Classic Margherita pizza

Once you master this simple pizza dough and sauce recipe, you'll never want to eat takeaway again.

• makes

  2

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 2 portions all - in pizza dough (½ the recipe)
• 1 ball fresh mozzarella (about 200 g)
• 1 small handful basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

All - in pizza dough (makes extra)

• 1 kg strong (00) flour
• 20 g salt
• 7 g dry yeast
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling the containers

Basic pizza sauce (makes extra)

• 500 ml (2 cups) tomato passata
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 pinch sugar
• ¼ tsp dried oregano (optional)

Resting time: 1 hour

Instructions

1. For the dough, combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment. Add 650 ml water and knead on low speed for 5 - 6 minutes or until a smooth dough forms. Divide into 4 equal pieces and transfer to 4 separate, lightly oiled 3 cup capacity containers with airtight lids. The dough will rise, so if the container is too small it will not fit, and if the container is too large it will hold too much air and the dough may dry out. Place in the fridge to prove for up to 3 days. The dough will develop more flavour the longer you leave it, but if you want to you could use this after proving for just 1 hour at room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, for the basic pizza sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan, cover and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or just until the raw taste of the tomato is gone. Allow to cool before using. This sauce will keep in an airtight container for about 1 week.
3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you want to cook. Preheat the oven’s overhead grill to as high as it can go.
4. Take a 26 cm – 28 cm ovenproof frying pan. Tear a piece of baking paper slightly larger than the pan and lay it on a chopping board. Place a ball of dough in the centre and with your fingertips, press and stretch the dough on baking paper to about the same size as the frying pan. Press from the centre out, leaving a slightly raised lip around the edge. Spoon 60 ml (¼ cup) of the pizza sauce on the base and spread it out with the back of a large spoon. Tear half the mozzarella into pieces and place over the base.
5. Heat the frying pan on the stove over high heat until very hot. Drop the paper holding the pizza onto the frying pan and immediately transfer it to the oven. Cook for about 4 minutes or until the pizza is cooked through, risen and the crust is browned. Tear over the basil leaves and drizzle with a little olive oil. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 2 pizzas.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Aussie Italian

Watch The Full Episode Here

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Watch The Full Episode Here

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