Nostalgia Series, Recipe #4: Fancy Feta Tomato Pizza

Last stop on the blog’s Spring Nostalgia Tour!

While I consider myself a pizza connoisseur nowadays – a decade of living in Italy will do that to you – there was a time when my knowledge of perhaps the most universally loved food was fairly limited. As a kid, pizza came from Dominos, or Pizza Hut, delivered to our door piping hot in a large cardboard box (think the opening scene in “Home Alone”). Delivery pizzas were accompanied by such delicacies as Cinnastix (strips of sweet dough with cinnamon sugar and icing that had no business being eaten alongside pizza, but that I delighted in nonetheless) and Cheesy Bread (think garlic bread topped with something resembling cheese). The pizzas I knew were large and round, cut into triangular slices, and meant to be shared with a group. They erred decidedly on the side of junk food, and went well with Coca-Cola. Beyond delivery, there was the unofficial Rhode Island state pizza, known as pizza strips (more about that here). And that’s as far as my understanding of pizza went, as a 10 year old growing up in the U.S.

But then, suddenly: there was Feta Tomato Pizza, from Butcher Block.

If Butcher Block sounds like a strange name for a place to get pizza, you’d be right. It was (as the name suggests) both a deli and butcher shop, one where my mom regularly bought our family's supply of cold cuts and hamburgers, plus roasts and tenderloins on special occasions. But Butcher Block — which was owned by a friendly, gray ponytailed man named Jim — was well-rounded, selling sandwiches, salads, and (pause for dramatic effect) the most remarkable pizza. The B.B pizza my mom brought home for lunch one fateful day was unlike any other sort of pizza I’d ever eaten as a kid, miles away from Dominos. For starters, it was cut into rectangular slabs, not triangular slices. It was a white pizza (I’d never eaten pizza without tomato sauce) and was topped with dried oregano, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, and feta cheese, a punchy, brand new, and therefore glamorous ingredient for my young palate. In short, the pizza from Butcher Block felt mature, and positively elegant. I felt like ab absolute grown-up opting for (Fancy) Feta Tomato Pizza while my siblings requested turkey and cheese sandwiches (peasants.) It was, in hindsight, a step forward in my pizza education, opening up new doors for my taste buds and expanding my understanding beyond mediocre delivery pizza.

My knowledge of pizza would eventually grow far past Fancy Feta Tomato pizza, of course. I’d learn that in Italy, each diner orders a whole round pizza to eat, which is easy to polish off alone, given the quality of the toppings, and the “digestibility” of the dough (the sign of a truly excellent pizza here in Italy). I would ultimately discover different styles of pizza (Roman-style vs Neapolitan-style) not to mention pizza al taglio, or pizza-by-the-slice, where the price of the pizza is determined by its weight. I’d feast upon dreamy pizza in Naples, Italy, the pizza capital of Italy. I’d dine at pizzerie like Seu and 180grammi, where the typical Italian pizza would be elevated, taken to new, creative levels. Spectacular pizza aside, however, I’ll always have a special place in my foodie-heart for Fancy Feta Tomato Pizza. After all, it was one of the first times I ventured outside of my kid-food comfort zone and was exposed to different flavors and ingredients, and learned that pizza could be something special.

Butcher Block has long since closed — Jim sold it when I was in high school— but I’m pleased y to report that my attempt to resurrect the Feta Tomato Pizza of my childhood was remarkably successful. The crust is soft yet chewy, the tomatoes go sweet and juicy in the oven, and the oregano is aromatic and earthy and makes your kitchen smell like a pizzeria. The mozzarella is mild and filante — an Italian adjective invented simply to describe how melted cheese pulls and goes pleasantly stringy — and the feta. no longer such an exotic ingredient for me nowadays, is pleasantly salty and tangy. Fresh out of the oven, a few slices in, my sister and I both found ourselves returning to the pan for another sliver, and then another, until, ehm, there wasn’t very much F.F.T pizza left. Nostalgia-by-the-slice.

Bonus: If you use a store-bought pizza crust, it’s an extremely quick and easy recipe, just a matter of sprinkling ingredients and popping the whole thing in the oven.

A couple of notes: I used this pizza crust I came across on the excellent resource that is Instagram (see here). However, it is made with semola rimacinata and 00 flour, which are not so easily found outside of Italy. Therefore — feel free to use whatever pizza dough recipe you like or a store-bought crust. Note that I used a scale for the quantities, and would recommend you do the same when making bread/pizza/pasta, but in case you’re in the U.S and only have cups/teaspoons to work with, I have provided conversions. The Fancy Feta Tomato pizza of my childhood had only cheese, tomatoes, oregano, and olive oil, but feel free to embellish this one with olives or even red onions. You can also use cherry tomatoes in place of the larger tomatoes.

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FANCY FETA TOMATO PIZZA

Serves 4.

Ingredients for the crust (see notes!)
350 grams (2 3/4 cups) 00 flour
100 grams (about 3/4 cup) semola rimacinata
300mL (1 1/4 cup) warm water
5 grams (about 1 3/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
12 grams (about 2 teaspoons) salt
25mL (about 2 tablespoons) olive oil

Ingredients for the toppings:
Olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 ounces (112 grams) mozzarella cheese, grated
3 ounces (84 grams) feta cheese
2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 large rectangular pizza pan (mine is 40x28cm, or 16x11 inches).

Directions for the crust (if you opt for the one I made!):
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, semola, yeast, and water. Add in the salt and olive oil. Mix everything well. If the dough is too dry, add a little extra water one tablespoons at a time. Turn the dough out on to a clean work surface and knead for 7 minutes, or until smooth. You can do this by hand, or with a standing mixer, if you have one. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover, and leave it to rise for 4 hours. When the four hours are up, stretch the dough out onto a lightly oiled rectangular pizza pan. Cover it again and let it rise for 1 more hour.

Directions to assemble the pizza:
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Celsius. Place the sliced tomatoes on a paper towel lined plate to get rid of the extra moisture. Brush the dough with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with most of the oregano, then crumble the feta over, then the mozzarella, and then arrange the sliced tomatoes over the cheese. Sprinkle with the rest of the oregano, and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. Let cool slightly, and then cut and enjoy.