Pizza Margherita

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 290 g flour (white flour), ideally Italian Typo 00
• 9 g salt
• 1 g yeast
• 250 g tomatoes, canned or fresh
• 10 g extra virgin olive oil
• 10 basil leaves
• 170 ml water
• 200 g buffalo mozzarella or cow’s milk mozzarella

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Rest time approx. 6 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 6 hours 45 minutes

Pizza Napolitana – somewhat simplified for home use without special equipment.

First, mix the yeast, flour, salt, and water together and form a dough. Then, knead for about 20 minutes (a worthwhile workout without a kneading machine). The dough should now be slightly sticky, elastic, and soft. Let it rest for 2 hours under a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out. During the second rising phase, let it rise for another 4 hours in a container at slightly higher room temperature. In the meantime, drain the tomatoes, chop them, and season with salt to taste. Cut the mozzarella into thin slices and let them drain on a cloth or paper towel for about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to the highest temperature (maximum 450°C/850°F top/bottom heat). Roll out the dough, spread the tomato sauce evenly, then the mozzarella slices, and finish with olive oil. Bake in the center of the oven for about 5-10 minutes, depending on the oven. Remove from the oven and finish with the basil leaves. The quantities are based on a standard square baking tray. For round pizzas, simply increase the amounts slightly. The small amount of yeast (1 g) may seem incredible, but it’s true and is offset by the long resting time.