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Wood Fired Pizza

Makes 4 250g Dough Balls:

595g Type 00 Flour

390g Water

18g Salt

0.55g Instant Dried Yeast

Semolina for dusting

In a large bowl combine all ingredients (except semolina) and stir until a loose dough forms.


Transfer the dough to a floured worktop and roughly knead the dough for around 10 minutes, making it stretchy with an elastic feel. Place your dough in a container large enough for it to double in size, cover it and leave it to slowly ferment over night (for about 18 hours)


About 6 hours before cooking, divide the dough into 4. Using floured hands, gently shape each dough into a ball and set each ball in a floured baking tin. You can dab with a little bit of olive oil to keep moist. Cover the tin and allow the dough to rest for approximately 4-6 hours.


To stretch the dough, first create a crust by gently shaping it into a circle by pressing your fingers within the centre of the dough. Do not over-work or fold the dough. Drape the dough over both of your knuckles and rotate it around, allowing gravity to stretch it into a circle. If the dough starts to resist stretching, put it down and allow it to rest for a few minutes, at which point it will stretch more easily. Alternatively – you can use a rolling pin!


Sprinkle a little bit of semolina onto the pizza peel. Place the stretched dough onto the peel and quickly add your toppings. Slide into a woodor gas fired pizza oven (you want the temperature to be hot – 400 to 500 degrees) and turn it 45 degrees every 30 seconds.


To top the pizza simply crush a tin of San Marzano Italian tomatoes with some fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt to taste. This makes a delicious, light and fresh tasting sauce. Top with Mozzerella, a little parmasan and fresh basil.