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Start by making the hand-crushed tomatoes.
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Youll want to rinse your hands frequently as you work, so set up your station near the sink or have a bowl of cold water nearby.
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Put a strainer over a bowl.
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Working over a second bowl, lift a tomato, pinch off the head (stem end) and any unripe areas, and let those pieces drop into the bowl.
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Some tomatoes may not be deep red.
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I prefer not to use those, but its your call.
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Open up the tomato, remove any skins, seeds, or tough sections and add them to your discard bowl.
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Break the cleaned tomato into small pieces or strips and put them in the strainer.
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Keep in mind that these will not be blended, so if they look too coarse for your taste, run them through your fingers to make smaller pieces.
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Press gently on the tomatoes to strain as much liquid as possible.
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Discard the contents of the discard bowl and the bowl below the strainer.
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Continue cleaning and crushing tomatoes until youve finished the whole canyoull have a bit more than you need for this recipe; save and use for something else.
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To make the sauce, combine the ground tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, garlic, and salt in a deep bowl or other deep container and puree with an immersion blender.
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Stir in the hand-crushed tomatoes and basil.
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The sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
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Bring to room temperature before using.
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Put the yeast in a small bowl, add the warm water, and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds.
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The yeast should dissolve in the water and the mixture should foam.
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If it doesnt and the yeast granules float, the yeast is dead (i.e., inactive) and should be discarded.
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Begin again with a fresh amount of yeast and water.
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Combine the flour and malt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
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With the mixer running on the lowest speed, pour in most of the ice water, reserving about 2 tablespoons, followed by the yeast-water mixture.
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Pour the reserved water into the yeast bowl, swirl it around to dislodge any bits of yeast stuck to the bowl, and add to the mixer.
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Continue to mix the dough at the lowest speed for about 1 minute, until most of the dough comes together around the hook.
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Stop the mixer.
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Use your fingers to pull away any dough clinging to the hook, and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a bowl scraper or rubber spatula.
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Add the salt and mix on the lowest speed for 1 minute to combine.
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Stop the mixer, pull the dough off the hook, and add the extra-virgin oil.
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Mix the dough for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping the mixer from time to time to pull the dough off the hook and scrape down the sides of the bowl, until all of the oil is absorbed.
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The dough wont look completely smooth.
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Coat a half sheet pan with a film of olive oil.
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Using the bowl scraper, scrape the dough onto the prepared pan.
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The dough will be extremely stickytoo sticky to knead.
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Working with wet hands, stretch and fold the dough.
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Cover the pan with a damp dish towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
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Using a dough cutter, lift the dough into a large bowl, press it down slightly, and rub a little water over the top.
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Cover with a double layer of plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
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Remove the dough from the refrigerator and put it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
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Mix the dough for 30 seconds on the lowest speed to de-gas the dough, removing any air bubbles.
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Lightly oil a half sheet pan.
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Form the dough into a ball.
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Wrap the pan airtight with a double layer of plastic wrap, sealing the wrap well under the pan.
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Put the pan in a level spot in the refrigerator and refrigerate for 24 hours.
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Next day, remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and leave wrapped at room temperature until the dough warms to 50 degrees F to 55 degrees F. This should take 1 to 2 hours.
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Pour the olive oil into the center of a well-seasoned 12-inch-by-18-inch steel Sicilian pan.
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The dough is very sticky, so the easiest way to remove it from the sheet pan is to hold the sheet pan upside down over the Sicilian pan and use a bowl scraper to release the dough, letting it fall into the pan.
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Using the bowl scraper, flip the dough over to coat both sides with the oil.
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Using flat, fully extended fingers of both hands, press the dough outward in all directions, extending it toward the corners to make an even layer.
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The dough may be stretched toward the corners.
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If you work gently, the dough should stretch without tearing.
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Dont worry if the dough doesnt reach the corners.
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Set, uncovered, in a warm spot and let rest for 30 minutes.
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After resting, the dough is ready to push outward a second time.
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It will not be degassed, so use a light touch to push the dough, rather than pulling it, repositioning it in the pan as needed to achieve an even thickness and to reach to the corners.
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Let the dough rest again (still uncovered) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until it has risen almost to the rim of the pan.
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The timing will depend on the temperature of the room.
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At this point, do not touch or press on the dough again, even if it has pulled away from the edges, or it may not rise properly.
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Meanwhile, set up the oven with two pizza stones or baking steels and preheat to 450 degrees F for 1 hour.
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Keeping the pan level, gently set it on the top stone and bake for 7 minutes.
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Rotate the pan 180 degrees and transfer it to the bottom stone.
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Bake for another 7 minutes, until the top of the crust is a rich golden brown.
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Remove the pan from the oven and use a wide metal spatula to lift a side of the crust to see if it is sticking to the pan.
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If it is, drizzle a little oil around the sides of the pan to help loosen it.
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Now run the spatula around the edges and under the entire crust to be sure it isnt sticking and has completely released from the pan.
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Take the crust out of the pan and let rest on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
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When ready to finish the pizza, if you have turned off the oven, preheat it to 450 degrees F for 1 hour.
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Return the parbaked crust to the pan before topping and baking.
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If you have turned off the oven after parbaking the dough, reheat to 450 degrees F for at least 1 hour.
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Spoon the tomato sauce onto the center of the dough, then, using the back of the spoon in a circular motion and working outward from the center, spread the sauce evenly over the top, leaving a 3/4-inch border on all sides.
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Mound the mozzarella and provolone in the center of the pizza and use your fingertips to spread them out evenly over the sauce.
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Arrange the soppressata over the cheese, placing 4 slices lengthwise and 3 slices across, so that once the pizza is cut, each piece will have a slice.
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Place the pan on the top stone and bake for 7 minutes.
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Rotate the pan 180 degrees, transfer it to the bottom stone, and bake for 6 minutes, until the top of the crust is a rich golden brown.
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Using a wide metal spatula, lift a corner of the pizza and peek at the bottom.
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If you want it darker and crunchier, transfer the pan to the top stone to bake for 1 to 2 minutes.
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Keep a watchful eye so the cheese does not overcook.
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Run the spatula around the edges of the pizza to make sure it has not stuck in any area.
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If you suspect a problem, drizzle a bit of olive oil down the side of the pan and work slowly to loosen in that area.
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Lift the pizza on the spatula and transfer it to a cutting board.
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Make 2 evenly spaced cuts the length of the pizza (to make 3 strips of equal width), then make 3 evenly spaced cuts across the width of the pizza (to make 4 strips of equal width), to make 12 squares.
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Scatter the arugula over the top and drape a slice of prosciutto over each piece.
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Garnish with shavings of Piave and Parmigiano-Reggiano and finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
