Tastes Like Trusello Pizza

“Dutch Oven Bakery Pizza”

In many Italian bakeries you will find a sheet pan of pizza cut into squares and sold by the slice. It has a thick bread crust and is meant to be eaten at room temperature.

This recipe tastes like the 1950‘s Trusello’s Pizza. When I went with Pop for a Sunday ride and to get bread, I always got a slice of Trusello pizza.

Using a loaf of dough from my Trusello Bread post under Camp Cooking one can make two 9” round bakery pizzas in a 12” Dutch Oven. They should be square but unless you have a square Dutch Oven just deal with it. Most will screw with the recipe, but here is how to make it taste like the original.

Before the first rise, knead the dough a few minutes to increase the gluten. Then let it rise twice as in the bread recipe. Brush a piece of parchment paper with virgin olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Form your pizza from 1/2 the dough, set it on the paper & roll the edges under about 1/2”. It does not have to be a lot as the crust will rise again.

Now start preheating the 12” DO with a trivet in it and top to get it very hot while the dough rests for 10 - 15 minutes. Brush the dough with olive oil to cover, but NOT THE EDGES. This keeps the dough from getting soggy. Spread a little less than 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes on the dough and sprinkle with a scant 1/8th tsp crushed Ajowan, 1/4 tsp sugar and a little basil & oregano. NO SALT. Now sprinkle 1 to 1 1/2 oz. coarsely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese (Fulvi Genuine if you can find it.) and drizzle with olive oil - but not the outer crust.

Put pizza in the DO, cover & load the top with coals. Bake for 11 minutes and check. If it is bubbling in the middle, it is done. Remove and add basil & oregano to taste. Let it cool if you can. Actually heating up a piece in a frying pan the next day is a treat too!

You can change any of the above ingredients except the crust or add what you want and it will probably be good, it just won’t taste like the best.

Hilditch, 1%er