大象传媒

By

This is how to make proper Italian-style pizza at home. It does take time 鈥� you鈥檒l need to make the dough the day before, but each step is quick to do and the ingredients don鈥檛 cost the earth.听听

The result is pizza that will make you look like a pro and will have you throwing away those takeaway menus for good.听

INGREDIENTS (Makes 4/5 pizzas)听

Dough:

听鈥� 500ml water (room temperature)

听鈥� 800g Caputo Blu 00 flour

鈥� 3g fresh yeast

鈥� 25g salt

Toppings per pizza:

鈥� 100g Mozzarella (Fior di Latte preferred, but Bufala is ok) torn into pieces no bigger than a grape

鈥� San Marzano Tomato sauce

鈥� Handful of Parmesan shavings

鈥� Basil leaves

鈥� Extra Virgin Olive Oil听听

METHOD听

Making the dough:

1. Pour water into a large bowl. Add the yeast to the bowl and dissolve by gently stirring.

2. Add the flour a little at a time, to the water and yeast mixture. With your hand, fold in the flour. When the water and flour turn into a creamy consistency, add the salt and leave for a few seconds to dissolve. Continue to add the flour and turn with an 鈥榦utside to inside鈥� movement.

3. The hand movement should be circular, taking the dough from underneath, lifting it, folding it over and pushing down vigorously with the palm of the hand. Continue with this movement until all the flour has been absorbed and the dough detaches from the sides of the bowl.

4. Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a clean flat surface (floured!). Using both hands, 鈥渇old and push鈥� the dough for 5 minutes 鈥� be gentle! The movement should be the same as that used in the bowl but using two hands. Try not to tear the dough as it will ruin the gluten that has already formed.

5. 鈥淔old and push鈥� the dough until it is soft and stretchy, and has a smooth texture. The dough should be moist to the touch but at the same time, should not stick to your hands. If you make a small indent in the dough, it should gently spring back.

6. When the dough is ready, cover it with cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes. Once rested, remove the cling film and 鈥渂all up鈥�. Divide and weigh pieces of dough to make the 200g dough balls. 7. Place the dough balls in a large tupper-ware container to rest, making sure the balls have space to spread and are not touching each other.

8. Cover tight with cling film and leave the balls to rest for 24 hours in the fridge (or if in a hurry, min 4- 5 hrs somewhere dry and warm). The cling film should not touch the dough balls.听

Making the Neapolitan pizza base:

1. Scrape a dough ball out of the container (we use actual scrapers!)

2. Place the dough ball onto a well-floured board (don鈥檛 worry that flour goes everywhere 鈥� you will get used to it when making pizza!)

3. Using your fingertips, press the dough ball firmly, starting at the centre and working out to the edge. Leave 1cm around the rim of the pizza untouched (easier said than done but it comes after a bit of practice)

4. Turn the dough ball over and repeat.

5. Using the palm of your hand, make a smooth movement to ensure the thickness of base is consistent.

6. Take the flattened dough ball onto your fists (ensure your knuckle dusters have been removed!)

7. In a gentle movement stretch the pizza out by moving your fists apart and spinning the dough 90degrees in the air 鈥� there鈥檚 a challenge!

8. Once you have achieved your 10鈥� pizza, it鈥檚 ready to top!听听

Topping your Neapolitan base:

1. Get a large frying pan on to a high heat (or stick into a super-hot oven for ten minutes) and preheat you grill to its highest setting.

2. Once the pan is ready to combust carefully place your opened based into the pan. Keep the pan over a high heat whilst you do this so you don鈥檛 lose temperature. Be careful though!

3. Working fast, use the back of a large spoon to spread a thin layer of San Marzano tomato sauce on to the base

4. Throw on some freshly grated Parmesan 5. Drizzle around a table spoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil all over the base

6. Once you start to see a slight change to the colour of the base, move the pan off the heat and under the grill (about 90 seconds).

7. Get the pan under the grill as close to the element as possible and wait for the magic to happen. You should see the base bubble up within 60 seconds.

8. Remove pan carefully and drop some of the Fior di Latte onto the base with a couple of basil leaves. Get it straight back under the grill. After another 90 seconds, the cheese will have melted and black spots on the cornicione (crust) will appear. This is a sign of an excellent pizza that is ready to eat!

9. Slide the pizza onto a serving plate.

10. Dress the pizza lightly with little drops of Extra Virgin Olive oil all over. Cut into 4 pieces, fold as the crust and devour like you are on the streets of Napoli!