Franco Pepe's recipe for the perfect pizza margherita from scratch

To celebrate National pizza day, try one of the world’s best pizza chef’s recipes

Franco Pepe’s cheese and tomato pizza recipe is simplicity at its best, combining sweet, ripe tomatoes with beautiful aged Grana Padano cheese and creamy buffalo mozzarella. Make sure you use Franco’s pizza dough recipe for perfect results. Widely regarded as the best pizza chef in the world, Franco Pepe’s pizza dough recipe is a closely guarded secret. Although he will never give up the recipe used at his restaurant Pepe in Grani, just north of Naples, this one is pretty close and comes from the great man himself.

‘Tomato whim’ – cheese and tomato pizza by Franco Pepe

Topping for 1 pizza base

80g Grana Padano, 24 months old
85g buffalo mozzarella
baby plum tomatoes, yellow
sun-dried tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

If making at home without a pizza oven, preheat a fan oven to 250°C. Stretch and shape one 250g ball of pizza dough (see below) into a disc, leaving the edges slightly thicker than the centre

Evenly distribute the mozzarella and Grana Padano all over the pizza. Arrange some sun-dried tomatoes and yellow plum tomatoes over the surface of the pizza and cook in the pizza oven for about 90 seconds (or in the fan oven for 6-7 minutes).

Remove from the oven, drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and serve with some more shavings of Grana Padano.

Franco Pepe’s pizza dough

Makes 10 pizza bases

Time: 60 minutes, plus 6 hours first proof and 3 hours second proof

1900g ‘00’ flour
1l water
​150g leftover pizza dough
50g salt
5g fresh yeast

Place 40 per cent of the flour in the corner of a wooden kneading trough (or wooden box or bowl). In the opposite corner, slowly pour in the water.

 

Add the old dough and mix thoroughly until dissolved. After this, add the salt and again mix until dissolved. Incorporate the flour until the mixture has a batter-like consistency. At this stage, crumble in the fresh yeast.

 

Keep mixing and adding the remaining flour until it is all used up, then knead for another 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and consistent. Cover and leave to prove for 6 hours at room temperature.

After this time, divide the dough into 250g portions. Fold and shape into balls, pulling into the centre like a mozzarella ball. Leave to rise for another 3 hours at room temperature. Place some of the dough in a jar and keep for next time you make pizza – you’ll need 150g for every 2kg flour.

 

For more pizza recipes, visit the Great British Chefs