Tomato-Salami Pizza

Homemade pizza is a great way to kick off the weekend. This is my go-to recipe; I like to keep things simple. With too many toppings, the pizza just gets soggy. Use top-notch ingredients—such as artisan salami and heirloom tomatoes—because their flavors are going to be front and center. Green, yellow, striped, or red heirloom tomatoes will add vibrant color. I am providing you with a recipe for my homemade dough, but feel free to use purchased pizza dough. If you don’t have a pizza stone and baking paddle, stretch out the dough on oiled baking sheets, then add the topping and bake the pizzas on the baking sheets in the lower part of the oven.

Homemade pizza is a great way to kick off the weekend. This is my go-to recipe; I like to keep things simple. With too many toppings, the pizza just gets soggy. Use top-notch ingredients—such as artisan salami and heirloom tomatoes—because their flavors are going to be front and center. Green, yellow, striped, or red heirloom tomatoes will add vibrant color. I am providing you with a recipe for my homemade dough, but feel free to use purchased pizza dough. If you don’t have a pizza stone and baking paddle, stretch out the dough on oiled baking sheets, then add the topping and bake the pizzas on the baking sheets in the lower part of the oven.

Ingredients

Two 13-ounce balls purchased pizza dough or Homemade Pizza Dough 
Unbleached all purpose flour, for dusting
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
3 ounces paper-thin slices salami
2 small tomatoes (about 7 ounces each), cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
10 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into 2-inch pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Two 400g balls purchased pizza dough or Homemade Pizza Dough
Unbleached plain flour, for dusting
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
90g paper-thin slices salami
2 small tomatoes (about 220g each), cut into 5mm-thick rounds
300g fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into 5cm pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

PREP TIME
10
MINS
COOKING TIME
25
MINS
Serves
4
Make-Ahead:

These pizza are best eaten as soon as they are made.

Make-Ahead:
These pizza are best eaten as soon as they are made.
Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Place a pizza stone on the rack and preheat the oven to 500° to 550°F (as high as possible).

Stretch out 1 dough ball with floured hands, or roll it out on a floured work surface, until it is about 12 inches in diameter (the dough does not have to be round). Dust a pizza paddle with flour and place the dough on the paddle.

Working quickly, drizzle and rub 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the dough. Sprinkle half of the garlic evenly over the dough and gently rub it into the olive oil. Arrange half of the salami and tomato slices in a single layer, over- lapping slightly, on the dough, leaving a 1-inch-wide border around the circumference. Scatter half of the cheese on top. Season with salt and pepper.

Carefully slide the pizza off the paddle and onto the hot pizza stone in the oven. Bake for8 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and golden brown on the bottom and the cheese has melted and begun to brown. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Repeat to make a second pizza.

Using a pizza cutter or a large knife, cut the pizzas into wedges and serve.

Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Place a pizza stone on the rack and preheat the oven to 250°C/230°C fan-forced-285°C/265°C fan-forced (as high as possible).

Stretch out 1 dough ball with floured hands, or roll it out on a floured work surface, until it is about 30cm in diameter (the dough does not have to be round). Dust a pizza paddle with flour and place the dough on the paddle.

Working quickly, drizzle and rub 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil over the dough. Sprinkle half of the garlic evenly over the dough and gently rub it into the remaining extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange half of the salami and tomato slices in a single layer, overlapping slightly, on the dough, leaving a 2.5cm-wide border around the circumference. Scatter half of the cheese on top. Season with salt and pepper.

Carefully slide the pizza off the paddle and onto the hot pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and golden brown on the bottom and the cheese has melted and begun to brown. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Repeat to make a second pizza.

Using a pizza cutter or a large knife, cut the pizzas into wedges and serve.