If you’re longing for a pizza the action, Harry’s your man (no, not that Harry)
We all know that the simplest things in life are often the best – so what better than a two-ingredient, two-word pathway to pizza perfection, writes Rebecca Levingston
I want to give a shout out to Harry.
Not the Prince (although for the record I am Team Harry and Meghan) Good luck to them! I hope they use their platform to do lots of good in the world. I watched the whole six episodes of their doco and was struck by how genuinely well intentioned they both seem inside a royally recondite regime.
However… the Harry I want to thank is working in the deli at my local supermarket. He looks about 14 and when I met Harry he was wearing a hairnet, an apron and a name badge, which mightn’t even be his real name now that I think about it. But Harry, you did good.
For years, I have struggled with a food dilemma that has held back my family’s Friday nights.
It’s pizza. Specifically, the perfect pizza base. Why is it so hard to find a decent foundation for cheese and delicious Italian goods?
I’m ashamed to admit that mostly Mr Domino has fed my children on the last day of the week in 2022. Part treat, part laziness on my behalf. But now that I’m on holidays, I’ve decided to turn my mind to making better food. My annual resolution around this time of year.
So last week, I made the decision to venture back into the flames of homemade pizza territory.
Every member of my family made their own topping combination requests so when I stood in front of the delicatessen glass scanning for ingredients, Harry didn’t realise he’d be in for such a protracted order.
100 grams of pepperoni
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Anything else?
200 grams of ham
Anything else?
12 strips of prosciutto
Anything else?
Harry would ask this question each time I ordered something. In the end it felt like he and I were in some kind of weird never-ending cured meat exchange.
Salami, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, artichokes, hot sopressa, chilli olives, mozzarella, bacon… it was a long list.
Eventually, since Harry just stuck to his two word question, for some reason I felt that I had to explain what I was doing, just to give our exchange a little flavour.
“I’m making homemade pizzas Harry – and everyone has their own preferred topping combo.”
Harry’s face lit up.
“What are you using for the base?” he asked with unexpected interest.
“Not sure, Harry. You got any advice?”
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“Flour and yoghurt,” he said with absolute certainty.
Harry’s two word convo game stepped up a notch. I was intrigued, but unconvinced.
“What kind of flour and yogurt?” I asked. Harry shrugged.
Plain I guess. Plain like our deli chat.
Harry told me that he and his dad have their own wood fired pizza oven and the best base they’ve tried is simply plain flour and yoghurt mixed together to make a doughy ball. Let it sit for 30 minutes then roll it out, throw on your toppings and whack it in the oven.
I took my trolley load of meat and cheese and promised Harry I’d try his base.
I drove home thinking about how sometimes it’s spontaneous exchanges in life that can create magic. More than small talk, it’s the power of tiny chat.
I pre-heated the oven.
Sticky, unmeasured, unsure, I persisted with Harry’s unconventional base suggestion.
I couldn’t roll the “dough” in a circle because I ran out of flour so I just squished it into a half-centimetre thick shape that looked like a wonky map of Australia.
Napoli sauce, blue cheese (yes!), prosciutto, red onion, little bit of mozzarella, basil – into the oven.
15 minutes later (approximately – I don’t follow recipes or time) I pulled out what has been my greatest home made pizza triumph in history. Crispy not dry, flexible not doughy, it even managed to get a little bit brown on the underbelly – the holy grail of pizza making.
Harry. Who’d have thought? The deli kid who delivered pizza perfection.
Anything else?
Flour. Yoghurt.
Try it. Thanks Harry!
