Who can resist this easy fresh tomato pizza? Its golden crust pairs beautifully with fresh juicy tomatoes and creamy mozzarella. It's truly a marriage made in heaven, perfect with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and totally delicious!Quantities yieald 2 regular servings or 6 smaller servings.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Proofing time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Course: Italian
Cuisine: Pizza
Keyword: Fresh tomato pizza
Servings: 6
Calories: 223kcal
Author: Katia
Ingredients
Easy Pizza Dough
1 ½ cup + 2 Tbsps(210 grams)all-purpose flour or bread flour (use leveled cups, see notes), plus more flour to sprinkle
½ tspInstant yeast (or dry Active yeast, see notes)
½ tspfine salt
¾ cup(180 grams)water, lukewarm
¾ Tbspolive oil or extra virgin olive oil
Topping
5oz(140 grams)fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks or shredded
11oz(approx 300 grams)fresh tomatoes (any kind of ripe tomatoes)
fine salt or sea salt flakes, to sprinkle
extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
fresh basil leaves, to garnish (or oregano, arugula, fresh thyme, Italian seasoning)
Instructions
MIX IN 1 BOWL: mix flour, instant yeast, and salt until combined. Add water, olive oil, and stir with a spatula or a spoon to incorporate the dry ingredients into the liquid. While stirring, scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure to gather all the flour. The dough looks sticky, not smooth, and lumps are ok.
PROOFING TIME: cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel, place in a warm place, and let it rest for about 1 hour (even 1 ½ hour if time allows), or just until the dough has doubled in sized and looks bubbly.
PREHEAT THE OVEN: place the rack or your pizza stone close to bottom heating element, and preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C. Cut a large piece of parchment paper or grease or line with parchment paper a large baking sheet (if you don't use a pizza stone).
STRETCH THE DOUGH: scrape the edges of the bowl with a spatula, pour the dough onto the preparred parchment paper, and sprinkle some flour to reduce stickiness. Starting from the center and gently press it out with your fingers until you get approx a 9×13 inch pizza. You might need extra flour during this step.
TOPPING: top with mozzarella, tomatoes, sprinkle with some salt, fresh basil leaves (oregano or Italian seasoning are fine too), and drizzle with olive oil.
BAKE: place your baking sheet on the lower shelf - or slide the pizza onto the pizza stone if you use one - and bake for about 15minutes, or until nice and crusty. However, keep in mind each oven is different, keep an eye on it (e.g. in a forced fan oven it will take about 8-10 minutes).
SERVE: with an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil leaves, or arugula if you wish. Enjoy!
Notes
LUKEWARM WATER: the water should be mildly warm, not too cold not too hot.YEAST: you can use Active dry yeast instead of instant yeast in this recipe, however, keep in mind Active yeast needs to be activated in water and let it sit until slightly foamy (follow the manufacturer’s instructions) and allows more proofing time is needed.FLOUR: you can use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour, it’s fine. But whole-wheat flour, although healthier than white flour, makes a dense, less crusty pizza. If you wish to use it, I would advice using no more than a 1/3 of the flour. Also, keep in mind it might change the water absorption.HOW TO MEASURE FLOUR: I use both US cups and grams. The cups of flour are leveled: fill the measuring cup all the way to the top letting the flour flow over a little. Then, use the back of a knife to level the top off. However, a digital scale is an excellent kitchen tool and gives a more correct weight. WATER ABSORPTION: water absorption is the amount of water taken up by flour and may vary significantly depending on the type of flour, brand, and weather conditions. When you add water to the flour, start with the amount stated in the recipe. If the liquid is not enough to achieve the dough consistency, just add gradually a little extra water (1 or 2 Tbsp) until the flour has been incorporated.WHAT TO USE INSTEAD OF A PIZZA STONE? Invert and preheat the baking sheet instead of a pizza stone. Each oven usually has a rimmed baking sheet that you can simply invert it and place on the lowest shelf of your oven before you preheat it. Then place your pizza and parchment paper on a pizza peel or on a large tray and, when the oven is hot and it’s time to bake, slide the pizza onto the hot reverted baking sheet. HOW LONG DOES FRESH TOMATO PIZZA LAST? Once pizza is cold, place it in a large freezer bag and refrigerate for up to 2 days in the fridge. Alternately, wrap your pizza in cling film or place it in a freezer bag, make sure you squeeze the air out and freeze it up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature. Toast your leftover pizza in the oven, enjoyWHAT TO SERVE WITH FRESH TOMATO PIZZA? It’s a good idea to whip up light and healthy sides to go with pizza. You might try this spicy chickpea saladto this cannellini bean salads if you want to add plant-based protein to the meal. Or you can make a quick tomato and onion salad or a cabbage salad, for a lighter side packed with vitamins and flavor.NUTRITION FACTS: please note that the nutrition values are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. The nutrition values are for one small serving (about 6 x 4 inches each), the final drizzle of olive oil is not included.