Pizza Margherita

The origins of this pizza date back to 1889, when Neapolitan pizza chef Raffaele Esposito wanted to welcome Queen Margherita of Savoy during her visit to Naples. To impress her, he created a pizza in the colours of the Italian flag: red (tomato), white (mozzarella) and green (basil). She loved the pizza so much that the baker named it after her.

Ingredients for 4 pizzas

For the pizza dough

• 1kg pizza flour 00
• 680ml Luke warm water
• 1g fresh yeast
• 30g salt
• 20g olive oil suitable for frying (not for salad)

For the sauce

• 1kg San Marzano tomatoes
• 8.5g salt

For the finishing touch

• olive oil
• Parmesan
• 2 balls of mozzarella (if you like a lot of cheese, 1 ball per pizza)
• Dry Pizza seasoning mix (optional)
• Fresh basil

Extra needed:

• Kitchen robot
• Dough scraper
• Mixed wheat (semola rimacinata or very fine couscous)
• Baking tray
• Baking paper

Preparation

Step 1: the pizza dough

Start by making the pizza dough, as it needs to rest for 8 to 10 hours.

Put the flour in your food processor. Mix 1g of yeast into a little of your water and mix well (it works best with your fingers) until you have no lumps. Set this aside.

Add the water to the flour, but leave 100 to 120ml of water. Place the dough hook in your mixer and start kneading at a low pace. Then add your yeast. And at the end also a little water (not all of it). Finally, add your salt and olive oil. Continue kneading for at least 10 minutes and check your dough. If the dough is elastic but still 'breaks', let it rest for 5 minutes.

Remove the dough from the mixing bowl. Don't throw flour on your work surface but use a dough scraper to loosen your dough. Fold the dough in half several times along the bottom. Do this in both directions (horizontally and vertically). Always leave the top of your dough at the top. Do this several times. Then grease it very lightly with olive oil so that your dough stays moist. Cover it with your mixing bowl and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes to allow the gluten to work.

If your dough is still a bit sticky, work it again for a few minutes by folding it. Spread with a little olive oil and let rest again, covered, for about 5 minutes.

Cut your dough into four pieces and make it into a nice ball by folding it along the bottom.Put the dough in a sealed plastic jar and leave to rise at room temperature for at least 8h. Take one jar per ball of dough, otherwise they will stick together. If you don't use the dough immediately after 8h of fermentation, keep it further in the fridge.

Step 2: the sauce

Put the tomatoes in a baking dish and put them under the grill until the skin starts to look black and comes off. Remove from the oven, put aluminium foil over your dish and leave to cool. When the tomatoes have cooled, you can peel them and remove the hard part. Put the rest of the tomatoes and the released liquid in a mixing bowl.

Add the salt and knead everything well with your hands. Your sauce should not be too runny. If desired, add a little extra seasoning like dried oregano or pizza herbs. But for the real Margherita base, it's just tomatoes and salt. Keep the sauce in the fridge until you bake the pizza.

Step 3: baking the pizzas

Remove the dough from the fridge at least half an hour to 1 hour before baking. Your dough should never be cold for baking! If the dough has risen, work it again for a few minutes by 'folding' it, until you have again a nice kneadable dough.  Sprinkle a little semola on your work surface and place your pizza dough on it. This will make it easier to work it. Do not use ordinary flour, as it will burn.

Turn your dough over again and push from the centre of the dough to the sides with your fingers, pushing the air to the outside (the crusts). Turn the dough once again and do the same. Stretch the dough a little on all sides to form a nice circle. Place your pizza dough on an oven tray lined with baking paper.

Now spread the tomato sauce on your pizza dough. Scoop it into the centre of the dough and spread it out towards the outside. Keep your crusts clear. Sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan and optional dried pizza seasoning. Place in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the pizza (back to front) and top with the mozzarella 'torn into pieces'. Bake for a further 2 minutes. Finish with additional basil and olive oil.

Buon appetito!