Easy to make pizza recipe from the basics without any processed food, colorants or artificial ingredients. Just like we were in Italy.
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine Mediterranean, Sugar free recipe
Prep Time 3 hourshours
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 3 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Ingredients
Starter
⅞cupFlour
½cupWater
¼teaspoonFresh yeast
Dough
6¼cupAll purpose flour
1teaspoonFresh yeast
2cupsLukewarm Water
¾ozExtra virgin olive oil
2teaspoonSalt
Sauce
1teaspoonSalt
1tablespoonOlive oil
2clovesGarliccrushed
28ozTomato pure
3-4leaf Fresh basil
5-10leaf Fresh oregano
1teaspoonSalt
Topping
10ozCheese of choiceGouda, Edam...
8.8ozMozzarella
Instructions
Starter
Making a starter is not absolutely necessary but it will provide a more complex flavor for the dough. Combine flour, water and the yeast in an airtight container and put it into the fridge for 4 - 6 hours. It will double in size so choose a big enough box.
Dough
Measure flour into a kneading bowl and sprinkle fresh yeast on top. No need to dissolve the yeast.
Pour in the olive oil and at least half of the water.
Add the starter in too. It tends to stick to the box but mixing it with some flour from the bowl will help salvage every bit without much effort. If starter is not used just add the equivalent amount of flour and water to the bowl.
Knead the dough until it comes together gradually adding the remaining water and the salt. We are after a sticky humid dough as we are going to bake the pizza in a low temperature home oven. Flouring our hand will prevent the dough to stick to it.
Cover the dough and place it to a 68°F - 81°F / 20°C - 27°C corner to raise.
It could take anything from 40 - 90 minutes depending on the temperature to double in size.
Sauce
Add some oil into a pan and fry garlic until it gets fragrant.
Pour the pureed tomato and add basil, oregano and salt then cook it on low heat until about quarter of the liquid evaporates. Add salt to taste.
Topping
Grate the cheese and cut the necessary ingredients up
Assembly
Take the dough out onto a floured surface.
Separate into two and shape the dough into elongated forms for easier measuring.
Cut the dough up into 6 equal parts that will results 8 oz / 230g pizza dough.
Sprinkle a bit of water on a cleaned surface then flour our hands.
Roll balls from the dough. Check out how to roll dough
Place the rolled dough onto a floured surface and sprinkle water on top.
Cover it with a kitchen towel then sprinkle water onto the kitchen towel too. If we are lucky this will prevent the dough sticking to it. Alternatively we can use a high walled container with a lid, anything that will let the dough rise while not letting it to dry out.
Place it into a 68°F - 81°F / 20°C - 27°C corner again for 60 - 90 minutes until it doubles.
Dust a spatula with flour and take a dough off the tray.
Place it onto a floured working surface upside down then flour the top of the dough and our hands too.
Start shaping the pizza by pressing down the top of the dough by moving from one side of the dough to the opposite. Check out How to shape a pizza!
Create the side of the crust by leaving out a ½" / 1cm part of the dough down along the side of the crust.
Press down gently the middle the second time.
Flip the dough then repeat the shaping process on this side too.
It's time to give the dough its final shape. Hold the dough still with one hand while grabbing the dough with the other and stretching it mildly about double of the original size.
Rotate the dough a quarter and stretch that side as well.
Repeat the turning and stretching until the desired size is achieved. A 10" / 30cm size pizza can easily achievable with this method. Alternatively use a rolling pin.
Spread tomato sauce on top of the dough
Add some topping.
Place the dough into a preheated oven at maximum temperature which means 480°F / 250°C in most cases for about 6 - 8 minutes. Turn around the pizza after 4 minutes if necessary.
Notes
Let pizzas cool for a little bit then slice, serve and enjoy