Preparation
- Rub the yeast into the flour with your fingers, add the salt, olive oil and water and knead everything for 5 to 10 minutes into a smooth dough; it is very sticky at first, but this passes as you knead.
- Rest the dough, covered, in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Heat the oven with a pizza stone to 250 °C for 1 hour beforehand; without a stone, brush a baking tray with olive oil and heat it too.
- For the sauce, blend or stir the passata, tomato purée, oregano, salt, sugar, pepper and chilli if using until well mixed; it should be quite thick, so stir in a little more tomato purée if it is too thin.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, shape into balls and leave on a floured surface for 10 minutes. Stretch each ball by hand from the centre into a round about 20 to 22 cm across, leaving the edge slightly thicker.
- Place the rounds on a floured pizza peel, spread thinly with sauce and top sparingly with mozzarella, because less is more.
- Bake each pizza at 240 to 250 °C for 8 to 12 minutes, until the edge is browned. Top with basil leaves and drizzle thinly with olive oil.
Drink with it
Pale lager · excellent match
Italian lager or Helles, well chilled
Crisp carbonation and a light bready note mirror the crust and cool against the tomato acidity.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?Red wine · excellent match
Gragnano (lightly sparkling red from Campania) or young Sangiovese, cool
Juicy cherry fruit and fresh acidity meet the tomato sauce, and low tannins leave mozzarella and basil untouched.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosingSparkling wine · good match
Prosecco, brut
Bubbles and acidity refresh after tomato and melted mozzarella without overpowering basil and dough.
Sparkling wine, Champagne, and Prosecco: what's the difference?Wheat beer · good match
Helles wheat beer
The yeast note picks up the dough, and the carbonation freshens against cheese and tomato.
Wheat Beer: Where Do Banana and Clove Come From?