Cook Like: Jordan Smith of Black Sheep Pizza

Black sheep pizza uses its coal-fired ovens to put out some of Minnesota’s most righteous pies. Chef-owner Jordan Smith, along with wife and co-owner Colleen Doran, has expanded from his original North Loop location to add spots in downtown St. Paul and, most recently, Nicollet Avenue. The Eat Street spot has expanded on the restaurant’s formula, adding a full bar and a wood-burning grill.

Sicilian Pizza

Makes 18 to 24 servings

Smith’s Sicilian pizza is a tender, zesty hunk of tomato-forward flavor that even a non-coal-fired home oven can produce with confidence—its relatively thick crust puffs up perfectly with the application of a mere 400 degrees of heat. At Black Sheep, it’s what the staff makes in the morning as the ovens warm up, to be re-fired upon request (how Smith says the Sicilian is best served).

•     26 oz. pizza dough
•     1 oz. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
•     1 lb. sliced whole-milk mozzarella cheese
•     24 oz. puréed canned
•     tomatoes
•     2 Tbsp. fresh
•     oregano, chopped
•     1½ oz. extra-virgin
•     olive oil

1. Place dough on sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and proof until at least double in size. Coat surface of a half-sheet pan or black-steel deep pizza pan with extra-virgin olive oil.
2. Preheat oven, preferably with pizza stone, to 400°F.
3. Press dough down on cutting board or countertop, working into approximate shape of pizza pan and maintaining an even thickness. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 5 minutes.
4. Lift dough onto pan, rolling over a rolling pin for easier transfer. Cover bottom of sheet pan with dough, cover pan with plastic wrap, and let rise 20 minutes.
5. Remove plastic wrap and sprinkle dough with Pecorino Romano, leaving 1/4-inch band around pizza’s edge. Place mozzarella over entire pizza, then ladle tomatoes on top and spread evenly.
6. Sprinkle with oregano, drizzle with oil, and place in preheated oven. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until sauce in center of pie has thickened and mozzarella has pushed through sauce. Bottom of crust should be golden brown.
7. Transfer to cutting board and slice into 18 to 24 squares.