24-Hour Neapolitan-Style Margherita

Method

1. The day before: in a bowl, mix the flour and cold water with a spoon until no dry flour remains, cover and leave for 20 min. This rest (autolyse) lets the flour soak up the water so the dough becomes stretchy with less kneading. Sprinkle over the yeast and salt and knead for 10 min with damp hands, stretching and folding, until smooth and a small piece stretches thin enough to let light through without tearing.

   Add in this stepBread flour (or Italian 00 pizza flour) 240 gCold water 156 mlInstant dry yeast ¼ tspFine salt 1 tsp

2. Cover the dough and leave it at room temperature for 1 h. Divide into 2 equal piece(s) of about 200 g and shape into tight, smooth balls by folding the edges underneath. Put each in a lightly oiled lidded container and refrigerate for 24 hours (up to 48). The slow, cold rise builds flavour and big airy bubbles.

3. On baking day, take the dough out of the fridge and leave it, still covered, at room temperature for 2 h; cold dough will not stretch. Meanwhile crush the tomatoes with your hands, add the salt and leave them in a sieve for 10 minutes so the watery juice drains away, giving a thicker sauce. Tear the mozzarella into 2 cm pieces and let them dry on paper towel in the fridge.

   Add in this stepCanned whole peeled plum tomatoes 140 gSalt (for the sauce) 2 pinch

4. Set a shelf so that a 28 cm cast-iron frying pan placed on it sits about 10 cm below the top grill element. Switch the oven grill (broiler) to its highest setting and heat for 15 min.

   oven

5. Generously flour one dough ball and the counter. Press from the centre outwards with your fingertips, leaving a 2 cm rim untouched, then stretch the dough over your knuckles, turning it, until it is about 24 cm across, slightly smaller than the bottom of the pan. Stretch each pizza only just before cooking it.

   Add in this stepFlour for dusting (or fine semolina) 2 tbsp

6. Heat the dry cast-iron pan over high heat for 5 min, until a drop of water skitters and vanishes instantly. Turn the heat down to medium-high heat, lay the dough in the pan (careful, it is very hot) and, working quickly, spread 3 tablespoons of sauce and scatter over the mozzarella and Parmesan, leaving the rim bare. Cook for 2 min, until the underside is browned in spots when you lift an edge with a spatula.

   Add in this stepFior di latte or fresh mozzarella 180 gFinely grated Parmigiano Reggiano 2 tbsp

   high heat→medium-high heat

7. Wearing an oven glove, move the pan onto the shelf under the grill of the oven and cook for 3 min, until the rim has puffed and is covered with dark leopard spots and the cheese is bubbling. Stay close: it goes from perfect to burnt in about 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining dough (2 pizza(s) in total), reheating the pan on the burner for 2 minutes each time.

   oven

8. Slide the pizza onto a board, top with the basil, drizzle with olive oil and let it rest for 1 minute before slicing.

   Add in this stepFresh basil leaves 10Extra-virgin olive oil (to finish) 2 tsp