So, what question do you think I hear most often during Oscars season?
Will it be, "Who do you think will win Best Actor or Best Actress?" "What will win Best Picture?"
Of course, in my usual conversations with guests and friends, those kinds of questions do come up. But they don't get the most votes for my Most Popular Question.
The winner (drum roll, please) is a lot easier to predict: "Wolfgang, what kind of pizza will you be serving after the ceremony is over?"
I've been asked that question by so many people, including Jay Leno, Barbra Streisand and Michael Douglas. After the last Oscar has been handed out, the stars head straight from the Kodak Theatre to the Governors Ball reception next door, where my team is ready to feed those hungry souls who've been sitting for hours -- and possibly starving for weeks to fit into their gowns or tuxes.
The first thing they always want is my pizza. That's what everyone seems to ask for, even though we've got a wide range of delicious hors d'oeuvres waiting for them, including baby potatoes topped with caviar, beet and goat cheese Napoleons, mini cheeseburgers, and even pieces of brioche toast cut out in the shape of the Oscar statue and topped with Spago's house-smoked salmon.
Well, do a little planning now and you, too, can have pizza on Oscar night, Sunday Feb. 27. And, unlike the stars, you won't have to wait until the show is over!
I've chosen a really easy and delicious recipe that will make your Oscar night pizzas a snap. Even better, you can prepare the pizza dough up to a couple of days in advance, and then have the toppings ready to spread on the rolled-out dough in just moments. After just 10 to 12 minutes of baking, the pizzas will be ready to enjoy.
If you don't want to miss a moment of the Oscars even to shape and top the pizzas and pop them in the oven, you can even prepare them several days ahead of time and bake them for only about 8 minutes. Then, let them cool to room temperature, wrap them airtight in plastic wrap and foil, and put them in the freezer.
When all the guests have gathered to watch the show, preheat the oven once more without the pizza stone or tiles, unwrap the pizzas, slide directly onto the middle oven rack, and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling-hot.
If you time it right, you can even do each of those steps during commercial breaks. So you won't have to distract anyone with another common question asked by hosts at home on Oscar night: "Who won?"
GOAT CHEESE AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO PIZZA WITH FRESH BASIL
Makes 4 individual pizzas, each 8 inches in diameter
1 recipe Pizza Dough (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, about 8 ounces
2 cups shredded Fontina cheese, about 8 ounces
3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into slivers
4 ounces fresh creamy goat cheese, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup finely sliced fresh basil leaves
Place a pizza stone or baker's tiles on the middle rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
On a lightly floured work surface, stretch or roll out each ball of dough into a round 8 inches in diameter, forming a rim slightly thicker than the rest of the dough. Brush each of the pizza rounds with the olive oil.
Evenly spread the mozzarella on the pizzas, then the Fontina, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the goat cheese. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes, if you want a spicier pizza.
Using a floured pizza peel or a rimless baking sheet, gently slide each pizza onto the pizza stone or tiles, putting in the oven only as many pizzas as will fit without crowding. Bake until the crust is deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
Use the peel or baking sheet to remove each pizza and, with a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife, cut into slices. Sprinkle with fresh basil.
PIZZA DOUGH
Makes enough for 4 individual pizzas
1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup warm water, 105-115 degrees F
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Up to a day or at least 2 hours ahead, make the Pizza Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup of the warm water. In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and remaining water; mix on low speed until the dough comes cleanly away from the side of the bowl and clusters around the hook, about 5 minutes. (The dough can also be made in a food processor with the stainless-steel blade. Briefly pulse together the flour and salt. Add the dissolved yeast and other ingredients and process until the dough begins to form a ball.)
Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface and knead until smooth and firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean, damp towel, and leave to rise at warm room temperature for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 equal balls. On a smooth, clean surface, lightly work each ball by pulling down all around its sides and tucking underneath. Repeat 4 or 5 times per ball. Roll the ball under your palm until the dough feels smooth and firm, about 1 minute.
Put the balls on a tray, cover with a damp towel, and let rest for about 20 minutes. At this point, the balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 2 days.
Will it be, "Who do you think will win Best Actor or Best Actress?" "What will win Best Picture?"
Of course, in my usual conversations with guests and friends, those kinds of questions do come up. But they don't get the most votes for my Most Popular Question.
The winner (drum roll, please) is a lot easier to predict: "Wolfgang, what kind of pizza will you be serving after the ceremony is over?"
I've been asked that question by so many people, including Jay Leno, Barbra Streisand and Michael Douglas. After the last Oscar has been handed out, the stars head straight from the Kodak Theatre to the Governors Ball reception next door, where my team is ready to feed those hungry souls who've been sitting for hours -- and possibly starving for weeks to fit into their gowns or tuxes.
The first thing they always want is my pizza. That's what everyone seems to ask for, even though we've got a wide range of delicious hors d'oeuvres waiting for them, including baby potatoes topped with caviar, beet and goat cheese Napoleons, mini cheeseburgers, and even pieces of brioche toast cut out in the shape of the Oscar statue and topped with Spago's house-smoked salmon.
Well, do a little planning now and you, too, can have pizza on Oscar night, Sunday Feb. 27. And, unlike the stars, you won't have to wait until the show is over!
I've chosen a really easy and delicious recipe that will make your Oscar night pizzas a snap. Even better, you can prepare the pizza dough up to a couple of days in advance, and then have the toppings ready to spread on the rolled-out dough in just moments. After just 10 to 12 minutes of baking, the pizzas will be ready to enjoy.
If you don't want to miss a moment of the Oscars even to shape and top the pizzas and pop them in the oven, you can even prepare them several days ahead of time and bake them for only about 8 minutes. Then, let them cool to room temperature, wrap them airtight in plastic wrap and foil, and put them in the freezer.
When all the guests have gathered to watch the show, preheat the oven once more without the pizza stone or tiles, unwrap the pizzas, slide directly onto the middle oven rack, and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling-hot.
If you time it right, you can even do each of those steps during commercial breaks. So you won't have to distract anyone with another common question asked by hosts at home on Oscar night: "Who won?"
GOAT CHEESE AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO PIZZA WITH FRESH BASIL
Makes 4 individual pizzas, each 8 inches in diameter
1 recipe Pizza Dough (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, about 8 ounces
2 cups shredded Fontina cheese, about 8 ounces
3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into slivers
4 ounces fresh creamy goat cheese, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup finely sliced fresh basil leaves
Place a pizza stone or baker's tiles on the middle rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
On a lightly floured work surface, stretch or roll out each ball of dough into a round 8 inches in diameter, forming a rim slightly thicker than the rest of the dough. Brush each of the pizza rounds with the olive oil.
Evenly spread the mozzarella on the pizzas, then the Fontina, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the goat cheese. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes, if you want a spicier pizza.
Using a floured pizza peel or a rimless baking sheet, gently slide each pizza onto the pizza stone or tiles, putting in the oven only as many pizzas as will fit without crowding. Bake until the crust is deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
Use the peel or baking sheet to remove each pizza and, with a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife, cut into slices. Sprinkle with fresh basil.
PIZZA DOUGH
Makes enough for 4 individual pizzas
1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup warm water, 105-115 degrees F
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Up to a day or at least 2 hours ahead, make the Pizza Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup of the warm water. In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and remaining water; mix on low speed until the dough comes cleanly away from the side of the bowl and clusters around the hook, about 5 minutes. (The dough can also be made in a food processor with the stainless-steel blade. Briefly pulse together the flour and salt. Add the dissolved yeast and other ingredients and process until the dough begins to form a ball.)
Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface and knead until smooth and firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean, damp towel, and leave to rise at warm room temperature for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 equal balls. On a smooth, clean surface, lightly work each ball by pulling down all around its sides and tucking underneath. Repeat 4 or 5 times per ball. Roll the ball under your palm until the dough feels smooth and firm, about 1 minute.
Put the balls on a tray, cover with a damp towel, and let rest for about 20 minutes. At this point, the balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 2 days.
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