All chefs (and most foodies) know that the best pasta and pizza crust are made from 00 flour. This Italian classification (along with 0, 1 and 2) denotes how finely milled the flour is, and how much of the bran and germ have been removed during processing. Up until a few years ago, finding the soft, powder-like 00 flour in Buffalo was nearly impossible. Today it can be found at Guercio’s, where it sits quietly on the shelf next to all of the other flours. In its small and unassuming package, you’d never know of its transformative abilities–improving the results of event the clumsiest home cook.
For many of us, however, time is of the essence, and so we take short cuts when preparing our evening meal. I don’t know many people who have time to make fresh pasta for dinner, not even the dedicated homesteaders with a flair for cooking. We all know that fresh, diverse and balanced diets are a vital key to health (and maybe even happiness), but finding options that are simple to prepare and affordable can be a challenge.
A month or two ago, over coffee, I was delighted to be told by a foodie acquaintance of mine that Guercio’s was stocking an amazing and delicious frozen, prepared 00 pizza dough. I stopped over after our meeting to find the tidy, packaged dough balls taking up space on the shelf of Guercio’s solitary freezer case. At $1.35 each, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal. The portion is half the size of the pre-made pizza dough we are accustomed to buying at the supermarket, but authentic Roman-style pizza calls for a much thinner crust, and that’s exactly what this pizza dough is ideal for.
After my first experience with the product I immediately stocked up. Now every week, on Friday mornings, I take two of the packages out of the freezer and allow them to thaw on the counter until I return home to prepare dinner later that evening (12 hours is really the perfect amount of time at room temperature). The kids and I use all of the veggies and other leftovers in the fridge to make simple pizzas for dinner. They like the crust a little thicker than I do, and the dough allows them the ability to roll out a pizza that meets their requirements. I’m amazed that they choose to add very little cheese when making their own pizzas, less than a quarter of the cheese we’d have on a pie from a local delivery joint. The quality of the 00 crust is remarkable, both in its handling as a dough and in flavor. We cook it right on the rack in the oven, though you may prefer to use the back of a cookie sheet or, if you have one, a pizza stone. I’d recommend cranking the oven as high as it will go and watching the pizza to see when it’s ready. Setting the oven for a more moderate temperature and relying on a predetermined amount of cooking time will likely result in a less satisfying crust.
While you’re picking up your share of 00 pizza dough, consider also the little blue containers of imported Buffalo milk mozzarella that reside near it in Guercio’s small, sliding door freezer. At only $4.69, it will thaw in the same time as your dough and it makes a delicious, creamy and salty addition to your “authentic” pizza. Overall, it is a much improved version of the stiffer, cow’s milk mozzarella more readily available at the supermarket. Regulars will know that Guercio’s also offers produce, imported goods and a deli counter, so picking up extra pizza toppings is a cinch.
Guercio & Sons
250 Grant Street
Buffalo, NY 14213
716-882-7935