The recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g proofed pizza dough, ready to bake
- 80 g cherry tomatoes
- 50 g crushed tomatoes
- 65 g mozzarella, well drained
- 15 g basil pesto
- Optional: 3 to 4 small basil leaves
- Salt if needed
- A little flour or fine semolina for shaping
Method
- Preheat to 250°C with conventional top and bottom heat. Heat a suitable stone or steel according to its instructions. Keep dough covered until supple.
- Wash and halve cherry tomatoes; briefly drain their cut sides on kitchen paper. Cut up mozzarella and lightly season the crushed tomatoes.
- Open dough to 28 to 30 cm and check that it slides on a lightly dusted peel. Spread crushed tomatoes thinly, then add cheese and cherry tomatoes cut-side up.
- Bake for approximately 8 to 12 minutes, checking from minute six. Make sure the base and rim have cooked through.
- Stir the pesto. Remove the pizza and dot the pesto over it, adding a few basil leaves if wanted.
- Slice and serve immediately.
Keep tomato moisture under control
Use 80 g cherry tomatoes and 50 g crushed tomatoes for a thin base layer. Halve the cherry tomatoes and briefly place their cut sides on kitchen paper. There is no need to hollow them out completely; remove only the excess surface juice. Arrange the halves cut-side up when topping. They sit securely that way, with room for cheese between them. Quarter particularly large tomatoes so heavy wet pieces do not collect in the middle.
Drain the mozzarella before weighing it. Start with 65 g for a base measuring 28 to 30 cm. Extra sauce is generally unnecessary with this topping because the fresh tomatoes already contribute liquid. Season the crushed tomatoes lightly. Pesto usually contains cheese, oil and salt, and will bring additional seasoning after baking. There is therefore no extra pool of oil to add across the surface. The tomato pieces should remain distinct rather than disappearing beneath a thick topping.
Dot pesto over the hot pizza
This version uses 15 g prepared basil pesto. Stir it in its jar first to recombine any separated oil with the solid ingredients. Add small dots to the freshly baked pizza. The hot pizza warms the pesto without exposing it to the entire oven cycle. A thick green layer would overwhelm the tomatoes. If you prefer more pesto, add a little to one slice first and assess its strength before covering the rest.
Allow for dough proofing and full preheating in addition to the stated preparation time. The topped pizza should still slide easily on its peel. Fresh basil can provide a final touch, but a few leaves are enough when the pesto is already aromatic. Check the pesto ingredients when shopping, especially for anyone with a nut or milk allergy. A green pesto is not automatically dairy-free or vegan. Cut the finished pizza so every portion includes some tomato and pesto.