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Experiences You Should Have Podcast Show Notes
Interview with Fabio Errante, Italian Pizza Chef
I had the esteemed pleasure of interviewing Fabio Errante an Italian pizza chef (now living in London), from Fabioulous Pizza. A decade ago, he left the corporate world to follow his passion and enter the pizzeria. Fabio grew up making pizza at home with his family on Saturday nights, but something clicked when he learned from Chef Mario while living in Bologna, and the rest is history.
He founded Fabioulous Pizza and started teaching people how to bake their own happiness. He created pizza experiences, bringing people together for parties, corporate events to help people connect with one another and share happiness through pizza. When Covid-19 hit, his in-person pizza experiences went by the wayside, and he started to help people make Italian pizza at home by helping them virtually. He’s written a book, has an incredible YouTube channel showing How-Tos for making Italian pizza crust, how to spread the dough, toppings, and more. Definitely follow Fabio on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube as his infectious energy will give you a lift and a dose of happiness, plus his how-to pizza tips are invaluable. Also, check out his book on Amazon.
What Do You Need to Make Italian Pizza at Home?
It is easy to make pizza at home. There is a high chance you have everything in your pantry right now. You’ll need the following:
- Flour (higher the protein the better)
- Yeast
- Salt
- Water
- Can of Tomatoes
- Preferred Toppings
In order for flour to be good for pizza making, the protein content is what will make it good. Next time you’re in the grocery store, compare flour brands and look for a brand with higher protein content on the nutrition label. Fabio recommends finding a bread flour, as it usually has higher protein content.
You don’t need professional products or equipment. Use your hands or use your spoon! Anybody can do it at home.
How to Make Italian Pizza Dough
Use Fabio’s dough calculator to figure out how much of each ingredient you need. If making one pizza, you will need:
- 100g water
- 160g flour
- 1 t salt
- 1/2 t yeast
The yeast noted above is much less than most pizza dough recipes. The less yeast you use, the longer the rise should be. The longer you let the dough rise, the more it will ferment and the acid will provide a more complex taste. Ideally your rise time would be 24 hours.
- Pour the water into a bowl and dissolve the yeast.
- Add half of the flour and mix well using a fork or spoon until it’s smooth.
- Now add the salt and keep on mixing.
- Add the rest of the flour in 2-3 pours and mix, using your momentum to continue mixing
- Use your hand to start kneading the dough and resist the temptation to add more flour. The dough ball will be ready when you can push gently your fingertip in it, and it quickly returns to its shape.
- Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes, then reshape it gently.
- Let it rise in a lightly oiled bowl covered with a towel
Check out this full YouTube video on how to make pizza dough.
Stretching Pizza Dough
Put away that rolling pin. All you need are your hands! You don’t have to throw your dough up in the air and Fabio shows some great techniques in the below video. Also, if you have a bowl, put it upside down, put your dough on top of the bowl and just pull the edges of your pizza down.
How to Make Homemade Italian Pizza Sauce
When I asked Fabio this question, I was expecting a load of spices, a long slow simmer, and some fancy Italian pizza sauce technique. Fabio demystified the sauce for me as he takes a can of peeled tomatoes and adds a pinch of salt. Essentially, you don’t have to overcomplicate this. Homemade dough, plus a simple sauce, excellent pizza toppings and you’ve got yourself happiness on a plate.
Pizza Toppings
Fabio’s favorite pizza is a classic Margherita pizza, probably stemming from Saturday nights with his family growing up. That said, there are many pizza topping pairings. While Fabio’s pizza mood changes by the day, here are a few suggestions:
- Pizza Bianca, mixed cherry tomatoes, microgreens, and balsamic reduction
- Confit San Marzano tomatoes crumbled guanciale (pork cheek) and pecorino cheese
- Mozzarella, Prosciutto, whipped ricotta (whip your ricotta with a mixer adding air), and crushed pistachios
If you add mozzarella to your pizza, make sure to cut it a few hours earlier and drain in a colander. That will help reduce liquid showing up on your pizza.
Baking Your Pizza Recommendations
Preheat your oven (and pan) to 500 degrees (or as high as it goes). When your oven says it is heated, let it to continue to heat up. Put your pizza inside the oven when the oven is at the peak of its temperature. If you have a broiler, cook it near the top of the pizza. If you cook it in a very hot oven, then it may only take 5 minutes to bake, but if in a cooler oven, could take twice as long.