Recipe: Pizza Cubana (Cuban Pizza)

PIZZA CUBANA


FOR THE SAUCE:
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup olive
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground bay leaf

FOR THE DOUGH:
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 1/2 to 3 1/4 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive

FOR THE TOPPINGS:
1 cup Gouda cheese, grated (more or less) plus 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated (more or less), blended together
AND PICK ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING:
- Spanish chorizo, sliced very thin "pepperoni style" or ground in a food processor or meal grinder
- Portuguese chorizo
- Diced ham
- Cooked shrimp*
- Cooked lobster*
- Ripe plantains
- Picadillo
- Leftover lechon asado
- Veggies: green bell pepper, mushrooms, onions, chopped garlic, black olives, green olives, red or green tomato slices

TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
Use a large saucepan and saute the green peppers and onion in olive oil until limp. Add the garlic and saute an additional minute or two, stirring constantly.

Add the salt, tomato puree, lemon juice, sugar, paprika, oregano, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool. Remove bay leaf.

TO PREPARE THE PIZZA DOUGH:
Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the water in a small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes in a warm place - it should begin to foam.

Sift together the flour and the salt.

Place the yeast mixture and the olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour, a little at a time, until you have a stiff, hut pliable dough. Adjust the amount of flour, more or less, to achieve the right consistency. Let the machine knead the dough for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Place this smooth ball of dough into a greased bowl, cover, and set aside in a warm place to rise until double in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

(If you do use a stand mixer, skip the next 2 steps.) If you don t have a stand mixer, don t despair! You can easily mix the dough with a wooden spoon. Gradually add the flour, a little at a time, until you have a stiff, but pliable dough. Adjust the amount of flour, more or less, to achieve the right consistency.

Knead the dough with your hands for approximately 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough in half, knead, dust lightly with flour, and repeat this step about a dozen times. Properly kneaded dough will be smooth and not sticky.

TO MAKE THE PIZZAS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Punch down the dough. Remove it from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Work out the dough by hand to form 4 individual rounds, about 6-inches in diameter. Turn and re-flour the dough as you form the crusts. The crust should be quite thick - about 1/2-inch.

Place the individual pizza rounds on a well-greased baking sheet. Liberally cover the dough with the sauce. Add your favorite topping (or toppings) and cover the pizza with the cheese.

Bake in the oven for approximately 14 to 18 minutes. The cheese should be melted and starting to brown slightly at the edges of the pizzas.

*Shrimp and lobster - when we add shrimp or lobster (and sometimes both) to our pizzas, we like to saute them first in a little olive oil, Remove the lobster meat from the tails and cut into chunks. Peel and devein the shrimp. Season the shrimp or lobster lightly with salt, pepper, and a little cumin. Saute the shrimp or lobster pieces, flipping once after a minute or so, until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook!

Makes 4 personal-size pizzas, serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer
Source: Three Guys from Miami Celebrate Cuban by Glenn M. Lindgren, Jorge Castillo, and Raul Musibay