Recipe: Homemade Pistachio Pizza

Recipe for a homemade pistachio pizza, super pistachio-packed with an excellent dough!

Today we're looking at a moderately easy recipe to make a fantastic Pistacchissimo-style pizza at home, with a Neapolitan dough and a puffy, airy crust. I used the G3 Ferrari oven (purchase link) to reach higher temperatures and achieve a faster bake.

PREMISE:

I'm not a professional pizzaiolo and I don't claim to be sharing the recipe of the century! I've just studied a few recipes from various sources and experimented, so go easy on the criticism and have fun with it yourself.

DOUGH:

I'll refer you to THIS RECIPE OF MINE to make a Neapolitan pizza dough with 65% hydration, which is very light and tasty.

Once you've finished preparing the dough, come back to this page.

INGREDIENTS:

For the toppings, you can get creative, so I'll simply list the version I made this time. However, I recommend always having a base that preserves moisture, such as the pistachio cream I made.

• Heavy cream
• Pistachio pesto (find it here)
• Pistachio flour
  (if you can't find it, finely grind whole pistachios)
• Crushed pistachios / Whole pistachios (to taste)
• Mozzarella (let it drain!)
• Speck, cubed or in strips
• Fresh ricotta

PISTACHIO CREAM:

• In a small pan over very low heat, pour in the heavy cream
• Add the pistachio pesto (after removing any oil floating on top)
• Add the pistachio flour
• I do this by eye, until it becomes very green and you can smell the pistachio aroma.
  Roughly speaking, 200 ml of cream + 100 g of pesto + 50 g of flour makes an excellent cream!
• Add salt and pepper to taste if the pesto doesn't already contain them
  (check the ingredients on the label)

NOTE: the amounts above are enough for 2/3 pizzas, depending on how generous you are.

PISTACCHISSIMO TRICK:

What I'm about to say isn't essential, but it's interesting if you want a TOP-tier result. The ideal is to have 2 types of pesto: one thicker for the cream (coarse grind), and one more liquid for garnishing at the end (fine grind). Both types are available on the market.

• If you only have the very thick one, you can take a small portion and thin it out slightly with oil or hot water. Or, take the top layer, which is typically less dense.
  
  
• If you only have the liquid one, you'll need to add more pistachio flour when making the cream to help it thicken up.

PROCEDURE:

• Let's assume you have dough balls of about 230 g, as explained in the recipe linked above, well-proofed
  (if you use the G3 Ferrari, avoid going over 250 g, as they won't fit well)
  
  
• Dust the table with some flour and stretch them out, pressing in the center and pushing outwards; this allows you to preserve the crust very easily (so NO rolling pin!)
  
  
• Spread the pistachio cream on the pizza
  
  
• Add the mozzarella (crumbled by hand and drained) and the speck
  
  
• Bake (I'll provide some details on baking below)
  
  
• Once out of the oven, add a dollop of ricotta in the center
  
  
• Garnish with a bit of liquid pesto, pistachio flour, crushed pistachios, and a few whole pistachios
  (feel free to do as you like, based on what you have available!)

BAKING:

• If you use the G3 Ferrari oven like I do (tested!):
  
  
  • Place a sheet of aluminum foil on the base
    
    
  • Set to maximum power and let it heat up for 8 minutes
    
    
  • Remove the aluminum foil and let it heat for another 4 minutes
    
    
  • The aluminum foil helps keep the base temperature lower to avoid burning the bottom of the pizza
    (to reduce the risk, you can replace the base stone with a terracotta one)
  
  
  • Pick up the pizza with the paddles (lightly floured) and place it in the oven
    (be quick, because if the oven stays open too long, the temperature drops!)
    
    
  • After 3 minutes, the pizza is cooked!
    
    
  • Take it out and garnish with the final toppings

• If you use a standard home oven, I recommend trying the COMBO METHOD (watch this video on YouTube):
  
  
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) in static mode
    
    
  • Heat up a non-stick pan
    (don't overdo it, as Teflon shouldn't go over 300°C)
    
    
  • Place the pizza, without toppings, in the pan over medium heat to start cooking the base. Keep it covered with a lid to retain moisture.
    
    
  • As soon as the base shows signs of bubbling, add the base topping (pistachio cream)
    
    
  • When the base is well-cooked, add the mozzarella, turn the oven up to 250°C (482°F) and turn on the grill (the top heating element)
    
  • Then move the pizza into the oven, placing it as high as possible, very close to the glowing grill (to reach about 400°C). This will make the crust puff up and cook!

NOTE: when you put the pizza in the oven, you can also pour some water on the bottom of the oven to create steam, which will add moisture and keep the crust softer.

• • Rotate it as needed (every grill has a particularly hot spot) and after 2 minutes, the pizza is ready!
    
    
  • In any case, everything is explained very well in the video! But I've transcribed it here as a reminder.

Enjoy your pizza, everyone!