Margherita-style classic pizza

Ingredients

Dough (for 2 pizzas)

• 500 g strong bread flour
• 7 g dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 320 ml warm water
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Tomato sauce

• 1 × 400 g tin chopped San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste

Topping

• 200 g fresh mozzarella (buffalo if possible), torn into pieces
• Small handful fresh basil leaves
• Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch of flaky sea salt

Method

1. Dough (night before). Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add water and olive oil. Knead 8–10 minutes. Refrigerate overnight in an oiled bowl.
2. Sauce. Crush tomatoes by hand. Stir in garlic, olive oil, salt. Don’t cook it — fresh tomato sauce is the point.
3. Shape. Divide dough. Stretch each ball into a 30 cm round by hand, leaving a puffy edge for the crust.
4. Top sparingly. Thin layer of raw tomato sauce. Pieces of mozzarella (don’t cover the whole pizza — gaps are good).
5. Bake. 250°C oven, preheated pizza stone if you have one. Bake 8–10 minutes until crust is blistered and cheese has golden spots.
6. Finish. Scatter fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Pinch of flaky salt. Serve immediately.

Tips

• Less is more. A Margherita is the test of restraint — too many toppings and you’ve lost the point.
• Fresh mozzarella is wet. Drain it on kitchen paper for 30 minutes before using, or your pizza will be soupy.
• Add basil AFTER baking. Heat destroys basil’s flavour — it’s an aromatic herb.