Summery Pizza Margherita from the Mini Oven
A classic Italian pizza with a crispy base, rich tomato sauce, melted mozzarella and fresh basil – perfect for warm summer evenings.
Ingredients
- 300 g tipo 00 flour (or plain all-purpose flour)
- 7 g dried yeast (1 sachet)
- 180 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- 200 g crushed tomatoes (passata)
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 200 g fresh mozzarella, sliced
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil for drizzling
Preparation
- Dissolve the dried yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water and leave the mixture to stand for about 5 minutes until it begins to foam lightly. This is the sign that the yeast is active and ready to make the dough rise.
- Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast mixture and the olive oil, then mix first with a fork and then with your hands until a cohesive dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until it feels smooth and elastic.
- Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes until it has doubled in volume. In summer, this rising process often happens more quickly thanks to the warmer ambient temperature.
- Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce by mixing the passata with the finely chopped garlic, dried oregano, a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir everything well and leave the sauce to stand at room temperature so that the flavours can develop properly.
- Preheat the bakeVIA mini oven to 230 degrees Celsius and place the oven rack in the lowest or middle position. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the bakeVIA mini oven now so that it heats up thoroughly – this ensures an extra crispy base.
- Divide the risen dough into two equal balls and roll each ball out on a lightly floured surface into a round or oval pizza of approximately 25 to 28 centimetres in diameter. Place the rolled-out pizza base on a sheet of baking paper or on a lightly oiled baking tray that fits in the bakeVIA mini oven.
- Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the pizza base, leaving a border of about 1.5 centimetres around the edge. Arrange the slices of fresh mozzarella evenly over the sauce and drizzle a thin stream of olive oil on top.
- Slide the pizza into the bakeVIA mini oven and bake at 230 degrees Celsius for 10 to 12 minutes, until the base is golden brown and crispy and the mozzarella has melted beautifully with light golden spots. Keep a close eye on the pizza during the last few minutes, as every oven can perform slightly differently.
- Remove the pizza from the bakeVIA mini oven and leave it to rest for one minute. Scatter the fresh basil leaves on top and drizzle with a little olive oil to taste.
