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Pizza canchera
Pizza canchera: cheeseless thick tomato pizza with garlic, oregano and chilli, sold by the slice at Argentine football grounds
No cheese at all: that is the whole point of pizza canchera. Vendors walk the terraces at Buenos Aires football grounds with a wicker basket of these thick rectangles wrapped in paper, and the name comes from la cancha, the pitch. Because it is eaten at room temperature, the topping is a heavy, garlicky tomato paste, almost jammy, with dried oregano, a pinch of ají molido (crushed red chilli) and a good slick of olive oil; the base underneath is soft, a little oily and chewy, more focaccia than Neapolitan. Today it also turns up at kids' parties and on Sunday tables as a snack before the asado. Where people slip up is the sauce: a thin, watery sauce soaks the dough and turns it soggy by the time it has cooled, so the tomato has to be cooked down until a spoon leaves a trail. Chef's tip: cut it into squares only once it has cooled for 15 minutes; it will hold its shape like the slices sold in the stands.
- Total time
- 145 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
For the tomato topping
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What you'll need
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain white flour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast and 2 tsp salt in a bowl, then add 1 ¼ cups warm water and 2 tbsp olive oil. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
Step 2: Cover and leave to rise until doubled.
60 minStep 3: Simmer 1 ¾ lb chopped tomatoes with 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt in a wide pan over a medium heat, stirring often, until thick enough that a spoon dragged across the base leaves a clear trail.
25 minStep 4: Stir 4 cloves garlic, 2 tsp dried oregano and ½ tsp ají molido (crushed red chilli flakes) into the hot sauce and let it cool.
Step 5: Oil a 30 × 40 cm baking tray with 1 tbsp olive oil. Press the dough out to fill it, pushing it into the corners with oiled fingers.
Step 6: Cover loosely and leave until puffy, about 2 cm thick. Heat the oven to 450°F (400°F fan).
30 minStep 7: Spread the cooled sauce thickly over the dough right to the edges; it should be a good 5 mm layer.
Step 8: Bake on the middle shelf until the base is golden underneath and the sauce has darkened at the edges.
20 minStep 9: Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil as soon as it comes out of the oven, cool for 15 minutes in the tray, then cut into 12 squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 78 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pizza canchera take?
- About 145 minutes in total: 100 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of chopped tomatoes?
- Fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped: about 6 per 400g tin (cook a little longer).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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