Next level Margherita pizza

Pizza recipe for 4 - 8 people, takes only 40 mins; recipe has strong white flour, fast-action dried yeast, plum tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, oregano, basil, parmesan and mozzarella.

Next level Margherita pizza

Next level Margherita pizza

Recipe by Chef Soomro Course: Pizza
Servings

4 - 8

servings
Prep time

20 mins

Ingredients

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
  • Parmesan: 50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), freshly grated
  • Basil: small bunch basil, leaves picked, stalks reserved
  • Oregano: 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • Mozzarella: 200g mozzarella from a block, cut into chunks
  • Fast Action Dried Yeast: 1 sachet (7g) fast-action dried yeast
  • Plum Tomatoes: 400g can plum tomatoes (San Marzano are the best)
  • Strong White Flour: 500g '00' or strong white flour, plus extra for dusting

Directions

  1. First, make the dough. Tip the flour into a bowl and add 300ml tepid water. Mix together and set aside at room temperature for 1 hr. Dissolve the yeast in 2 tbsp water and mix this and 15g of salt through the dough. Cover with cling film and leave somewhere warm to double in size for a few hours. For a sourer flavour, leave in the fridge for at least 8 hrs and up to 24 hrs - the longer you leave it the sourer it will be.
  2. When the dough is ready, tip it onto a lightly floured surface and divide into four. Roll into balls and leave to rest, covered with a tea towel or cling film for another hour.
  3. Now make the tomato sauce. Drain some of the juice from the can and tip the rest into a bowl with the olive oil, oregano and a generous pinch of salt, then either scrunch everything together with your fingers for a chunky sauce or blitz with astick blenderif you want it smooth. Tie the basil stalks together, bruise with the back of a knife and place in the sauce. Leave the sauce at room temperature until needed.
  4. To make the pizza, heat a grill to its highest setting and get a heavyfrying pan. On a floured surface push and stretch one of the balls of dough out into a circle roughly the same size as the frying pan. Slip the round onto a floured baking sheet and top with a quarter of the sauce, a scattering of cheese, a few basil leaves and a quarter of the mozzarella.
  5. Get the pan very hot and carefully slide the pizza onto it. Cook for 2 mins, then put the pan under the grill for another 2 mins until the sides are puffed up and the cheese has melted. Lift onto a board, drizzle with a little olive oil if you like, then cut into wedges and serve while you make the next one.