Margherita Pizza

Ingredients

• 3 cups maida or bread flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.25 cups warm water
• 1 can whole tomatoes
• 300g mozzarella
• Basil
• Olive oil

Method

1. Dough: flour, yeast, salt, water. Mix into a shaggy mess, then knead 10 minutes till smooth. Rise 4 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge — long and slow is where the flavour comes from.
2. Sauce: crush the canned tomatoes by hand with salt and a little olive oil. Do not cook it. It cooks on the pizza.
3. Oven as hot as it goes, 250°C+, with a tray or stone inside for 45 minutes.
4. Stretch the dough by hand from the centre outwards, leaving a thick rim. Never use a rolling pin — it crushes the air out.
5. Thin sauce, torn mozzarella, olive oil. Less than you think.
6. 8-10 minutes till the crust blisters. Basil after it comes out, not before.