Neapolitan pizza Marguerita

The biggest hurdle in producing a vera pizza neapolitana is producing enough heat using a regular home cooker: wood-fired ovens reach 485ºC and pizzas are cooked in 60-90 seconds.

This recipe helps to create similar oven conditions, using what we all have in our kitchens.

makes 4

for the base
500g pizza flour: 00
300ml tepid water; ~20ºC
10g fresh yeast
½ tsp caster sugar
2 tsp fine sea salt

semolina flour: for dusting

for the topping
1 tin Italian tomatoes: San Marzano are the best
~200g good mozzarella
parmesan; grated
a small bunch of Basil
Maldon sea salt
olive oil

for the base
1. In a large bowl; mash the yeast together with the sugar and leave for 1 minute. Add the water.  Mix together with the flour using a wooden spoon. Bring together and turn out onto a clean, dry surface. Add the salt and knead for 10-15 minutes. Return to the bowl and leave to rest for 10 minutes; then knead again for 10 seconds.
2. Lightly oil the bowl and return the dough to it; turning it over to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to prove for 4 hours.
3. Divide up the dough into 200g balls; gently rolling them using the palm of one hand.

pizza time...

4. Tip the tomatoes into a large bowl and squeeze out the seeds. Put the remainder into a blender and whizz up. season.
5. On a lightly floured surface; take a pizza dough ball and flatten it out using the palm of your hand. Then using your fingers tease out the dough to form a rough circle; rotating and stretching.
6. Take a ~10" / 25cm heavy-bottomed cast iron frying pan and put it on a high heat.
7. Turn the oven off and heat the grill.

be ready to m o v e . . .

8. Lightly dust the pan with the semolina flour and carefully drop in the pizza.
9. Use a large spoon or ladle to evenly distribute the tomato sauce over the surface of the pizza. Add a little sprinkle of parmesan, 3 or 5 basil leaves, a quarter of the mozzarella: torn into small pieces anda drizzle of olive oil.
10. The pizza base should be nicely browned in 1-2 minutes; check using a spatula.
11. Once the base is done; transfer the pizza to the grill (with the pan as close to the heat source as possible) and cook until the crust has some golden brown spots on it.
12. Divide up and eat while you cook the next one.
N.B. Although Neapolitan pizza only comes in marguerita or marinara you can top it with whatever takes your fancy.

Dizzy