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Neapolitan-style pizza

5 ratings

Gennaro Contaldo knows a thing or two about pizza. But his easy pizza recipe from Naples holds a few surprises!

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 500g/1lb 2oz strong plain flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh yeast
  • 325ml/11fl oz lukewarm water

For the topping

For the additional toppings

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 250C/500F/Gas 9.

  2. In a large bowl, place the flour and salt together. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and gradually add to the flour. Mix well until you obtain a dough. If you find the dough too sticky, just add a little flour.

  3. Shape the dough into a ball and leave to rest covered with a cloth for 5 minutes. After this time, you will find the dough much more pliable to work with. Knead the dough and split into two. Knead each piece for a couple of minutes each and form into balls. Sprinkle some flour on a clean kitchen cloth and place the dough on it covering with a slightly damp cloth. Leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

  4. Place the tomatoes in a bowl and squash them slightly, add salt and pepper and mix well.

  5. Sprinkle some flour on a clean work surface and with your fingers spread the dough into a roughly round shape with a border. Make the dough as thin as a pancake but beware not to split the dough. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs on two large flat baking sheets and place the pizza bases on them.

  6. Spread a little of the tomato evenly over each base - not put too much as the pizza will go soggy. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, add a few basil leaves or sprinkle some oregano and top with pieces of mozzarella cheese. Then add topping of your choice.

  7. Place in the hot oven for 7 minutes (a couple of minutes longer if you prefer your pizza crispy). Remove from the oven, drizzle with some olive oil and eat immediately - pizzas are not very nice cold or reheated!