Italian Quattro Stagioni Pizza Recipe
The term "pizza" is derived from the Latin word pinsa, which refers to flatbread. According to legend, Roman soldiers developed a liking for Jewish matzot while stationed in Roman-occupied Palestine, where they attempted to recreate pinsa. Quattro Stagioni, or "Four Seasons," is a traditional Italian pizza similar to the Capriccioso. It features a variety of ingredients, each representing a different season, with each ingredient typically harvested and preserved at that time of year. Ham represents winter, artichokes spring, olives summer, and mushrooms fall.
Ingredients
- White flour – 200g
- Instant dry yeast – 7g
- Salt – a pinch
- Water (warm) – 140ml
- Extra virgin olive oil – 3 tbsp
- Extra flour for the kneading counter
- Extra oil for the bowl and baking tray
- Passata/tomato sauce – 200g
- Mozzarella balls cheese (shredded) – 1 cup
- Cooked ham (sliced) – 85g
- Mushrooms (sliced) – 85g
- Artichokes in oil (drained and quartered) – 6 pcs
- Sun-dried black olives (sliced) – 80g
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Dough preparation
- In a large bowl, mix the white flour, instant dry yeast, and salt. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour the warm water and oil. Mix together until a wet dough is formed.
- On a flat working counter, drizzle lightly with some flour. Place the dough over the counter and knead it with your hands until the consistency of the dough is smooth and elastic. This takes approximately 5 minutes.
- Brush the insides of a large bowl with oil. Place the kneaded dough inside the bowl and brush the top portion with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Leave it for 25 minutes and allow the dough to double its size. Preferably in a warm environment.
- Prepare two baking trays. Brush one tablespoon of oil on each tray.
- After resting the dough, place the dough on a floured surface and divide it into two. Form each portion into a ball and slowly roll the dough into a round disc with approximately 3mm thickness.
- Transfer the pizza dough gently on each prepared baking tray.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Toppings
- In a frying pan, saute the mushrooms for 2 minutes then set aside.
- Add 100g of tomato on one pizza base then spread it evenly leaving a small portion of the edges of the dough with no sauce.
- Spread the mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce.
- Toppings will be divided into four quadrants. Place the sliced ham on one quadrant, the olives on the second, sauteed mushrooms on the other and the artichokes on the last quadrant.
- Top off with a little bit of salt and pepper.
- Repeat the process with the other pizza dough.
- Place the pizza inside the oven and cook for about 15 minutes up until the cheese is melted and the crust turned into a golden colour.
- Served best while hot and crisp.
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