Headnote

This pizza is built on restraint: a supple dough, a clean tomato base, and a brief, high-heat bake that preserves freshness in the toppings. The mushrooms bring depth, the cherry tomatoes a bright burst of acidity, and the mozzarella a milky, elastic finish. It is a composition of heat, simplicity, and timing.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Pizza

Cuisine or origin: Neapolitan-inspired Italian

Course type: Main course

Yield: 1 pizza

Serving size: 620 g total

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Digital scale

Dough scraper

30 cm pizza tray or pizza peel

Oven

Baking stone or steel, if available

Small saucepan

Knife and cutting board

Ingredients

Dough

180 g wheat flour

110 g water

3 g yeast

3 g salt

5 g olive oil

Topping

90 g tomato sauce

110 g mozzarella cheese, torn

60 g mushroom, thinly sliced

45 g cherry tomato, halved

8 g olive oil

1 g oregano

1 g black pepper

4 g basil leaves

Method

1. Make the dough. Combine the wheat flour, water, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Mix until no dry flour remains, then knead for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and only lightly tacky. Work in the olive oil during the final minute until fully absorbed.

2. Rest the dough. Cover and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. The dough should relax noticeably and hold a soft, extensible structure.

3. Prepare the oven. Heat the oven to 250°C with a baking stone or steel inside, if using. Allow at least 20 minutes for full heat saturation.

4. Shape the base. On a lightly floured surface, stretch the dough into a 30 cm round, keeping the edge slightly thicker than the center. The dough should remain supple and evenly thin without tearing.

5. Dress the pizza. Transfer the base to the tray or peel. Spread the tomato sauce evenly, leaving a narrow border. Distribute the mozzarella, then arrange the mushroom and cherry tomato over the surface. Finish with the olive oil, oregano, and black pepper.

6. Bake. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is browned at the rim, the base is cooked through, and the mozzarella is melted with light golden spots. The tomatoes should soften but retain shape; the mushrooms should be tender and lightly roasted.

7. Finish with basil. Remove the pizza from the oven and scatter the basil over the surface immediately. Let it stand for 1 minute before slicing so the cheese settles and the structure holds.

Plating and serving

Serve the pizza whole, then cut into clean wedges. The crust should remain light at the center with a defined, airy edge, while the toppings stay distinct rather than fused into excess moisture. Present it hot, with the basil still vivid and the cheese just set.

Professional notes

Keep the dough soft; a tight dough will bake dense rather than supple.

Slice the mushrooms thinly so they cook quickly and do not release excess liquid.

Add the basil only after baking to preserve its fragrance and color.