Introduction
Pizza marinara is the plainest of the Neapolitan pizzas: tomato, sliced garlic, dried oregano and olive oil on a thin dough, with no cheese at all. It costs almost nothing, it is vegan as it stands, and with a salad it makes a light supper for a weeknight.
The name comes from marinai, the sailors and fishermen of the port of Naples, though why it carries their name is told in several ways. It is older than the margherita, and the European Union protects both as versions of the traditional Neapolitan pizza. With so few ingredients, the tomatoes and garlic make the taste: use good canned tomatoes and fresh garlic.
Ingredients
For the dough (4 pizzas, about 28 cm):
- 500 g flour (Italian “00” or strong white bread flour)
- 325 ml lukewarm water
- 5 g dried yeast (or 15 g fresh yeast)
- 10 g salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the topping:
- 1 can of peeled tomatoes (400 g), crushed by hand
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- salt
Tools
- A large mixing bowl
- A baking tray (or a pizza stone), heated in the oven
- Baking paper
- An oven that reaches at least 250 °C
Preparation
- Mix the flour, yeast and water, add the salt and oil and knead for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and leave to rise for about 2 hours, until doubled, then shape into 4 balls and rest them for 15 minutes.
- Heat the oven with the tray inside to its highest setting, 250 to 275 °C, for at least 30 minutes.
- Season the crushed tomatoes with a good pinch of salt.
- Stretch one ball on floured baking paper into a thin round. Spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato, scatter a quarter of the garlic and a pinch of oregano, and drizzle with a tablespoon of oil.
- Bake on the hot tray for 7 to 10 minutes, until the rim is browned and the tomato has thickened. The garlic should turn soft and pale gold; if it browns, it turns bitter, so keep the slices thin and under the tomato.
- Serve straight from the oven and bake the next one.