Brick Oven Pizza

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 500 g flour and 325 ml lukewarm water. Mix briefly until no dry flour remains. Cover and let rest 20–30 minutes (autolyse).

Mix and autolyse

After autolyse, sprinkle 7 g instant dry yeast and 5 g sugar over the dough. Add 10 g fine sea salt dissolved in a small splash of water if needed, and 15 ml olive oil. Using a dough hook on low speed or by hand, knead 6–8 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky but elastic. Dough temperature should be about 24–26°C (75–79°F).

Activate yeast and combine

Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough in it, cover tightly with plastic or a damp towel, and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1–1.5 hours. For more flavor, you can refrigerate for 12–48 hours (cold ferment) instead—if refrigerating, bring dough back to room temperature 1 hour before shaping.

Bulk rise

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into two equal portions (~420–450 g each, depending on hydration). Shape each into a tight ball (boule) by folding edges under. Place balls on a floured tray, cover, and rest for 30–45 minutes to relax the gluten before shaping.

Divide and rest

Prepare the sauce while dough rises: heat 10 ml olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 minced garlic clove and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add 400 g crushed San Marzano tomatoes, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes (optional). Simmer gently 10–12 minutes to meld flavors and reduce slightly. Taste and adjust salt/pepper. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before using on pizza.

Preheat: If using a brick-oven simulation at home (pizza stone or steel), place stone/steel on lowest rack and preheat oven as hot as it goes (500–550°F / 260–290°C) for at least 45–60 minutes. If you have a wood-fired or commercial brick oven, bring it to ~700–900°F (370–480°C) following manufacturer's/safety guidelines.

Shape: On a work surface lightly dusted with 2 tbs coarse cornmeal or semolina, press one dough ball from center outward to form a 12" round, leaving a slightly thicker rim (cornicione) at the edge. Do not deflate completely — keep some airy structure for a puffy crust. Use fingers or stretch over knuckles to enlarge to desired size; avoid using a rolling pin unless you want a flatter crust.

Assemble: Transfer shaped dough to a pizza peel lightly dusted with coarse cornmeal or to a parchment if using a home oven. Spoon 1/2 of the cooled tomato sauce onto the center and spread with the back of the spoon in a thin, even layer leaving the edge bare (about 1/2–1 inch). Dot or distribute 200 g fresh mozzarella over the sauce in even pieces. Sprinkle half of the grated parmesan across the pizza. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle 1/2 of the finishing olive oil (about 7–8 ml) around the crust and a little over the cheese.

Bake: Slide pizza into the preheated brick oven or onto the stone/steel. Baking time will vary: in a very hot wood-fired brick oven (700–900°F) pizza will cook in about 60–90 seconds; in a domestic oven at 500–550°F expect 5–7 minutes on the stone/steel, watching for a blistered, charred crust and bubbling cheese. Rotate the pizza once halfway for even browning if needed.

Finish: When crust is charred in spots and cheese is melted and slightly golden, remove pizza from oven. Immediately scatter fresh basil leaves (6 leaves per pizza) across the hot pizza, drizzle remaining olive oil (~7–8 ml) lightly, and sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Rest and serve: Let pizza rest 1–2 minutes on a cutting board, then slice into 6–8 slices and serve hot. Repeat shaping, topping and baking with the second dough ball and remaining ingredients.