Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 4 12 inch (30 cm) pizzas

For the dough
- 2 packages active dry yeast (about 3 teaspoons)
- 4-4 1/2 cups (20-221/2 oz/ 625-705 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Olive oil
- Semolina flour for dusting
For the sauce
- 1 can (28 oz/875 g) Italian plum (Roma) tomatoes, crushed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 lb (500 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced, well drained, and blotted dry
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated pecorino romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- About 30 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

You will find at least one pizzeria-and usually more-in every Italian town, and the best have wood-burning ovens twice as hot as the average home oven. They asso have talented pizzaioli (pizza makers) who pull and twirl the balls of dough to the size of a plate and to a thinness that ensures a crisp crust. Just three ingredients, tomato, mozzarella, and basii, top this Neapolitan classic, which was created in the late nineteenth century to commemorate the visit of Queen Margherita.

To make the dough, pour 1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz/375 ml) lukewarm water (100°-110°F/ 30°-43°C) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let stand until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes. Place the bowl on the mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz/75 g) of the flour and the salt; mix until combined. Add the remaining flour about 1/2 cup at a time, continuing to mix until all of the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Knead with the dough hook until the dough is smooth but not sticky, about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, divide into 4 portions, then shape each into a ball. Rub each ball with oil, and lightly a baking sheet. Place the balls on the baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm piace, such as on top of the stove, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Alternatively, shape the dough into a large round, coat with olive oil, then piace in a large zippered plastic bag. Press out any excess air, and piace in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake the pizzas, remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 4 equal balls. Transfer the balls to a rimmed baking sheet and allow to come to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a blender or food processor, purée the tomatoes until smooth. Pour into a fine-mesh lieve placed over a bowl and let drain for about 30 minutes. Pour the drained tomatoes into a bowl and stir in the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place a pizza stone or unglazed ceramic tiles on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) about 30 minutes before baking. Lightly flour a work surface. Place 1 of the dough balls on the work surface, leaving the others under the plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk. Turn the disk over, sprinkle with additional flour, and, using your hands, stretch the dough into a 12-inch (30-cm) round, turning it over and dusting it regularly with flour as you work.

Dust a baker's peel or rimless baking sheet with semolina flour. Gently lay the dough round on top. Cover evenly with one-fourth of the tornato sauce, one-fourth of the mozzarella, and one-fourth of the pecorino. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, scatter with some of the basil leaves, and serve at once. Bake the remaining pizzas in the same way.

Buon appetito !