2024 Perfect Your Pizza Winner: Ricky Webster’s “Sicilian-Style Caponata Pizza”

2024 Perfect Your Pizza Winner: Ricky Webster’s “Picture It, Sicily”
Pair with Diamond Rosé

Dough Recipe:
Sicilian inspired pizza dough (enough for 2 crusts)

Ingredients:

• 500 grams all-purpose flour
• 480 grams warm water
• 6 grams kosher salt
• 8 grams pure cane sugar
• 6 grams instant yeast

Directions:
Prepare crust:
1. Combine warm water with sugar and yeast, set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour and salt until combined.
3. Combine liquid yeast mixture with flour mix, and stir with a wooden spoon, just until it comes together.
4. Stir, and mix around for about a minute.
5. Spray 2 round containers with nonstick cooking spray.
6. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces (500 grams each) and place sticky dough ball inside the sprayed container.
7. Lightly press out and then spray with a little more spray.
8. Cover and place in the fridge overnight and up to 24 hours.
9. At least 12 hours later, remove the dough from the fridge.
10. Line a 10” cast iron skillet w/ 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
11. Remove and reserve plastic wrap from dough.
12. Transfer dough to oiled skillet and press dough to the edge of the pan.
13. Cover the dough with reserved plastic wrap.
14. Let sit on the counter for 2 hours.

Caponata Recipe:
(only 4 ounces of this recipe is used per pizza)

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, diced
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 14 oz. can of Mutti Baby Roma Tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure cane sugar
• ½ cup wine vinegar
• 1 cup Castelvetrano olives, halved
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon golden raisins, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Put the eggplant into a strainer and sprinkle heavily with kosher salt. Let drain for at least 30 minutes.
2. Rinse the eggplant and press to drain well. Place between paper towels and press out remaining water.
3. Heat ½ of the olive oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add in dried eggplant and stir frequently browned.
4. Meanwhile, heat the other half of the olive oil in another skillet and over low heat sauté the celery and onions, until translucent.
5. When translucent, add in the can of tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until thickened. Season with black pepper, to taste.
6. Stir the pine nuts into the eggplant and cook for a few minutes, or until lightly toasted.
7. Still the sugar, vinegar, olives, capers, and raisins into the eggplant, to deglaze the pan. Bring to a simmer and add in the tomato mixture. Taste for saltiness and adjust as needed. Mix until combined.
8. Cook the mixture for an additional 10 minutes, or until thoroughly combined and thickened.
9. Let cool.
10. Cook up to 24 hours before using.

Fried Capers Recipe:
(enough for 2 pizzas)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons Capers, rinsed and drained and dried well
• ½ cup olive oil

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet, over medium heat.
2. Add in capers and fry quickly, until browned.
3. Remove capers and drain on paper towels.

BUILDING THE PIZZA
(for each pizza)

Ingredients:

• 1 500-gram portion of dough
• 4 oz. caponata mixture
• 3 oz. burrata
• 3 oz. whole milk mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 oz. parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon fried capers
• Basil to garnish

Directions:
1. Place dough into an olive oil lined 10” cast iron pan. Spread a little more olive oil over the top and cover w/ plastic wrap. Proof for at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 420.
3. Divide caponata over the proofed dough.
4. Divide burrata between the areas where caponata is light or lacking.
5. Sprinkle with the grated mozzarella, making sure to get the edges first to create a good frico.
6. Top with parmesan cheese.
7. Bake until desired done ness is achieved, 18-22 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and quickly transfer to a cooling rack.
9. Right before service, cut and top with capers and a light sprinkling of a chiffonade of basil.
10. Enjoy and repeat.