Over a Thousand Recipes in 'Modernist Pizza'

Nathan Myhrvold, former chief technology officer at Microsoft and chef and author of Modernist Cuisine, joins us to discuss the new entry to the "Modernist" book collection, Modernist Pizza. The book is a three-volume exploration of pizza, its history, the techniques behind it, and where to eat it. Plus, there are over a thousand recipes to explore.   Direct Artisan Pizza Dough Makes three 14-inch pizzas | Total Time: Active 15–20 minutes / Inactive 6 hours   2 cups water, 70°F 1 tsp instant dry yeast 4 2/3 cups high-gluten bread flour, 13%–14% protein 1 Tbsp + 1/4 tsp diastatic malt powder 2 1/4 tsp fine salt 1 Tbsp + 1 1/4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil   1. Combine the water and yeast in the mixer’s bowl, and whisk to dissolve the yeast. 2. Add the flour and malt powder, and mix on low speed to a shaggy mass, about 1 minute. 3. Mix on medium speed to low gluten development, about 5 minutes. 4. Add the salt, and mix on medium speed until it is fully incorporated, about 1 minute. 5. Add the oil with the machine running on medium speed, and mix the dough until it reaches full gluten development, about 11 minutes. 6. Perform the windowpane test to assess gluten development. Take a portion of dough in your hands and stretch it: the more the dough can stretch without tearing, the more the gluten has developed. The dough will hold the window for at least 8–10 seconds and it can be stretched to the point that it is nearly see-through when it has reached full gluten development. 7. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured worktable. Cover well with plastic wrap. 8. Bench rest for 20 minutes. 9. Divide the dough into three even-sized pieces. 10. To preshape, place each cut square of dough smooth side down. Fold the top one-third of the dough toward the middle, and then fold the bottom one-third toward the middle, overlapping the ends slightly to form an envelope. 11. Rotate the dough 90° and roll the dough up lengthwise. 12. Gently round the dough with both hands, leaving the seam side down, to create a tight, round package. 13. If necessary, pinch the seam shut. This is important to prevent it from ripping when you shape it. 14. Repeat steps 10–13 with the two remaining pieces of dough. 15. Place on a sheet pan. Spray a very light mist of water over the dough. 16. Cover the dough well with plastic wrap. 17. Proof the dough, covered, for 4 1/2–5 1/2 hours at 70°F. 18. Test for proof using the fingertip test. Gently press the exposed surface of the dough for 2 seconds; the pressure should leave a small dent in the dough; it will slowly spring back, but the indentation should remain clearly visible after 1–2 seconds. 19. Shape, assemble, and bake the pizza according to the instructions in the recipe.   Notes We recommend Giusto’s High Performer High Protein Unbleached Flour. When you are adding the oil to the mixer, try to pour the oil toward the center of the dough rather than to the outside of the dough. This helps keep it from sloshing around the bowl and makes it easier for the mixer to fully incorporate it into the dough. We typically use a dough hook to mix all our medium-crust pizza doughs. If the ingredient quantities aren’t large enough for the dough hook to mix them well in a stand mixer, use a paddle attachment initially to mix the ingredients uniformly. Once you have a homogeneous mass (the dough is sticky and wet, and there are no visible clumps or unincorporated water), switch to a hook attachment. Final mix time at higher speeds may vary from machine to machine. Whatever the model and yield, the goal is to achieve a good mix and full gluten development. Consider our suggested times as guidelines only. Use the windowpane test to help determine the dough’s stage of gluten development. After preshaping, you can also cold-proof this dough at 39°F for 1–2 days for even better baking and texture results. If you cold-proof the dough, remove the dough from refrigeration 1 1/2–2 hours before shaping so it warms up and is easier to stretch out.