I love homemade pizza and have used the same recipe for years. It is very good but doesn’t feel all that authentic. So it was time to try something new, a real Italian recipe. It is a very simple recipe but quite different in texture compared to the other one. The strong 00-flour makes it very easy to shape the pizzas, or roll them out if you prefer. The bases also go really crispy in a regular oven on a regular (cold even) baking sheet.

The recipe is courtesy of Gennaro Contaldo, the man who has taught Jame Oliver all there is to know about Italian cooking. You can watch him make pizzas here.  The recipe for the tomato sauce is my own, but still authentic enough I hope. 🙂

Italian pizza dough, 2 pizzas

500 g 00-flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried yeast

325 ml lukewarm water

Mix flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the yeast. Add the water bit by bit while stirring with a wooden fork. Knead the dough until elastic. Cut the dough into two and shape to round balls. Put the dough balls back in the mixing bowl, sprinkle with flour and cover. Place somewhere warm and let it rise for 90 minutes.

Shape the dough into round pizzas or use a rolling pin to roll it out thinly. Add the toppings you like and bake in 225C, in a low oven, for 8-10 minutes.

Tomato sauce, for 2 pizzas

200 g passata

a splash of water

1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp dried Italian herbs

1 garlic clove, pressed

1/2 tsk brunt socker

salt, black pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a non-stick sauce pan. Bring to the boil and let it reduce (boil down) and thicken while stirring. Leave to cool.

Margherita topping for 1 pizza:

1/2 batch tomato sauce

olive oil

1 buffalo mozzarella

a handful of basil

Roll out the dough and drizzle some olive oil on it. Spread out the tomato sauce. Shred the mozzarella into chunks and place on the pizza. Add some basil leaves. Another drop of olive oil and put it in the oven on 225C, middle to low oven for 8-10 minutes.

Salami topping for 1 pizza:

1/2 batch tomato sauce

olive oil

200 g saucisson

1 garlic clove, pressed

oregano

Roll out the dough and drizzle some olive oil on it. Add the tomato sauce and spread it out. Shred the mozzarella into chunks and place on the pizza. Add the slices of saucisson. Distribute the garlic and sprinkle oregano on top. Put it in the oven on 225C, middle to low oven for 8-10 minutes.