Home-Made Italian-Style Pizza Recipe

Simple ingredients are required to make an Italian-style pizza sauce and base, although I'm quite sure that not all Italians will agree on what those ingredients are!

Ingredients
For the pizza dough

250 g (8 oz) of strong white flour, sieved
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried yeast
125 ml (4 fl oz) water

For the tomato sauce

500 g (1 lb) fresh tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tsp chopped fresh oregano ( or 1 tbsp dried oregano)
2 tsp olive oil

For the topping

125 g (4 oz) grated Mozzarella cheese
Toppings of your choice


Instructions

Prepare the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and stir-fry on a medium-low heat for about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, cover and cook on a low heat for about an hour, stirring from time to time.
Add in the oregano and cook uncovered on a low heat for about 15 minutes. You can use the sauce “as is” or you can pass it through a sieve to make it smooth. Season to taste.
Prepare the base: Add the yeast and salt to the water and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Add the mixture to the flour and mix well to make a soft, smooth dough.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes then place in a greased bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for about an hour and a half.
Place the dough on a floured surface, knock it back, then spread to a circle using your hands. Transfer to a baking tray.
Spread the tomato sauce onto the base and spread evenly over the pizza base. Sprinkle on the cheese then add toppings of your choice. Drizzle on a little olive oil.
Bake in an oven at 220°C for about 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the base is cooked.

Titli's Tips
The quantities given make one 15″ (37 cm) pizza.