Italy- Pizza Recipe

Pizza

This recipe for pizza dough comes from the mother of an Italian friend from Bologna. In my opinion, it’s much better than the store-bought version! When it has the right consistency, it is light and crisps up nicely when cooked at high heat even in a normal oven. Of course, if you have a wood-burning pizza oven, then you can make even more authentic-tasting pizza. Allow enough time to let the dough rise, as this is important.

For the toppings, this is flexible based on your tastes. I would recommend to use a nice tomato base, either fresh or passata. However, ensure that these are not too watery, or that will make the crust soggy. Similarly, if you use fresh mozzarella then ensure to squeeze the excess liquid out first. Enjoy this recipe for pizza. Although it might not be as authentic as the pizzas found in Napoli, the result is usually very tasty!

Dough ingredients
Dough ingredients
Pizza dough, before rising
Pizza dough, before rising

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

1 packet of yeast
1 tsp granulated sugar
500ml warm water
650 g plain flour and more to adjust dough consistency
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp salt, to taste
2 tsp olive oil

Toppings

about 2 Tbsp olive oil for the baking paper
Tomatoes, drained (fresh or tinned)
Mozzarella cheese, grated or sliced
Sliced vegetables such as peppers, olives, courgette, onions
Pepperoni, sausage or bacon

Pizza dough after it rises
Pizza dough after it rises
Spread the pizza dough on the pan
Spread the pizza dough on the pan

Instructions

First, dissolve the yeast in 500ml of warm water with 1 tsp sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add olive oil. Then add yeast mixture. Mix well with hands. Add more flour and keep kneading with hands for about 20 minutes. Keep adding flour until the dough is not sticky and dough sticks together, rather than on hands.

Put the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Put in a sunny/warm place and let rise for a few hours. Knead the dough a bit more with flour then spread on a tray lined with baking paper greased with olive oil.

Top with tomatoes (drained), mozzarella, and vegetables and/or meats of your choice.

Finally, bake at high temperature around 220C for 10-15 minutes. The top should be slightly browned, and the crust, crispy. Enjoy hot and fresh, or reheat in an oven or air fryer (not the microwave!)

Tomato sauce and herbs for the first layer
Tomato sauce and herbs for the first layer
Spread toppings on the pizza base
Spread toppings on the pizza base

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