Pizza Diavola

Method

1. 01

   Step 1: Make the dough

   Stir the yeast into the water, add the flour and mix into a shaggy dough; leave for 10 minutes. Add the salt and oil and knead for 8 minutes until smooth, soft and just slightly tacky.

2. 02

   Step 2: Rise and ball

   Cover and leave at room temperature for 1½ hours. Divide in two, shape into tight balls, put them in oiled containers, cover and leave for another hour until soft and puffy.

3. 03

   Step 3: Heat the stone

   Put a pizza stone, steel or an upturned heavy baking tray on a shelf in the upper third of the oven. Heat the oven to its maximum (250–280 °C) for at least 45 minutes.

4. 04

   Step 4: Prep the topping

   Crush the tomatoes by hand or with a few pulses of a blender with a pinch of salt — the sauce isn’t cooked. Tear the mozzarella into pieces, leave in a sieve for 20 minutes, then pat dry.

5. 05

   Step 5: Stretch the base

   Set a ball on a floured surface and press it out from the centre with your fingertips, leaving a 2 cm rim. Stretch it over your knuckles to 30 cm — no rolling pin, it squeezes the air out of the rim. Lay the base on a peel or upturned tray dusted with semolina.

6. 06

   Step 6: Top

   Spread 3–4 tbsp sauce thinly, add half the mozzarella and salami and sprinkle with chilli. Work quickly so the dough doesn’t stick to the peel.

7. 07

   Step 7: Bake

   Slide the pizza onto the stone with a quick jerk and bake for 7–9 minutes until the rim is puffed and spotted, the cheese is bubbling and the salami edges curl. If the top is pale, switch to the grill for the last 1–2 minutes.

8. 08

   Step 8: Finish and repeat

   Drizzle with olive oil, add a few basil leaves and slice. Give the stone 5 minutes to reheat, then bake the second pizza the same way.