Wood-Fired Margherita Pizza

A great margherita is about restraint: a fierce oven, a light hand with toppings, and dough that had time to relax. You don’t need a wood-fired oven — a pizza stone or an upside-down baking tray in your hottest oven gets you 90% of the way there.

Ingredients

• 500g strong bread flour
• 325ml lukewarm water
• 7g instant yeast
• 10g fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
• 400g can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 250g fior di latte mozzarella, torn and drained
• Fresh basil leaves

Instructions

1. Mix flour, water, and yeast; rest 20 minutes. Add salt and oil, knead 8 minutes until smooth. Cover and rise 2 hours until doubled.
2. Place your stone or tray on the top shelf and heat the oven as hot as it goes (250°C+/480°F+) for at least 45 minutes.
3. Divide dough in two. On a floured peel, stretch one ball thin, leaving a puffy rim. Spread 3–4 tbsp of tomato, scatter half the mozzarella.
4. Launch onto the stone and bake 10–12 minutes until blistered and leopard-spotted. Finish with basil, olive oil, and flaky salt.

Club tip

Wet mozzarella is the enemy of crisp bases. Tear it an hour ahead and let it drain in a sieve — you’ll thank us.