Pizza Perseveranza

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g flour
• ½ cube of yeast
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ liter of water
• 140 g tomato paste
• 500 g tomatoes, pureed or 1 can peeled tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves
• 200 g cheese (Emmental, Gouda or other), grated
• Salami and other toppings as desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 25 minutes

Pizza with a firm, thin base; always oven-fresh for up to 3 days

Combine flour, yeast, oil, water, and salt in a mixing bowl and knead with a dough hook (or by hand if necessary) until you have a ball of dough. If the dough is still too sticky, add a little more flour while kneading. Transfer the ball of dough to a large bowl, allowing it to expand to about four times its original size; a large plastic bag is also fine (especially if you’re short on space when refrigerating). Cover and let it rise for at least one hour at room temperature, or better yet, refrigerate it for several hours or overnight to give the pizza a more aromatic flavor. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days, so you can use it in small portions and conjure up a fresh pizza every day. Using plenty of flour, roll out the ball of dough (the above measurements are for a large baking sheet) on a large tabletop with a rolling pin until it’s about 4 mm thick. Grease the baking sheet with a little oil, and spread the thinly rolled out dough onto the sheet. Tomato sauce: Mix strained tomatoes (or canned peeled tomatoes, which you then chop up later) with tomato paste (this makes the sauce less watery so the dough doesn’t get too soggy), finely chopped or crushed garlic, and a pinch of salt. Spread the sauce evenly over the rolled-out dough and then top the pizza with the cheese and plenty of oregano (marjoram will work in a pinch). Now add the remaining topping of your choice to the pizza; the melting cheese acts as an insulating layer during baking, preventing the crust from soaking through. For this reason, you shouldn’t apply toppings that contain a lot of water (e.g., vegetables and mushrooms) too thickly. Slice firmer vegetables, such as broccoli, very thinly so they can cook even during the relatively short baking time. The great thing about a pizza topping is that even leftover sausage, cheese, and vegetables are enough to create a delicious meal. The pizza is baked for around 15 minutes at 225°C (standard electric oven); of course, it tastes even better in a gas oven (high heat, 10-15 minutes).