Ready to serve
Before putting in the oven
Modified from Sophia Loren's Recipes & Memories
For the dough
7g instant yeast
1/2 up water
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional; see note)
Mound the flour on a work surface. Creat a well in the centre of the flour and add yeast and water, mix and then add salt and optional olive oil.
Using a fork or fingers to incorporate the flour into the liquid; add water if necessary, but no more than needed to produce a dense and sticky dough.
Dust the work surface lightly with flour and energetically knead the dough, slamming it down from time to time, or put it into the Kitchen Aid, until it is softand pliable.
When the dough is soft and smooth - 30 minutes by hand, or 10 to15 minutes by KA- shape it into a ball and place it on a lightly floured plate/bowl. With a sharp knife, cut two slits on the top of the dough and cover it with a clean kitchen cloth.
Set the dough in a warm, draft-free spot to rise until doubled, 1.5 to 2.5 hours. I let my dough 2 hours to rise cause I went out for a walk.
Preheat the oven to its maximum setting. If you are using a pizza stone or baking tiles, place them in the oven to preheat.
When the dough is ready, punch it down and turn it onto a work surface. Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a then circle 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Put on the toppings - I put tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy salami. black olive and fresh basil leaves.
Transfer the dough to a pizza pan or, if your are using a stone, a baker's peel. I don't have a peel and so I transferred the rolled-out dough onto a baking sheet and put the whole thing on the baking stone.
Bake the pizza for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crisp and the top is bubbling. Remove the pizza and cut and serve it immediately.
Note: The addition of olive oil is decidely non-Neapolitan, but it can make the dough easier to work.
