By Bernardo Moreno
At 53 Mesones you will find «The Pizzeria». In a space between stone arches and the vaulted ceiling of an old house in the center of town. It’s a cozy but elegant space. Its main feature is the pizza oven in the background, purchased in Italy.
Recently opened, The Pizzeria is the new establishment of the renowned chef Donnie Masterton along with the help of Giovanni Finotto. After a lot of work, patience and knowledge they have hit the dough (the main ingredient of the pizza), in just over a year. After a month of literally putting their hands in the dough, they have reached the best possible result.
To get the best dough, you first must ferment the flour for one day, then make the dough and then let it ferment again for at least another twenty-four hours. Making sure that it swells, that it acquires elasticity and that it finally yields. The dough is seventy percent water, and when put in the oven, it cooks quickly, and the liquid evaporates almost entirely. The pizza will be much lighter, more digestible and you will end up giving your body less flour.
The pizza at The Pizzeria is cooked at around 400 degrees Celsius and for about two minutes. This is for several reasons: it acquires more texture, the tomato sauce and mozzarella stay moist, and the dough is at its high point and the crust is inflated.
Unlike a gas oven, the wood oven is kept with a certain amount of humidity. In The Pizzeria, huizache wood is used, which suits it very well. Giovanni told us a little about the history of pizza, one of the leading Italian dishes in the world. In the 16th century, bakers put flatbread in the oven in order to know the temperature. Also at this time, Neapolitan peasants began to harvest the tomato, previously thought to be poisonous. They made a sauce and spread it on flatbread, adding fresh cheese. That bread became famous and later, whoever visited Naples went to the poor neighborhoods in search of this local specialty. Little time passed and it was recognized as pizza, the margherita being the classic Neapolitan pizza.
Giovanni made us a margherita pizza and what a treat! Moist, barely melted chunks of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and olive oil. First class ingredients in a dough with different textures and just right, simple and comforting tomato sauce, as it should be! He also made us a pizza with red onion, garlic oil and —to my surprise— brussels sprouts, a great combination!
This is an invitation for fans, lovers or, perhaps, pizza addicts. Give yourself the opportunity of this classic and delicious experience. Bon appétit!
