Pizza
Homemade pizza isn't hard. The only real trick is shaping the dough and getting a raw pizza into a hot oven without folding it in half.
Making pizza isn't difficult. You just need to get the knack of two things: shaping the dough, and sliding a raw pizza into the oven without it turning into modern art on the way.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 500 g type 00 flour
- 5 g salt
- 325 ml water
- 3 g dried yeast
- 1 tin tomato sauce
- 1 basil plant (or a pack)
- 1 ball mozzarella
- Whatever toppings you fancy
Handy kit: a pizza stone (ceramic is best), a peel, and a stand mixer with a dough hook (optional, but your arms will thank you).
Method
The dough
- Mix the flour and salt in the mixer on low, add the yeast, then trickle in the water. Knead on a higher speed for about 15 minutes. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Into balls
- Divide into 200–250 g lumps. Shape each into a ball by folding the edges underneath and pinching them shut. Cover and leave to rise for 4–5 hours.
Building and baking
- Heat the stone for at least 30 minutes (longer is better). Flour the peel well. Press a dough ball out from the middle towards the edge, leaving a fat rim for the crust.
- Spiral on a thin layer of tomato sauce, then add the mozzarella and anything else that's happy to bake.
- Slide it onto the stone, as far back in the oven as you can reach. Bake 10–15 minutes, until little black freckles appear on top. (every oven lies about its temperature. trust the freckles, not the dial.)
- Out it comes. Now add the cold stuff: basil, a pinch of salt, a drizzle of olive oil, a few chillies.