Margherita Pizza

Dissolve the yeast in 180 ml of warm water (36–38 °C) with 1 tsp sugar, and let sit for 10 minutes until a foamy cap forms.

Add the flour, salt and 1 tbsp olive oil, knead into a soft, elastic dough, shape it into a ball, cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and stretch it with your hands or a rolling pin into a thin round about 28 cm in diameter, leaving a slightly thicker rim around the edge; transfer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Mash the canned tomatoes with a fork until smooth, mix with half of the chopped basil, 1 tbsp oil and salt to taste; spread in a thin layer over the dough, leaving 1–2 cm bare around the edge.

Slice the mozzarella and pat it dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture so the base doesn't get soggy, then arrange it evenly over the sauce.

Bake in an oven preheated to its maximum temperature (220–250 °C), ideally on a pizza stone or preheated baking sheet, for 8–10 minutes, until the rim is browned and the cheese has melted with golden spots.

Drizzle the finished pizza with the remaining olive oil, garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately while hot.