Mix the flour and the salt in a bowl and make sure to whisk the salt in the flour then sit aside.

Add the instant dry yeast to 150ml of tap water and mix until dissolved.

Add the liquid to the salted flour and mix until moist but not sticky, if mixture becomes too watery, add flour as needed to make it moist and sticky and not too dry! It’s actually better for the dough to be a little sticky!

Tip: use an electric mixer on the dough for a little bit to blow bubbles inside the dough to make it fluffier and juicier! (Dry pizza crust is something you absolutely do NOT want!)

Tip: to avoid ruining your hands with sticky dough trying to form a dough ball and the frustration that causes, after mixing with the electric mixer, sprinkle flour generously on the sides of the bowl in which the dough is placed, then shake it in a circular motion until the dough is covered on the surface with the flour with the sticky consistency unaffected!

Then cover the dough with a plastic wrap/bag and sit aside for 20mins. Depending on the quality of the instant yeast, it should take from 10 to 20mins for the dough to rise!

Pizza sauce!
In a pan, add olive oil, thinly chopped garlic, [bay leaves and rosemary] and mix until golden. In another bowl, mix the tomato juice with the tomato sauce or the tomato sauce with filtered water according to the desired amount, making sure not to make it too watery, we want a thick sauce.
Add oregano, basil, salt and a drizzle of olive oil to the tomato mixture then pour in the pan and stir on medium heat until thick and firm.

Tip: choosing your pizza pan is very pivotal for the shape of the pizza if aesthetic serving is essential to you! Make sure to choose a pan not higher than 4cm, oil it with vegetable oil base and sides, and spread your dough as thinly as half of that height (=/<2cm).

Place the dough in the oiled pan, oil your hands and spread (with your hands) towards the sides of the pan, do not use any appliances to do that, just your hands are enough to avoid overstretching the dough or breaking it or causing a mess because the dough is a little sticky. It’s okay to see spots on the dough that are very thin and uneven, even that out with your fingers, leave the dough to rest in the pan for 5 mins and it’ll even itself out! Meanwhile.. prepare toppings!

Chop peppers (green, red, or both! Jalapeños are great if you’re craving pizza alla diavola!), chop olives and set them aside. Grate your cheeses, and prepare the fresh basil, I like to chop some of it and add it to the olives and peppers and leave the rest intact.

Pre-heat the oven, put the pizza for 15mins at 250 Celsius (490F)!