Margherita Pizza

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 14 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes
• 12 oz fresh mozzarella
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Mix the flour, water, salt and yeast to a shaggy dough, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Oil the bowl, cover, and leave it to rise until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Put a baking stone or heavy upturned tray on the top shelf and heat the oven as high as it goes, at least 500°F, for a full 45 minutes. A cooler oven gives pale, tough crust.
3. Crush the tomatoes by hand with a good pinch of salt. Do not cook them — they cook on the pizza.
4. Tear the mozzarella into pieces and let it drain on a towel so the pizza does not flood.
5. Divide the dough in two and stretch each piece by hand from the middle out, leaving a thicker rim. Avoid a rolling pin, which presses out the air you spent two hours making.
6. Spread a thin layer of tomato, scatter the mozzarella, and slide it onto the stone.
7. Bake until the rim is puffed and spotted brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
8. Finish with torn basil and a thread of olive oil.

Notes