each.
11. Sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese over each pizza, then arrange the tomatoes and pepperoni slices over the top.
12. Top with the Parmesan cheese.
13. Arrange the basil leaves over the cheese.
14. Drizzle the pizzas with the remaining olive oil and then bake for about fifteen (0:15) minutes until the cheese melts and the dough is cooked.
15. Garnish with fresh basil and a sprinkle of salt.
16. Cut into wedges and serve hot.

A key factor in the success of Italian cuisine is its heavy reliance on traditional products; Italy has the most traditional specialties protected under EU law Cheese, cold cuts, and wine are a major part of Italian cuisine, with many regional declinations and Protected Designation of Origin or Protected Geographical Indication labels, and along with coffee (especially espresso) make up a very important part of the Italian gastronomic culture. Desserts have a long tradition of merging local flavors such as citrus fruits, pistachio, and almonds with sweet cheeses like mascarpone and ricotta or exotic tastes such as cocoa, vanilla, and cinnamon.

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