Pizza Marinara Recipe
The simple yet powerful flavors of Pizza Marinara are testimony to the culinary adage that simplicity is often the most effective. Originally from Naples, Italy, this traditional pizza predates even the famous Margherita. Marinara pizza is known for its minimalistic yet incredibly flavorful composition.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 4 Cups (500g) High-protein flour (preferably Tipo 00)
- 1-1/3 Cups (325ml) Water
- 2 Tsp. (10g) Salt
- 1 Tsp. (3g) Fresh yeast or 1g (1/4 teaspoon) instant dry yeast
For the Sauce:
- 4 oz Can (400g) San Marzano tomatoes (or fresh if available)
- 2-3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
- 1-2 Tsp. Dried oregano
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
For Assembly:
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
Preparing the Dough:
- Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Pour the water mixture into the flour mixture.
- Using your hands or a dough scraper, mix until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place the dough back in the bowl. It should rise for about 2 hours at room temperature.
- Punch down the dough after the first rise and divide it into two or four equal portions.
- Make each portion into a tight ball. Let the dough balls rise for another hour on a floured surface.
Preparing the Sauce:
- Use your hands or a fork to crush canned San Marzano tomatoes. When using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water for one minute, peel, core, and crush them.
- Add the thinly sliced garlic, dried oregano, and salt to the tomatoes. Mix well.
- To combine, drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the mixture. You can use the sauce without cooking it.
Assembling the Pizza:
- Preheat the oven to 250°C/480°F with a pizza stone in it. Use an inverted baking sheet if you don't have a pizza stone.
- Form a round pizza base by gently pressing one dough ball with your fingers on a lightly floured surface.
- Stretch the dough to a diameter of about 10-12 inches, or your desired thickness. It is important not to tear the dough.
- Shape the dough and transfer it to a floured pizza peel or baking sheet.
- Spread the prepared tomato sauce evenly over the dough with the back of a spoon. For the crust, leave a small border around the edges.
- Over the pizza, drizzle a bit more extra virgin olive oil.
Baking the Pizza:
- Pizza should be carefully slipped onto the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet.
- The crust should be golden and slightly charred, and the sauce should be bubbling after about 8-10 minutes in the oven.
- Before slicing, remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool slightly. If desired, drizzle with more olive oil.