WHAT YOU DO
Step 1. First make the dough. Pour the water into a bowl and mix in
the salt and yeast.
Step 2. Stir in the flour gradually.
Step 3. Knead vigorously with light criss-cross punches to oxygenate. Relax and smooth the dough, which forms gradually. Try to replicate the movement of the arm of a mechanical mixer.
Step 4. When the dough has absorbed all the fl our (the sides and bottom of the bowl are clean) remove from the bowl and continue kneading for 20 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
Step 5. Divide the dough into 220-250g portions (perfect size for a 12 inch pizza), roll each portion into a ball and place on a lightly floured tray, leaving a gap between each one. Cover with a cloth and leave to proof in a dry cool place for six to eight hours.
Step 7. When the proofing time has passed, on a lightly floured surface (just a pinch of flour, no more) stretch the balls one at a time as thinly as possible using your fingertips at first, with the palm of your hand expanding the disc from the centre outwards. Roll out the pizza dough ball to a 12-inch size on a lightly fl oured worktop and transfer to an oiled baking tray.
Step 8. Spread the passata over the centre of the rolled dough, leaving about an inch from the edge.
Step 9. Tear the basil leaves over the sauced area and place thin slices of the mozzarella all around the base. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and give it a good drizzle of olive oil.
Step 10. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 250C/gas mark 9. Serve immediately
TIP: You can also make the dough in an electric mixer: knead on speed 1 for 15 minutes. Finish kneading on a worktop, then divide. This makes a lot, but the dough freezes well.
COOK PIZZA LIKE A PRO
- At the restaurant we use a wood fired oven heated to 500C – the pizza will cook in 60 seconds this way. In a domestic oven, pizza will cook at 250C/gas mark 9 in about 15 minutes.
- Use metal trays, lightly oiled, to cook the pizza evenly.
- With the exception of tomato sauce and mozzarella, always place the wetter ingredients on last. This stops the dough getting too wet and sticking to the table or tray.
- For our tomato passata, we only use San Marzano tinned tomatoes. We crush them by hand, season with salt and pepper and that’s it. Buy the best tinned tomatoes you can find. Empty the cans – two small cans would be sufficient – into a bowl, sprinkle about 10g of salt and a good few twists of pepper and crush with your hands.
- Alternatively, you can buy bottled passata from most good supermarkets and decent food shops. Lotts and Co on South Lotts Road in Dublin 4 supply all the ingredients required for these recipes and I also find the De Cecco brand very good.
EXCESS DOUGH
Excess dough can be rolled into a loaf. Put any extra dough into a ball and work into a nice shape; leave to proof on an oiled tray for three hours, mark the top with a sharp knife and bake in a preheated oven at 200C/gas mark 6 for 30 minutes. Tap the bottom of the loaf to check it’s cooked – it should make a hollow sound. Allow to cool and serve.
Recipe by Paulie's Pizza, picture by Harry Weir, assisted by Brian Clarke
