← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 500 g strong bread flour or Tipo 00 flour
• 7 g fast-action dried yeast
• 1½ tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 325 ml Water, lukewarm
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 can tin of whole plum tomatoes (400 g)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 3 balls of mozzarella (125 g each), drained and torn
• 1 bunch small bunch of basil
• 30 g parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated (optional)

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a big bowl, then add the warm water and oil and stir into a shaggy dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 min until smooth and springy.
2. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
3. Heat the oven as hot as it goes, ideally 250°C (480°F), with a pizza stone or an upturned baking tray inside, for at least 30 min. Meanwhile, crush the tomatoes by hand with a pinch of salt and the olive oil until saucy but still a little chunky.
4. Knock the dough back, cut it into 3 pieces and roll into balls. Cover and rest for 15 min so the dough relaxes and stretches easily.
5. Stretch one ball into a 28–30 cm round on a floured sheet of baking paper, leaving the edge a bit thicker. Spread on a thin layer of tomato, leaving a 2 cm border, then dot with a third of the mozzarella.
6. Slide the pizza, paper and all, onto the hot stone and bake for 8–10 min, until the crust is puffed and spotted brown and the cheese is bubbling. Repeat with the other two.
7. Scatter with torn basil, a little parmesan if you like and a drizzle of olive oil. Slice and eat while hot.

Tips

• Pat the mozzarella dry on kitchen paper first, or its water will make the centre soggy.
• Parmesan is made with animal rennet, so pick a vegetarian hard cheese if that matters to you.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food RecipeTin Eats Jamie Oliver