ZUCCHINE (SUMMER SQUASH)

For this pizza you can theoretically use any variety of squash you like, but we stick to ones on the smaller side and roughly cylindrical (rather than crookneck) so all the slices are consistent. We also favor young squash. Once they get too big, the seeds start to take over and they bring an unpleasant texture. Speaking of texture, you absolutely must salt the squash in advance to reduce moisture and ensure the squash cooks properly and melts into the pizza. Squash is one of the hardest toppings to pull off because its flavor is so delicate and it contains a lot of water so it has to be treated properly for the flavor to come through. To compensate for squash’s low acidity, we serve this pizza with a lemon wedge in the middle and squeeze it over before slicing.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Weigh the zucchini and combine with 0.75 percent salt by weight in a medium bowl. Set aside, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. Drain and squeeze off any excess water, then drizzle with olive oil.

Step 2

Stretch the dough as outlined in the Techniques chapter. Transfer to a floured peel. Distribute the mozzarella and squash evenly to the edge of the raised border. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Bake as directed here. Distribute the ricotta evenly in dollops. Season with black pepper and drizzle with more olive oil. Serve immediately with a lemon wedge in the middle.

Step 3

You’ve got your pizza on your peel. You topped it cautiously, making sure you didn’t get any moisture onto the peel, and you’ve dried your hands. The oven is completely and fully preheated. Your whole house is hot. It’s time. Before you open the oven door, give the peel a quick jerk. The pizza should move slightly in response to your movements. If the pizza sticks to the peel, it’s pretty hard to salvage. You can, theoretically, try to lift up the part of the dough that’s stuck to the peel and dust it with additional rice flour, but for me it’s not worth the risk of the dough staying stuck and launching cheese and sauce all over the inside of my oven. When this happens, I just fold the dough in half and make it into a calzone (see here), the most delicious way I know to recover from a round pizza failure. There’s a lot riding on this moment, but it’s important to be confident as you launch the pizza into the oven. Swift, confident movements count. Grip the peel with your dominant hand and open the oven door with your other hand. Land the tip of the peel about a half inch from the far edge of the stone or steel. Pull the peel swiftly away, cautiously allowing the dough to fall into place. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t pull this off at first. This is a legitimately difficult part of the process and it takes practice. Close the door and turn on the oven light. The pizza needs to bake for 6 to 7 minutes. Set a timer for 3 minutes. Check the pizza at the 3-minute mark to inspect the oven spring and rim caramelization (see box here). Oven spring should be complete—meaning the rim should be prominently raised. Caramelization should be in progress—meaning the rim will be beginning to brown. Most ovens have hot spots, so if you see one part is cooking more quickly than another, slide the peel underneath the pizza and use your fingers or tongs to reposition it so the pizza cooks evenly, then close the door quickly. You want all these movements to be efficient so the oven loses as little heat as possible. Set the timer for 3 minutes. The pizza should be baked and the toppings should be melted or cooked within 6 to 7 minutes total, but use your intuition to tell when the pizza is done.