Pizza Express shares recipe for famous Margherita pizza
If you’re one of the lucky few who have managed to grab a bag of elusive flour, you’ll be pleased to know that Pizza Express has shared its famous Margherita pizza recipe with the world.
Even if you’re struggling to find flour, there are ways to make a pretty good replica without it.
Pizza Express has already wowed us by revealing its dough ball recipe to get us through the coronavirus lockdown, and now the restaurant chain is back with another classic.
The recipe makes one large pizza and will take you a total of 50 minutes to lovingly handcraft it.
The classic recipe was one of the first to grace the menu at Pizza Express. It’s an instant classic that can always be jazzed up with different toppings if you’re feeling adventurous.
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Prep time: 40 mins Cooking time: 10-12 mins Makes: 1 large pizza
Ingredients:
150ml warm water – around 27 degrees
1 teaspoon of sugar
15g fresh yeast (or 2 level teaspoons of dry yeast)
225g of plain flour (plus extra for working)
1.5 teaspoons of salt
Extra virgin olive oil (and a little for drizzling)
80g of PizzaExpress passata (or any tomato passata you have)
70g mozzarella (or any cheese you have)
Pinch of oregano
1 Basil leaf (if you have one)
Black pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 230°C.
2. Add the sugar and crumble the fresh yeast into warm water.
3. Allow the mixture to stand for 10 – 15 minutes in a warm place (we find a windowsill on a sunny day works best) until froth develops on the surface.
4. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil.
5. Lightly flour your hands, and slowly mix the ingredients together until they bind.
6. Generously dust your surface with flour.
7. Throw down the dough and begin kneading for 10 minutes until smooth, silky and soft.
8. Place in a lightly oiled, non-stick baking tray (we use a round one, but any shape will do!)
9. Spread the passata on top making sure you go to the edge.
10. Evenly place the mozzarella (or other cheese) on top, season with the oregano and black pepper, then drizzle with a little olive oil.
11. Cook in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes until the cheese slightly colours.
12. When ready, place the basil leaf on top and tuck in!
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So far, so tasty. But, there’s the simple matter of the lack of flour available to consider.
Luckily, there are ways to make a delicious pizza using alternative bases and during this time, it can be necessary to use a bit of our DIY know-how.
People are trying everything from portobello mushroom pizzas to cauliflower pizza crusts to ensure they’re still able to get their pizza fix in lieu of one of the main ingredients.
We’re here for it.
