Margherita Pizza

Method

1. In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the lukewarm water (it should feel just warm on your wrist). Add the flour and mix with a spoon until no dry flour remains, then add the salt and olive oil. Tip the dough onto the counter and knead for 10 min, pushing it away with the heel of your hand and folding it back, until it is smooth, slightly tacky and springs back slowly when you poke it.

   Add in this stepInstant dry yeast 1 tspLukewarm water (about 35°C) 190 mlBread flour (or Italian 00 flour) 300 gFine salt (for the dough) 1 tspExtra-virgin olive oil (for the dough) 2 tsp

2. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a lid or plastic wrap and leave somewhere warm for 1 h 30 min, until it has roughly doubled in size. Divide it into 2 equal piece(s), fold the edges underneath to make tight, smooth balls, then cover and rest for 30 min.

3. When the first rise has about 10 minutes left, put a heavy baking tray upside down (or a pizza stone) on the upper-middle shelf and preheat the oven to its maximum, ideally 250°C, for 40 min. The tray must be thoroughly hot to give a crisp base.

   oven

4. Meanwhile, tear the mozzarella into 2 cm pieces and leave them in a sieve over a bowl so the milky liquid drains; wet cheese makes a soggy pizza. Crush the tomatoes in a bowl with your hands or a fork into a chunky sauce, pour off any thin watery juice on top, then stir in the salt and olive oil. Do not cook the sauce: it cooks on the pizza.

   Add in this stepCanned whole peeled tomatoes 160 gSalt (for the sauce) 2 pinchExtra-virgin olive oil (for the sauce) 2 tsp

5. Dust the counter and one dough ball generously with flour. Press the centre flat with your fingertips, leaving a 1.5 cm rim untouched (this becomes the puffy crust), then lift the dough over the backs of your hands and stretch it, turning, until it is about 28 cm across and thin enough to let light through the centre. Do not use a rolling pin, which squeezes out the air. Lay it on a sheet of baking paper.

   Add in this stepFlour for dusting 2 tbsp

6. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of sauce onto the centre and spread it in a spiral with the back of the spoon, stopping short of the rim. Holding the paper, slide the pizza onto the hot tray and bake in the oven for 6 min, until the rim has puffed and is starting to colour.

   oven

7. Pull out the shelf, scatter over the drained mozzarella and the Parmesan, and slide the baking paper out from under the pizza so the base crisps directly on the tray. Bake for another 5 min in the oven, until the cheese has melted and bubbles and the rim is golden with a few dark spots. Bake the pizzas one at a time (2 in total), giving the tray 5 minutes to reheat between pizzas.

   Add in this stepFresh mozzarella 200 gGrated Parmigiano Reggiano 2 tbsp

   oven

8. Scatter the basil leaves over the hot pizza, drizzle with the finishing olive oil and let it stand for 1 minute so the cheese settles. Cut into 6 slices with a pizza wheel or large knife and eat straight away.

   Add in this stepFresh basil leaves 8Extra-virgin olive oil (to finish) 2 tsp