Pizza Margherita (Neapolitan)

Neapolitan Margherita is the simplest, yet most authentic pizza: good dough, real tomato and fresh mozzarella.

The dough

1. Knead the 00 flour with the yeast, the salt and lukewarm water into a smooth, elastic dough.

2. Cover it, and in a warm place prove it for at least 1-2 hours, until it doubles.

The sauce

3. Crush or pass the tomato with a fork, season it with salt and pepper – no need to cook it, it comes together in the oven.

The assembly and baking

4. Stretch the risen dough by hand into a thin disc, leaving the edge a little thicker.

5. Spread it thinly with the tomato sauce, tear the mozzarella over it, and drizzle it with olive oil.

6. In a preheated, hot, 250 °C oven bake it in a few minutes, until the edge puffs up and browns in patches.

7. After baking sprinkle it with fresh basil.

Tip: The hottest possible oven is the secret to a crisp yet soft dough.