Recipe courtesy of Young Sun Huh
New Haven-Style White Clam Pizza
New Haven-style pizza, born when Neapolitan immigrants settled in US cities, starts with a thin, crispy crust, and is topped with garlic, oregano, olive oil and just a sprinkling of cheese. Over time, clams were added from local waters and the flatbread-like pies rose in popularity and are now synonymous with the Connecticut name.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr 35 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Inactive: 2 hr
- Cook: 10 min
- Yield: One 12-by-14-inch pizza, 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Dough:
3/4 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for oiling the bowl
Topping:
3/4 cup chopped fresh clams
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cornmeal, for dusting
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella, optional
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Crushed red pepper, for serving
Directions
- For the dough: Whisk together the warm water, yeast and sugar in a bowl. Set aside until the yeast activates and becomes foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour the foamy yeast mixture and the olive oil into the well. Using a fork, gradually incorporate the flour into the liquid mixture. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until very smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area until the dough doubles in size, about 2 hours.
- For the topping: In the meantime, mostly drain the clams, retaining about 2 tablespoons liquid. Mix together the chopped clams and juice, olive oil, oregano and garlic in a bowl. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and adjust the rack to the lowest level. Put a pizza stone or turned-over baking sheet on the rack.
- When the dough has doubled in size, turn onto a lightly floured surface and stretch into a very thin rectangle, about 12 by 14 inches. Dust a pizza paddle or turned-over baking sheet with the cornmeal and place the dough on top; make sure it slides back and forth easily. If using, sprinkle the mozzarella all over the dough. Top evenly with the clam mixture and the Parmesan. Season with salt.
- Carefully slide the dough onto the hot pizza stone. Cook until nicely golden brown on top and bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and crushed red pepper. Drizzle with more olive oil if desired.
