Recipe for “Terra e Acqua” Pizza

Every recipe tells a story. This is the title we have given to the stories of those professionals who have chosen to use Mulino Padano flours to bring their dreams and projects to life.

Today we’re taking you into ME Pizzeria’s kitchen, where “Terra e Acqua” (Land and Water), a pizza whose every ingredient reflects the region it comes from, is taking shape.

It all starts with a classic biga starter made with our GustoFibra N°4 from the GranEssere range which is then refreshed with S10 from the Pizza range. These two flours accompany the dough through every stage, contributing to its structure, balance, and development.

Once ready, the base welcomes a bold topping: eel “brodetto” and tomato, to which, after cooking, pulled valley game birds and crunchy garden spinach, smoked in a cast iron pan, are added. A generous drizzle of olive oil on the crust completes the dish.

Intense flavours and various consistencies in the perfect balance to be savoured.

Ingredients for the dough

• 1,500 g GustoFibra N°4 flour
• 675 g Water for the biga (40% of the weight of the flour for the Biga)
• 15 g Fresh brewer’s yeast (1% of the weight of the flour for the Biga)
• 1,500 g S10 flour
• 1,845 g Water for the refreshment
• 60 g Salt (2% of the total weight of the flour)

Ingredients for the filling and topping

• Tomato sauce (Passata)
• Eel
• Seasoning for cooking the eel: bay leaves, shallots, peppercorns
• Valley game bird meat
• Herbs for game bird confit: garlic, rosemary, mace
• Fresh spinach
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Making the biga. Make a classic biga using GustoFibra N°4 flour. Hydrate to 45% and add 1% brewer’s yeast. Let it proof at a controlled temperature of 18 °C ​​for 18 hours.
2. Finishing the dough. Once the dough is proofed, refresh the biga by adding the S10 flour to the mixer. Gradually add in the remaining water until the hydration level reaches 84%. When approximately 300 g of water is left, add the salt (2% of the total weight of the flour) and continue kneading until a perfect, firm gluten network has formed.
3. Rest the dough (“Puntata”). Place the dough in a container, cover and let it rest in a ball at room temperature for 1 hour.
4. Cutting and second proofing (“Appretto”). After the hour of resting, cut and shape the dough into balls weighing 250-260 grams each. Place them in appropriate containers and let them rise at room temperature until doubled in size.
5. Preparing the toppings.
   • The Eel: Cook the eel at a low temperature, in oil with the bay leaves, shallots, and peppercorns. Make a “brodetto” and mix it thoroughly with the tomato.
   • The Game birds: Confit the game bird meat, seasoning it with garlic, rosemary, and mace. Once cooked and tender, shred it to obtain a pulled meat consistency.
   • The Spinach: Sear the spinach in a piping hot iron pan to make it crispy and give it a delicate smokiness.
6. Rolling out and cooking. Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it out evenly. Spread the base with the previously prepared tomato and eel brodetto mixture (1:1 ratio). Bake at 390 °C for about 2.5 to 3 minutes, making sure the pizza is thoroughly dry.
7. Finishing and service. Once out of the oven, garnish the pizza by evenly distributing the pulled game birds and crispy spinach on the top. Finish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on the crust before serving.