Best Homemade Pizza
- 450g pizza flour (such as Caputo Pizzeria)
- 10g fresh yeast
- 3g sugar
- 315ml lukewarm water – refer to tip in step 2
- 12g salt
- 1 heaped tablespoon (20g) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup durum wheat semolina (coarse mill such as Molino di Borgo S.Dalmazzo)
- 400g (x1 can) whole peeled or diced tomatoes (ideally San Marzano)
- 250g mozzarella, sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Canola oil, to lightly grease
- Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
- Basil, to serve
Requires: X1 rectangular oven tray, approximately 41.5 x 29cm in size and a food mill
Place the flour in a stand mixer bowl (or mixing bowl). Crumble the yeast into the bowl with flour.
To work by hand: Pour ¼ of the water in a slow stream into the flour and yeast mixture. Continue to add the remaining water and mix a little at a time until fully incorporated. Use your hands to bring the dough together, then mix in the salt. Mix in the sugar. Place the dough onto a clean worksurface. Knead for about 3 minutes, then add the olive oil. Knead the dough for a further 5 to 6 minutes, noting that it is a sticky dough.
If using a mixer: Fit the dough hook to the stand mixer and turn on the second speed. Pour ¼ of the water in a slow stream into the outer edge of the stand mixer bowl. Continue to add the remaining water and mix a little at a time until fully incorporated and combined, then add the salt. Mix in the sugar. Continue to mix for about 3 minutes, then add the olive oil. Mix until the dough for a further 5 to 6 minutes, noting that it is a sticky dough.
Tip: The water needs to be lukewarm for this recipe to activate the yeast. If the water is too hot, it can actually kill the yeast and prevent the dough from rising.
Transfer the pizza dough to a large bowl. Stretch and fold the pizza dough about 20 times. The stretch and fold method strengthens and incorporates air into the dough. Cover completely with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 5 hours.
Line a large shallow baking tray (approximately 41.5 x 29cm in size) with non-stick baking paper and grease generously with canola oil.
Sprinkle the semolina onto a clean worksurface. Turn the dough onto the semolina and add a sprinkling of semolina on top of the dough. Use your hands to stretch out the pizza dough into a rectangular shape (a bit smaller than the baking tray). Carefully transfer the pizza base to the prepared baking tray. Press the dough out to the edges to cover the tray. Allow the dough to rest for a further 2 hours.
Meanwhile to make the sauce, prepare your food mill over a bowl. Place the whole peeled tomatoes into the food mill and stir to collect the lovely tomato pulp and sauce in the bowl. Discard the tomato skins and seeds that are left in the food mill.
When the dough has ½ an hour resting time remaining, preheat the oven to 250°C conventional oven (500° Fahrenheit/Gas 10). Adjust metal rack to the middle groove of the oven.
Note: A traditional/conventional oven setting is the best option for making pizza as it uses heat from the top and bottom elements with no fan. This provides reasonably even heating, but tends to be slightly hotter towards the top, allowing the pizza to brown nicely on top but not burn.
Spread the sauce onto the rested dough, using the back of a spoon to cover the pizza leaving a 1cm border around the edges. Bake on the bottom groove of the oven for 13 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven. Top with the mozzarella slices and sprinkle dried oregano over the pizza. Bake on the middle groove of the oven for a further 7 to 8 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Once cooked, drizzle the pizza with extra virgin olive oil. Add the finishing touch with small basil leaves or large basil leaves that have been torn. Serve immediately – buon appetito!
