Who doesn’t enjoy a good pizza? Hot, crispy and comforting this famous Italian meal has everything you need, all together in one dish. The Margherita pizza is particularly famous, as this classic dish features the colours of the Italian flag; red, green and white. So, what are you waiting for? If you want to experience a little bit of Italy you can do so right in your own home.
Margherita Pizza Method:
Mix the flours, sugar, yeast and salt for your pizza base together in a bowl. Add the water and oil and stir until the dough just begins to form in a dry manner.
Tip the dough onto a floured counter and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly grease a clean mixing bowl and place the dough into this, covering with cling film =.
Leave for around two hours until it has doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to the hottest temperature it can go to for at least half an hour.
Stir together the pureed tomatoes, garlic, oil, pepper and salt. Put the mozzarella into a separate bowl and blot away excess moisture with a paper towel.
Once your dough has risen separate in two, cover lightly with cling film and leave to rest for a little while on a floured counter top.
Sprinkle your pizza tray with the semolina before stretching your pizza into a round shape around 10 inches in diameter. If your dough keeps springing back when you try to do this then leave it to rest for five minutes more.
To get the perfect thickness of pizza dough hold your base up to the light. You should be able to just about see some light through it, with the edges being thicker. Place your pizza on the baking tray.
Brush the base lightly with oil before adding half the tomato sauce, leaving half an inch of crust around the sides. Sprinkle a tablespoon of parmesan onto the sauce before placing half of the mozzarella, broken into equal pieces, over the base. Fewer, larger pieces are usually best.
Repeat for the second pizza before moving them both to the oven for 7 to 8 minutes until the cheese bubbles, the crust is golden and there are some slightly charred sections.
Roughly tear a handful of basil leaves and scatter over the pizza before drizzling over olive oil and adding some extra parmesan.
Serve immediately.
