• Note: For best results. This recipe should be weighed using kitchen scales. Yes, even the water. For Googles sake I’ve included cup measurements. Ignore them, get scales!

Pizza Base

• Add the flour, salt, sugar and yeast to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
• To a jug combine 1 cup boiling water and 1 1/4 cups of cold water to get lukewarm water.
• Add the water to the dry ingredients and use your hand to mix until a very wet and sticky dough forms. Use a spatula to scrape the side and make sure everything (including any ingredients at the bottom of the bowl) have been mixed in properly.
• Cover the dough with 2 tbsp olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight. Can be left in the fridge for up to 72 hours for optimum flavor!
• Take the dough out of the fridge and unwrap (keep your plastic wrap!) and use wet hands to stretch the dough up and then over itself. Do this on each 4 sides. This will help develop gluten strands to make the dough even chewier! Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes to let it come to room temperature.
• Grease a half sheet pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil or a half sheet baking tray with a 1-inch rim with olive oil. Pour the room temperature dough on top of your baking sheet and use your hands to spread or stretch out as much as you can. If it’s not perfectly at each corner, it’s ok! Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest between 1-2 hours in a warm spot. It will puff up, rise and bubble.
• 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake preheat a fan forced oven to 200C/400F (220C/430F for no fan).
• Bake 20 minutes: Once risen, add half the marinara sauce in blotches. Use your fingers to indent the dough. Bubbles will appear. You can pop those or leave them. Place in the middle rack of your oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• 10-minute bake: Take out of the oven, sprinkle grated cheddar cheese (this is when you would add your favorite veggies), and sprinkle with some freshly grated parmesan. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Final bake: Take out for a final time to add slices of mozzarella. Bake for a final 10 minutes until mozzarella is melted. This final bake will also make your cheddar cheese nice and crispy! Take out of the oven and garnish with basil and more dabs of marinara sauce. I like sprinkling some Italian herbs and drizzling with truffle flavored oil.