2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14
Greek pizza is a very tasty and he althy dish that will certainly be appreciated by connoisseurs of traditional culinary delights. The method of its preparation is not much different from traditional Italian pizza, but there are still differences. The dish will appeal to those who like to pamper themselves with high-calorie food from time to time.
Real Italian or Greek pizza?
Do you know in which country the first pizza appeared? Who came up with the idea to bake bread cakes with filling? I must say, Italians and Greeks are still arguing about which of them first invented pizza.
The Greeks, by the way, have plenty of reasons to believe that they are the creators of the recipe. This is eloquently evidenced by the fact that their traditional flatbread plakuntos has been known for many centuries. Moreover, the national Greek cuisine has its roots in the distant past.
There is no doubt that it was the Greeks who invented pizzameaning. This country has everything you need for real Greek pizza. The photo-recipe shows just how appetizing this appetizer looks.
The favorable climate and geographical position allow the Greek population to engage in agriculture and create culinary masterpieces. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the composition of Greek pizza contains only traditional products: olive oil and olives, tomatoes and bell peppers.
Coming from a beautiful and magical land
Greek pizza is prepared on a dense dough with the addition of cherry tomatoes, fresh and juicy spinach leaves, bell peppers and, of course, olives. In order for it to acquire a rich and spicy taste, it is necessary to add cheeses. This is traditional Greek Feta and Mozzarella.
The composition of Greek pizza is in many ways similar to the traditional salad recipe of the same name, which is served in any self-respecting restaurant. The dish is not only delicious, but also incredibly he althy. There is no smoked or fried meat here - only vegetables and cheeses. And the fact that there is a small piece of dough is not a hindrance for the figure.
Recently, Greek pizza has some varieties. So, if desired, you can add mushrooms or meat, bacon or salami. It will only taste better.
However, we digress. Let's quickly learn how to make real Greek pizza.
Recipe with photo step by step
Let's start with the purchase of ingredients. Beforego grocery shopping, you need to find out what is needed to prepare this delicious, satisfying and he althy dish.
So, when you go to the store, don't forget to buy:
- Premade yeast dough if you don't want to bother making your own.
- Mozzarella cheese (package must contain at least 180 grams).
- Another traditional Greek pizza ingredient is Feta cheese (it needs a little less - about 50 grams).
- Cherry tomatoes (literally 8-10 pieces).
- Bulgarian sweet pepper (one piece will be enough).
- Lettuce leaves or spinach.
- Black pitted olives (there will be a lot of a whole jar - they are needed for decoration).
- Fresh cucumbers.
- Olive oil (to grease the baking sheet).
- Savory pizza sauce (you can find ready-made mix in any supermarket).
If you have bought everything you need for the Greek pizza, the photo of which causes increased salivation, you can start preparing the ingredients.
Preparing the dough
Like any other pizza, Greek pizza begins with the preparation of the dough. If you have not found a frozen product, you can cook it yourself. To do this, mix a teaspoon of dry instant yeast, a quarter cup of lukewarm water, a teaspoon of s alt and about two cups of wheat and one cup of bread flour.
First, in a large bowl, mix two types of flour. In a separate container, dilute the yeast with warm waterand leave for a while so that they disperse. After that, add s alt and mix thoroughly the resulting mixture. Now you can mix, gradually mixing in the flour. The result should be a homogeneous elastic mass without lumps, which must be laid out on a flat surface, sprinkled with flour. Knead the yeast dough for five minutes. Then divide it into two equal parts, put in a deep dish, greased with olive oil. So it will lie for several hours.
If everything is done correctly, after three hours the volume of the test will double.
Preparing sauce and stuffing
Bulgarian peppers and cucumbers should be thoroughly washed and cut into small cubes. Wash spinach and lettuce leaves well, dry and tear into small pieces. With cherry tomatoes, repeat the same manipulations, only you need to remove the stalk and use a sharp knife to cut the vegetables into fairly thin slices.
Now you can roll out the dough. The base for Greek pizza should be thin. The diameter of the dish is about 30 cm. This pancake must be well greased with olive oil and spread over its surface. You can do this with a cooking brush or with your hands (remember to wash them well before doing this). After tomato or special sauce for pizza, spread the dough. Also carefully, without leaving a dry place. Be careful with the edges of the pancake - most often it is they who remain dry.
Didn't find the special sauce? Tzatziki is made with mayonnaise or low-fat yogurt, garlic andfresh cucumbers, so it's easy to make your own.
Further manipulations
Pour chopped Mozzarella cheese onto the smeared base, tomatoes and bell pepper in an even layer. Now you can turn on the oven and bake the base. Traditionally, Greek pizza is baked in a brazier, the temperature of which reaches 400 degrees. In the arsenal of modern housewives, an ordinary oven. But its capabilities will be quite enough to prepare a delicious dish.
So, the base is baked - you can get it out. Now you can lay out the chopped cucumber, olives and lettuce leaves. Garnish all over with chopped Feta cheese.
Bon appetit!
Tips & Tricks
Don't be stingy with olive oil for Greek pizza. They are made for each other. Like Sirtaki and Greece itself. The presented traditional way of cooking the dish is the best suited for those who take care of their figure or simply do not eat meat, because the calorie content of Greek pizza is only 380 kcal.
Want to make the recipe a little more satisfying? Feel free to add boiled chicken or beef. The ingredients that make up the Greek pizza pair perfectly with seafood. They can also be part of this superb culinary ensemble.
But back to our Plakuntos. A source has been found in which pizza is first mentioned. It's a Greek cookery bookdated to the 1st century AD. It contains recipes for a wide variety of fillings. Then pizza was cooked with nuts, cheese, vegetables and herbs, garlic and chicken - in general, with what was at hand.
Now you know how to cook a real Greek pizza, and you can please your loved ones with a traditional dish.
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