Pizza is a classic that identifies Italian gastronomic tradition around the world. It is such a tasty, complete dish made with simple ingredients that everyone enjoys, and there are dozens of variations. It is worth noting that, despite its Italian identity acquired over time, true pizza originated first and foremost as a Neapolitan dish, from which it takes its name. Naples and its surroundings, therefore, are the capitals of true Neapolitan pizza, made by kneading type 00 flour, yeast, water, and salt, and topped to taste. Indeed, we know that tomato and mozzarella are the most commonly used and loved pizza toppings, but there are really hundreds of different ways to dress this leavened base with a neutral flavor. But did pizza originally come as Margherita, that is, topped with tomato and mozzarella? Absolutely not. Tomato sauce only arrived in the 18th century, while mozzarella had to wait until 1889 when a pizzaiolo from Naples dedicated a pizza with the colors of the Italian flag to Queen Margherita. Red like the tomato, white like the mozzarella, green like fresh basil.

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add it to the flour and start working the dough. Then add the salt and the remaining water, continuing to work the dough. Knead vigorously, by hand or in a stand mixer, for at least 10 minutes until you obtain a homogeneous and slightly sticky dough. Let it rise in a warm place in a lightly floured bowl covered with a clean kitchen towel until the volume has doubled. At this point, you will need to roll out your pizza on a floured work surface and top it as you prefer. Bake it for at least 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 220°.