2 October 2024
Two classic Neapolitan pizzas, the margherita and marinara, both declared part of the Italian intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
Who doesn’t feel a thrill of pleasure when biting into a great pizza? It could be a wholesome and healthy one, made at home using organic wheat flour and semolina, as recommended by the “Pure Flour from Europe” program. It’s a joy to try at home, and the international project supported by ITALMOPA (the Italian Milling Industry Association) and co-funded by the European Union, which promotes the export of Made in Europe organic soft wheat / durum wheat flours and semolina to Canada and the USA, would like to propose recipes for “margherita” and “marinara” pizzas, which are on UNESCO’S intangible cultural heritage list.
There are certain rules you must respect if making a professional pizza. The dough: never add the yeast and salt together as salt has an adverse effect on yeast. In fact, to aid rising, add a teaspoon of sugar to the yeast. For a more elastic dough, the water must be at room temperature and simply add a little extra virgin olive oil. The tomato sauce: spread the tomato sauce evenly over the pizza surface but leave half an inch without around the edges of the pizza, to stop it burning. The mozzarella: it must be drained and added part way through baking. First bake the pizza with only the tomato sauce on top, then remove from the oven and add the mozzarella, so that the cheese melts at the right point. So now you just need organic flour and semolina to prepare a perfect “margherita” or “marinara” pizza.
The “margherita” pizza, created in Naples in 1889 by the skilled pizza maker Raffaele Esposito, inspired by the colors of the Italian flag with its topping of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, presented his new creation to Umberto I of Savoy, the King of Italy, during a visit to Naples. Queen Margherita was so enraptured that the pizza maker decided to call it after her. It’s certainly the most famous pizza, but the first documented pizza with tomato sauce is the “marinara”, seasoned also with garlic, olive oil and oregano. The name comes from the fishermen’s habit of eating it in port after a night fishing at sea.
Pizza Margherita
- Preparation 30 minutes
- Cooking time 10-15 minutes
- Resting 8 hours
Ingredients for the dough (for 4 pizzas)
- 4 cups of organic flour
- 1 tsp fresh brewer’s yeast
- 1 ¼ cups of water
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
Ingredients for topping
- 17 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes
- 14 oz mozzarella
- extra virgin olive oil
- 4 basil leaves
- salt
Method
Put the flour and yeast in a bowl, add half the water and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.
When the water is absorbed, add the remaining water and the salt.
Mix again and add the olive oil.
Tip the mixture onto a work surface and knead vigorously, until it forms a smooth and firm dough.
Transfer the dough to a clean, well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 7-8 hours.
When it has tripled in volume, the pizza dough is ready.
Divide into 4 pieces and roll out or stretch by hand onto 4 well-oiled pizza tins or sheets, cover with a cloth and leave to rest for another 10 minutes.
Now add the toppings.
First spread over the tomatoes, crushed with a fork, olive oil, salt and basil and bake in a conventional oven at 430°F for 15 minutes.
Remove and scatter the chopped mozzarella over the 4 pizzas and bake for 10 more minutes.
Then enjoy, nice and hot!
Pizza Marinara
- Preparation 30 minutes
- Cooking time 10-15 minutes
- Rest 8 hours
Ingredients for the dough (for 4 pizzas)
- 1 tbsp brewer’s yeast
- 3.3 cups of water
- 6 cups of organic semolina
- 1 ½ tbsp salt
- 2 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Ingredients for topping
- 14 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes
- oregano
- 1 clove of garlic
- salt
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in 600g of water and pour it into a large bowl with 1kg of semolina.
Mix to obtain a smooth, homogeneous dough. In another bowl, dissolve the salt in the remaining 200g of water, add to the semolina mixture, pour in the oil and knead to combine the ingredients well.
Tip the dough onto a work surface dusted with a little semolina flour and continue to knead to form an elastic dough.
Place in a floured bowl and cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and leave to rise until doubled in size – for about 8 hours.
Divide into 4 to make 4 pizzas.
Sprinkle the work surface with a little flour, roll out the pieces of dough with a rolling pin and top with the tomatoes, crushed with a fork, salt, garlic and oil.
Bake for 10 – 15 minutes at 440°Fand eat while hot.