Argentine
Fugazzeta
Buenos Aires stuffed pizza with a crisp olive-oil crust, molten mozzarella, and a burnished crown of oregano-scented onions.
6 servings · 45 minutes prep · 31 minutes cook
Ingredients
Dough and divided staples
- 1⅓ cups, 70–75°F (21–24°C)
- 1¼ tsp
- 4 cups plus 2 tbsp, Unbleached
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp total, Diamond Crystal; divided: 1 tbsp plus ½ tsp (10 g) for the dough and ½ tsp (1.5 g) for the onions
- 4½ tbsp total, Divided: 1½ tbsp (20 ml; 18 g) for the dough, 1 tbsp for the onions, and 2 tbsp for the pan
Filling and topping
- 1½ lb (about 6 cups), Whole-milk, coarsely shredded
- 3 large onions (about 1½ lb prepared weight), Peeled and halved
- 2 tsp, Preferably Argentine
- ½ tsp, Freshly ground
Directions
1. Make and ferment the dough
- Combine water and instant yeast in a {{tool:large-bowl}}. Add bread flour and mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
- Add 1 tbsp plus ½ tsp (10 g) of kosher salt and 1½ tbsp (20 ml; 18 g) of extra virgin olive oil. Knead by hand for 8–10 minutes, or with a dough hook on medium-low speed for 5–7 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but able to release cleanly from the hands or bowl.
- Cover the bowl tightly and leave the dough at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 18–24 hours.
2. Temper the dough and prepare the onions
- About 2½ hours before baking, turn the cold dough onto an unfloured surface. Divide it into a 510 g piece for the base and a roughly 337 g piece for the top. Shape both into tight balls, cover, and rest at room temperature until relaxed and slightly puffy, about 2 hours.
- Using a {{tool:chef-knife}} and {{tool:cutting-board}}, slice yellow onion crosswise into thin half-moons about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Toss thoroughly with the remaining ½ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt and leave in a {{tool:colander}} for 30 minutes. Gently squeeze the onions by handfuls, spread them on a clean towel, and blot well until pliable and moist but not dripping.
- Toss the drained onions with dried oregano, black pepper, and 1 tbsp (15 ml) of extra virgin olive oil.
3. Heat the oven and shape the pizza
- Place a {{tool:baking-steel}} on a rack in the lower third of the {{tool:oven}}. Heat to 475°F (245°C) for at least 45 minutes. Have ready a light-colored 12-inch round aluminum {{tool:pizza-pan}} with sides at least 1½ inches high.
- Coat the bottom and sides of the pan with the remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil. On a lightly oiled surface, press and stretch the larger dough ball into a 14-inch round. Transfer it to the pan and ease it across the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides without tearing; if it contracts, rest it for 5 minutes before continuing.
- Distribute low moisture mozzarella evenly over the dough, leaving a ¾-inch border and keeping the cheese level rather than mounded in the center.
- Stretch or use a {{tool:rolling-pin}} to roll the smaller dough ball into a 12-inch round and lay it over the mozzarella. Pinch the upper and lower dough firmly together around the circumference, fold the seam inward against the side of the pan, and cut three small vents near the center of the upper crust.
- Spread the seasoned onions evenly from edge to edge, separating any clumps. Let the assembled pizza stand for 10 minutes before baking.
4. Bake and finish
- Using {{tool:oven-mitts}}, set the pan directly on the heated steel. Bake for 20–24 minutes, rotating the pan after 12 minutes, until the onions begin to soften and brown and the rim is well risen.
- Move the pizza to the middle rack and bake for another 8–10 minutes, until the onion edges are browned, the crust is deep golden, and cheese bubbles through the vents. Carefully lift an edge with a thin {{tool:spatula}}; the underside should be evenly browned and rigid enough to support the pizza. A {{tool:skewer}} inserted through a vent should meet no gummy dough, and an {{tool:instant-read-thermometer}} inserted into the cheese center should register at least 165°F (74°C).
- Rest the pizza in the pan for 5 minutes. Run the thin spatula around the edge, slide the pizza onto a {{tool:cutting-board}}, and rest for another 5 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving hot.
