-
1
Crush the San Marzano tomatoes by hand in a bowl, retaining visible pieces and natural juice. The sauce should be loose and uneven — not a smooth paste. Season lightly if required. The texture is correct when pieces of flesh remain clearly distinct in the liquid.
-
2
On a lightly floured surface, stretch one dough ball by hand using the pizza napoletana technique: press outward from the centre with the fingers, then work the disc over the knuckles, rotating continuously. The final disc should measure 30–35 cm in diameter with a raised cornicione border and a uniformly thin centre. Do not use a rolling pin. The disc is ready when it holds its shape without tearing and light passes evenly through the centre.
-
3
Lay the stretched disc on the peel. Spoon the hand-crushed tomato onto the centre and spread in a thin, even spiral, leaving the cornicione clear. The tomato must not pool at the centre — coverage should be even, and dough must remain visible between the tomato. Distribute the sliced or torn fior di latte evenly; do not tile the cheese wall to wall. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil in a thin spiral over the entire surface. This is where the dish lives or dies: the balance of tomato, cheese, and exposed dough decides the final character of the pizza — excess of any element cannot be corrected in the oven.
-
4
Slide the pizza into a 485 °C wood-fired oven. Bake for 60–90 seconds, rotating once with the peel for even cooking. The crust is done when the cornicione is risen and shows irregular dark spots (leopard charring), the underside is set and firm to the peel, and the mozzarella has melted and begun to blister.
-
5
Remove the pizza from the oven onto the plate. Immediately lay 4–5 fresh basil leaves on the surface. Serve at once — covering or boxing the pizza will steam the crust. The pizza is ready to eat when the basil has wilted slightly from the residual heat and the cheese is still visibly molten.