For the dough
4 cups Italian organic 00 soft wheat flour, more if/as needed
1 ½ cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon active dried yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of salt
For the topping
About 2 ½ cups canned peeled tomatoes, pureed or blended until it forms a chunky or smooth puree (to your taste)
2- 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
extra virgin olive oil, as needed
a few leaves of fresh basil
salt, to taste
grated parmesan, to taste
Add the yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water and stir to dissolve.
Put the organic flour in a mound on a pastry board, make a well in its center, and little by little slowly pour on the water/yeast/sugar mixture, using a wooden spoon and then your hands, to combine completely.
Add the oil and salt, then knead the dough for at least twenty minutes, until it is very smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a bowl, cover it with a cloth and let it rise for at least 6/8 hours, in a warmish place, away from cold drafts.
When ready to bake the pizzas, place each ingredient for the topping in small bowls next to where you will be working.
Preheat the oven, if you are using a domestic one, to 500°F.
When the dough has finished resting, divide it into 4 portions. Pat each one into a flat round disc, then place each in a pizza pan and top first with the tomatoes, then the mozzarella, a pinch of salt, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, a few leaves of basil and a drizzle of oil.
Bake the pizzas for 10 – 15 minutes, or until puffy in places, the dough cooked through, the cheese melted. Serve right away, hot and irresistible!
CURIOSITY
The pizza Margherita was created in Naples in 1889 by legendary pizza maker: Raffaele Esposito. When the King of Italy Umberto I of Savoy visited Naples, Esposito was invited the lavish Royal Palace of Capodimonte, to cook for the Royal Family. Esposito, working with his wife, prepared three types of pizza but it was his new creation, inspired by the Italian flag, topped with red tomato, white mozzarella and green basil that won the hearts of all, most especially the Queen. In her honor, Esposito named this pizza: Margherita. This instant classic has been delighting eaters ever since.
On 9 December 2017, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage met on Jeju Island in South Korea. With 2 million signatures on the petition, the Neapolitan pizza and its tradition was recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. The art of the Neapolitan pizzaiuolo—pizza maker– has now become a cultural heritage to be safeguarded.
