RECIPE
for one pizza or 3 smaller onesINGREDIENTS:
PIZZA DOUGH BASE
180 g white pizza flour (00 strong white flour) + 30 g when kneading
125 ml lukewarm water
10 g fresh yeast(room temperature) or 5g instant
sugar, one pinch
1 tbsp olive oil
salt, one pinch
oregano(dry), one pinch, optional
basil(dry), one pinch, optional
1.Crumble fresh/dry yeast with pinch of sugar, lukewarm water and a 5 tbsps flour.Stir and leave to foam for 10-15 minutes
2.Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, add olive oil, oregano and basil.Add yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon, when the mixture comes together start kneading it using your hands.Add some more flour if the dough is too sticky.Knead for around 5-10 minutes until the dough is very soft.(trust me you will feel the difference). Cover the bowl with a cotton tea towel and leave to rise somewhere warm, but NOT hot, until dough has doubled in size – it takes around 1 – 1 and a half hour.(remember yeast dough doesn’t like draughts!)
3.Preheat the oven 190 C/170 C fan /Gas 5
4.When the dough doubled in size, put it on a lightly floured surface and knead for another 2-3 minutes,roll it out into a large circle or 3 smaller oval shaped bases and place on a baking tray, previously sprinkled with flour.
5.Spread with the sauce, top it up with your favourite ingredients. I love it with parma ham, red onion, mushrooms, buffolo mozzarella and cherry tomatoes.
6.Bake for around 20 to 30 minutes.
FRESH TOMATO SAUCE:
2-3 large tomatoes, sweet variety
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Boil water in the kettle. In the meantime cut a cross on the bottom of each tomatoes and place them in a big bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave for around 1 minute, after that time, the skin should start peeling off in the cross area. If not, you can leave it for extra minute – it will depend of how ripe the tomatoes are. Drain the water and remove the skin, then chop the tomatoes and place in an iron pan. Cook for around 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it transforms into a thick sauce. Season to taste and leave to cool. It’s delicious!
