Isabella from Italian Street Kitchen explains why you can taste such a difference with an authentic Italian pizza.
Pizza is nothing short of a phenomenon in the world of food. It’s one of my absolute favourite dishes and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t like it; you’ve probably even made it yourself at home. However, pizza can be taken to a whole other level when made using traditional Italian techniques by an expert chef. When I opened my restaurant, I wanted to share the incredible delights of authentic Italian cuisine with Australians, so today I’m going to explain what makes the traditional pizzas you can find in my restaurant so special. Find out more about Traditional Italian Pizza here
Pizza Base
If you haven’t tried authentic Italian pizza, you might not realise how important the base is. Italian pizza bases are typically crafted from a mixture of wheat flour, salt, yeast, olive oil, and water. To achieve the desired texture, the dough requires vigorous kneading to develop gluten strands that create a mesh-like structure when baked. While this might sound like a lot of work, I simply love the whole process of making the base from scratch. It still brings back memories of learning the craft as a young girl in Italy, when I adored being able to eat this magical food that I’d helped create.
At my restaurant, I only use dough that has risen for 48 hours which gives it the optimal flavour with a beautiful, pillowy crust.
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Sauce
With the exception of my Mushroom & Cheese option, all of my current pizzas at Italian Street Kitchen use a classic tomato sauce. The quality of the tomatoes and the care and effort in preparing them is what makes all the difference here, giving the sauce such a gorgeous complementary flavour. The extra time it takes is definitely worth it, and there is no need for preservatives when making it all fresh.
Cheese
I couldn’t call any Italian pizza ‘authentic’ without the inclusion of fresh fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella cheese. This cheese is responsible for lending the pizza its unique texture, which when paired with a crispy crust, creates a truly glorious culinary experience that tantalises the taste buds. The cheese should only be added after the tomato sauce has been spread across the dough. If added earlier, it can cause excessive moisture loss during baking, making for a tough crust.
The best Fior Di Latte comes from Campania in Italy, where I source all of mine from. Top quality Buffalo Mozzarella on the other hand is much closer to home, with Vanella Cheese in Marrickville, NSW providing the exquisite cheese I use in my pizza restaurant.
Enjoy an authentic pizza at Italian Street Kitchen!
Toppings
After carefully selecting the base, sauce, and cheese, you can really bring the pizza to life with a scrumptious range of toppings. If you’re following tradition, the ideal toppings typically include thinly sliced meats like prosciutto and salami, as well as mushrooms, artichoke hearts, roasted eggplant, and olives. While it’s tempting to top the pizza with every yummy ingredient you can think of, the Italian method emphasizes the use of only a few high-quality ingredients to create a delectable taste experience; this is a case where less can truly be more.
The Oven
I simply can’t overstate how significant the pizza oven is in the equation. Authentic Italian pizza restaurants use stone-and-concrete wood-burning ovens that cook the crust at very high temperatures. This is important for two reasons: firstly, it creates steam that helps the bread rise and expand air pockets, and secondly, it gives the crust its signature golden-brown colour.
Some of the best pizza restaurants boast ovens that are over 100 years old and I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy the amazing pizzas they’re still able to produce. The type of stone used inside the oven also plays a crucial role in determining the texture of the crust. For instance, a porous quarry stone with small holes will result in a light and chewy crust, while a solid lava stone with larger gaps will produce a crispier crust. Some cookware stores even label their stones according to these qualities, allowing you to choose the perfect stone for your desired texture if you’re looking to have a pizza oven at home.
The Chef
In the end, nothing is going to beat the magic of an authentic Italian pizza prepared by an expert chef. If you’d like to relax in a wonderful setting while I make a traditional pizza for you, be sure to book a table at the best Italian restaurant Sydney today!
