Margherita Pizza

1. Assumption

Before learning about margherita pizza in class, I thought that margherita pizza was similar to plain pizza except that it had sliced tomatoes on it. I did not know that margherita pizza is a type of Neapolitan pizza, which is protected by the DOC and approved by the VPN. I also did not know that there are strict guidelines for a pizza to be considered an authentic Neapolitan pizza. Lastly, I did not know that gluten was formed by mixing flour and water and kneading.

2. Dish

I chose margherita pizza which is one of the two types of Neapolitan pizza. This pizza was created by Raffaele Esposito for Queen Margherita of Italy. The ingredients of basil, buffalo mozzarella cheese, and tomatoes represent each color of the Italian flag – green, white, and red.

This is a picture of an authentic Neapolitan margherita pizza. The gooey center, melty cheese and risen edges are showcased.

3. Chemical Analysis

The dough of the authentic margherita pizza is made from wheat flour 00 (type of bread flour), salt, water, and natural yeast. Bread flour is 12% protein which makes the bread more tough and chewy. These ingredients are mixed and kneaded together. When the water, salt, yeast, and flour are mixed together, the gluten matrix begins to form. The glutenin and gliadin proteins in the flour will start to interact with each other through intermolecular interactions. The matrix is fully formed by kneading the dough. When the dough is kneaded, the gliadin and glutenin proteins are stretched and uncoiled. The stretching and elongating of the proteins creates for more space for the gliadin and glutenin proteins to interact. When the proteins interact and align with each other, they form protein sheets which is gluten. One can stop kneading when the dough is strong, elastic, and stretchy because these are the characteristics of gluten. The gliadin proteins contribute to the plasticity of the dough because they limit the intermolecular attractions between glutenins which prevents a very strong gluten matrix. A very strong gluten matrix will make kneading difficult and the bread not as good. The next important ingredient in the dough is yeast.

Yeast is a living organism that is activated when mixed with warm water. In this recipe, the warm water, yeast, and flour are mixed together at the same time. The flour contains enzymes called amylases which are an important helper for yeast. When the water and flour combine, the amylases carry out hydrolysis. In the process of hydrolysis, the water breaks the starch into maltose, glucose, and other small molecular compounds. These molecular compounds are important because they serve as food for the yeast and they allow the yeast to begin glycolysis. Glycolysis is an anaerobic metabolic process that produces ATP and allows yeast to grow and reproduce. One glycolysis is finished fermentation begins. During fermentation, the yeast conduct two reduction reactions which break down the pyruvate formed in glycolysis into ethanol. The ethanol allows glycolysis to continue. For every molecule of glucose that the yeast eat, two molecules of ethanol and two molecules of carbon dioxide are produced. The releasing of carbon dioxide in this process is important because the sheets of the gluten become filled with it. The capturing of carbon dioxide molecules causes the dough to rise. When the pizza is being formed, some of the carbon dioxide is released from the pressing of one’s hands, the weight of the tomato sauce, olive oil, and mozzarella cheese. The pizza is cooked at a very high temperature of 750°F in a wood-fired brick oven. While baking, the gas in the gluten expands and causes the dough to rise. The pizza is served scolding hot with the cheese sliding off when picked up.

4. Cultural Analysis

Pizza was originally consumed by the poor of Naples because of its inexpensive and filling ingredients. Pizza was literally an edible plate. The spread of pizza to the middle and upper class did not occur until Queen Margherita. The story of margherita pizza began in 1889 when Raffaele Esposito was summoned to create a variety of pizzas for Queen Margherita of Italy. After trying Esposito’s pizzas, she declared that the pizza alla mozzarella was her favorite. Since that moment, the pizza alla mozzarella was renamed and became known as pizza margherita. This was a big moment for pizza because it went from a food that the poor ate to a food that was enjoyed by the queen. The margherita pizza also became a symbol of Italian nationalism. The ingredients of basil, buffalo mozzarella cheese, and tomatoes each represent a color of the Italian flag – green, white, and red. These ingredients and the addition of olive oil to pizza are specialties of Italy.

Once the Queen and royals began eating pizza, the consumption of pizza spread to the middle and upper classes. Pizza was characterized as simple, sophisticated,gourmet, and a comfort food. Pizza spread throughout Italy after World War II because soldiers asked for it and southern Italians moved to the northern cities of Italy. Pizza also spread to the United States when the Italians emigrated during the World War II. Pizza became an American Italian dish which was enjoyed by many americans. Pizza was also a dish that Italian Americans ate and sold in order to remember their life in Italy, connect back to their homeland, and make a living. The success and popularity of pizza lead pizza makers in Italy to protect the authenticity of Neapolitan pizza. Neapolitan pizza was given DOC status in 1997 and the VPN approves whether pizzerias are selling authentic Neapolitan pizza. The VPN’s guidelines for an authentic Neapolitan pizza is that the ingredients must be fresh, the pizza can not be over cooked, and the pizza must be consumed right away. There are also two types of Neapolitan pizza which are the Margherita pizza and the Marinara pizza. These two pizzas have dough made out of wheat flour 00, warm water, salt, and yeast. The pizzas are hand formed and cooked in a wood-fired oven at 750°F. These conditions protect and preserve the authentic Neapolitan pizza.

5. Integration

Margherita pizza starts out as a simple food both chemically and culturally. The ingredients of flour, salt, water, yeast, tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil, and olive oil seem simple on the outside but once you look at the chemical interactions, this dish becomes complex. The formation of gluten to the rise of the dough from yeast respiring are ways the simple ingredients become more complex. The science of kneading and how the proteins interact to form gluten and the activation of yeast are amazing. Culturally, pizza started as a simple dish for the poor but soon became a gourmet dish after Queen Margherita ate pizza alla mozzarella. People made pizza a complex food by topping it with different vegetables, fruits, and meats. Pizza became a dish of many ingredients, a world wide dish, and a food that all social classes ate. Even though pizza has evolved over the years, the authentic Neapolitan pizza is protected by the DOC. Lastly, the margherita pizza’s simple and complex background make it an exciting cuisine.

6. Comment