Who’s excited for Labor Day weekend?! As the last long weekend of summer, it’s a great time to soak up the sun hiking, kayaking or swimming. But there’s another aspect of Labor Day weekend that’s essential – the Labor Day party!
For something a little different, why not eschew a typical barbecue for a pizza party? Here at GO-Cottage, we love our Alfa wood-burning pizza oven. You can still make delicious pizzas in a normal oven though. It’s all about the ingredients!
Our favorite type of pizza to make is Neapolitan. It’s been around since the 1700s after all… One of the defining characteristics of Neapolitan pizza is the crust, which is thin at the base and has an airy edge.
To make the crust, we use 4 ingredients in the dough:
- Water – The water is really good in the Adirondacks. If your water is chlorinated, use bottled or filtered water. Chlorinated water kills the bacteria that makes dough, dough.
- Salt – Sea salt. We like a variety of sea salts, from M. Gilles Hervy Sel Gris to Amabito No Moshio (Seaweed Salt).
- LSC – Liquid Sourdough Culture (basically time, flour and water).
- Flour – Caputo 00 Pizza Flour or, in a pinch, organic stone ground.
For sauce, keep it simple with a 35oz can of Cento Organic San Marzano tomatoes. Then loose the basil leaf, run through a food mill with a course plate and add sugar and salt to taste. Finally, tear mozzarella by hand into small pieces.
Then it’s time to get creative with toppings! One topping we always use is basil from our own garden. Some of our other favorites are mushrooms, red peppers and pepperoni.
A Labor Day party isn’t complete without some fabulous summer drinks to pair with your pizza! Dry white wine or Prosecco make for a classic combo. We especially love ___. For a cocktail, you can’t beat the tangy bitterness of a Campari Spritz (Viva l’Italia)! Or for a refreshing non-alcoholic option, try mixing fresh squeezed lemonade with a dash of sparkling water.
So whatever your plans, hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!
