Today was my father birthday.  So we organized a family dinner with pizza and his favourite treat: spumiglie (meringues).

Yesterday morning I prepared the pizza's dough, I made 2kg of it, enough to make 4 big pizze, a dose for 6-8 people. I used a starter I did the evening before (with 50gr sourdough,  200gr water and 150 gr strong flour) and diluted it in 530gr of slightly warm water (24ºC), added a half teaspoon of honey and little by little 200gr of whole wheat flour and 868gr of medium-high strength flour. I kneaded folding and pressing for 10 minutes. Then I divided it in four parts, wrapped each in a towel,  put each in separate bowl closed with plastic foil  and put in the fridge until today. Today I took them out one by one  to "flatten" each and give it the form carefully pressing  and caressing the dough trying to not to break the little balls of gas entrapped in the dough.  The technique is more difficult to explain than doing it. Using a rolling pin is a crime and a sin directly punished by the gods of pizza. Then I let the pizze rest for 4-5 hours in a warm place.  Then topped with tomato sauce  and different combinations of mozzarella, brie, mushrooms and salsicce.  Cooked in the oven at 230ºC for 10 minutes,  then lowered at 200ºC for other 10 minutes.  Here a slice with some culatello.  

Spumiglie are meringues. I prefer to make italian meringues even if french meringues are easier. I used 4 whites, weighed them (180gr), measured double sugar (360gr) and diluted it with 1/5 water (72gr). I  heated the glucose syrup till 120ºC, when it was around 90ºC O started whipping the whites, when the syrup reached 120ºC I added half of it to the whites always whipping and after some minutes added the remaining syrup bit by bit. I went on whipping till the meringa was cool.  I added some dried vanilla and grated lemon skin, I put it in a sac a poche and made the little "clouds". Cooked the in the oven at 60ºC for 5-6 hours till they were dry and hard and delicious. I dodon't have many pics because it's an attention requiring process, add to it a "helping" toddler an taking pics becomes impossible. 

My father enjoyed the meal, everyone had good time and pizza is always fantastic.