Neapolitan pizza
Topped with tomatoes, oregano and garlic only, this Neapolitan pizza recipe is simplicity at its best (and is naturally vegan – a rare thing in the world of pizzas). Ingredients have nowhere to hide in this dish, so make sure you use the best quality produce you can get your hands on. This recipe is taken from the book Naples and the Amalfi Coast by The Silver Spoon, published by Phaidon. Photographs by Simon Bajada.
Ingredients
Neapolitan pizza topping
- 795g of tinned San Marzano tomatoes , drained and seeded
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 pinch of salt
- olive oil, for drizzling
- dried oregano, for sprinkling
Pizza dough
- 7g of active dry yeast
- 120ml of warm water, plus more as needed
- 250g of 00 flour, or sifted plain flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- olive oil, for brushing the pan
Method
1
To begin, make the pizza dough. Dissolve the yeast in a little of the warm water in a bowl. Add 5 tbsp of the flour and mix well, adding more water if needed to turn the mixture into a paste. Set aside to stand for 15–20 minutes
2
Place the remaining flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the centre. Add the salt and yeast mixture to the well and knead the mixture vigorously, for about 2 minutes, adding the remaining warm water a little at a time, as needed to obtain a soft, supple dough. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, for about 20 minutes
3
To make two small pizzas, grease two 20–24cm pizza pans. Divide the dough into 2 balls and roll each out on a floured surface (or pan with damp hands) and line the pizza pans
4
To make one large pizza, grease a 35 – 38cm pizza pan. Roll or pat the whole ball of dough and fit it into the pizza pan
5
Flatten the dough by hitting the surface with the palm of the hands until the dough covers the bottom of the pan(s), cover with a kitchen towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for at least 20 minutes
6
Preheat the oven to 250°C/gas mark 9
7
To make the topping, spread the tomatoes evenly over the surface of the dough and crush any large pieces with a fork or by hand. Top with the garlic and salt and drizzle generously with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes
8
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with oregano and bake until the crust is golden brown and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Serve warm
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Neapolitan pizza
