Pizza espresso

Pizza.

Eat Pray Love 2010

“ I'm having a relationship with my pizza”

I have to say that I’ve yet to meet a food that I don’t want to have a deep and meaningful relationship with. Proper Neapolitan pizza is the best I have ever tasted. I have made it my life's work to test as many pizzas (and bars of chocolate)as I can from around the world and Naples does pizza the best. Pizza does endear itself rather well a person’s sensual nature. You have to pick it up, it will drip and ooze over your fingers and if that fails to light your fire a handsome waiter waving a large grinding implement over your food might just sway your mood. Buon appetito!

If you are interested the best chocolate bar I've found so far is Green and Blacks Maya Gold closely followed by Montezuma lime and chilli.

Mise en scene

dough

500g strong white bread flour

10g dried yeast

1 tbsp sugar

300 ml warm water

25ml olive oil

large pinch of salt

flour for dusting

sauce

1 500g carton of passata or sieved tomatoes.

olive oil

1 tsp sugar

salt and black pepper

1 ball of fresh buffalo mozzarella

a handful of fresh basil leaves

It’s all in the edit...

Makes 4 8" pizzas.

• Take 150 ml of the warm water and place in a large jug. Add in the sugar and the yeast and give a brisk stir. Leave in a warm, draught free place to allow the yeast to activate and become frothy.
• Sieve the flour into a roomy bowl; add in the salt and the oil. Once really frothy pour in the yeast mixture and two thirds of the remaining water. Using one hand, make a claw shape and gradually combine the flour and the liquids. Slowly add in the remaining tepid water until the dough is formed. It should be soft to the touch, and neither dry nor sticky!
• Flour your work surface and knead the dough for between 5 to 10 minutes. The texture of the dough will change from being a little rough and dense to much smoother and softer as the gluten is worked.
• Pop back into the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave for an hour or so until doubled in size.
• Whilst this is happening make your sauce. In a pan warm the olive oil. Once the kitchen begins to smell of the Mediterranean add in the passata (crushed, sieved tomatoes). Combine well with the olive oil. Season with the salt, pepper and sugar. The sugar is heighten the tomatoey flavour not sweeten the dish so taste as you go.
• Leave the sauce to simmer gently until reduced by half. Allow to cool
• Return to your risen dough, give it a thump in the middle to knock it back. Divide the dough into four balls and leave to rise again for 30 minutes.
• Heat your oven to 240c or Gas 9. Roll out the dough. Spread thinly with the tomato base. Tear the mozzarella into pieces and scatter over the pizza base. Do the same with the basil leaves. Give a good grind of black pepper.
• Slide into the oven and bake for 10 minutes or so. Drizzle with olive oil and eat with your hands.

Voice over

You may not believe me but as a domestic oven rarely gets hot enough to properly char the edges of a pizza I cook my pizzas on the barbeque. Place the dough onto a double thickness of well-oiled foil. Top as you see fit and put the pizza onto the top shelf of the BBQ. Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes or so. Simples!