Semolina Pizza Dough

As I sit here writing this post, I am trying very hard, and failing, to study for the exam that I have tomorrow morning. Ever try studying in extreme heat? I fall asleep every few pages of notes. Not cool. Of course, I wouldnt mind being in the heat elsewhere.... say in upstate New York where my family has spent every summer since before I was born, over twenty two years. Sadly, this is the very first summer that will not be spent lounging around poolside, making spontaneous trips to Wal Mart and enjoying Fialkoff's pizza. Fialkoff's is a small pizza place in the mountains that operates only during the summer. The owners fly in from Israel and make the most awesome pizza around. They are so popular that there are constantly lines out the door, making it quite stuffy in there and to meet the demand they are often open until very, very late. Saturday nights they don't close until around two, making it a really hot spot for young married couples and teenagers with nothing to do on Saturday night. Sigh. I miss Clearview. Funnily enough, the owners opened up a place in Jerusalem but closed down shortly after. With so many pizza places around, their clientele being in America, and the inability to produce the same product without American ingredients, they couldnt survive. What makes their pizza special? I dont know. It just has this certain je-ne-se-quois about it. Their sauce is delightfully spicy and... it's just really good. But I could do without the price tag. Every year, the prices go up and the size of the slices go down. Still, the summer wouldnt be the same without it. And so, to feel like I'm there, sort of, I decided to make my own pizza. That's right- it's simple, oh so easy and far more economical. It is also simply delicious. The crust comes from King Arthur Flour (of course) and uses both semolina and regular flours, resulting in a nicely chewy crust. The dough rises and after it doubles is deflated and refrigerated to develop yummy, complex flavors. I opted to make a pan pizza, as it is far less complicated. This pizza was devoured really fast by my friends and me. It was nice to have something homemade for a while and even nicer to be creating new summer memories here in Israel.

Semolina Pizza Dough
from King Arthur Flour's Baking Companion

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups semolina flour
1 tsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4-1 1/2 cups water
Sauce
Cheese
In a large bowl, place all of the dry ingredients. Stir well to combine. Add the olive oil,

pour on the water,

and stir to make a shaggy dough.

Knead until youve formed a smooth, soft dough. Dont overknead, as the gluten will continue to develop when it rises in the fridge.

Allow the dough to rise for forty five minutes outside the fridge. Refrigerate the dough for four hours or up to 36 hours.

Here's the newly risen dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Form into a rectangle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to your highest setting.

Place the dough on the parchment. Roll the dough to fit the baking sheet.

Place the sauce on the rolled dough,

and spread evenly.

Place the cheese on top of the sauce.

Bake until it looks like this!! Enjoy!!