Mozzarella & Rosemary Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
- 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 500g strong bread flour or Italian ‘00’ flour
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt
FOR THE MOZZARELLA AND ROSEMARY TOPPING
- 8 tbsp tomato passata
- 2 balls of mozzarella cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- Olive oil
ALTERNATIVE GORGONZOLA AND RADICCHIO TOPPING
- 8 tbsp tomato passata
- 150g Gorgonzola cheese
- 2 small heads of radicchio, shredded
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil
ALTERNATIVE MEAT AND CHILLI TOPPING
- 8 tbsp tomato passata
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
- 6 slices of salami
- 1 ball of mozzarella cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil
Cooking instructions
MAKES 4
- First make the pizza dough. Mix together the yeast and sugar with 325ml warm water and leave for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour into a mixing bowl, add the salt and make a well in the middle. Pour the oil into the well, followed by the yeast mix. Using a spoon, bring the flour into the middle from the sides, mixing slowly, bit by bit, until a dough begins to form. Once you reach this stage, work the rest together with your hands.
- When combined, tip the dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth. Clean out your mixing bowl, dust it with flour and put the dough back into the bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
- When the dough is risen punch out the air and tip onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough for 1–2 minutes to push out any excess air, then wrap in cling film and chill if not using immediately.
- When you’re ready to make the pizzas, divide the dough into 4 equal balls and keep them covered. Put a large (26cm) grillproof frying pan on the heat (you can cook 2 bases at a time if you have 2 pans) and roll out one ball of dough on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin until it’s the same size as your pan. Pour a little olive oil into the pan and add the pizza base, pressing it down. Cook over a medium heat for 5–8 minutes until the base crisps and the dough starts to cook through and bubble up.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of the passata over the pizza base. Tear the mozzarella balls in half, then tear one half into 4 pieces and dot them over the base. Season with pepper and scatter over a few rosemary leaves. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pizzas. (If you want to try the alternative toppings, build them up in a similar way.)
- Drizzle the pizzas with a little olive oil before placing under a preheated grill. Cook for about 4 minutes until the topping is golden and bubbling and the dough along the edges is nice and crisp.
- Serve warm, cut into slices, and drizzle with extra olive oil with a couple of extra rosemary sprigs sprinkled on top.