Amalfi Pizza (Pizza Di Amalfitana)
By Ursula Ferrigno
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Easy
“I boldly feel that this unique recipe creates the ultimate pizza crust – the lemon juice in the dough provides an exotic crunchiness. Feel free to garnish the finished dish with courgette/zucchini flowers if liked.”
Cucina di Amalfi by Ursula Ferrigno, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£20). Photography by Nassima Rothacker © Ryland Peters & Small
Ingredients for Italian Amalfi Pizza
- 50g Italian ‘00’ flour
- 250g fine semolina, plus extra for sprinkling
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 7-g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 200ml lukewarm water
For the topping
- 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 55g coarsely grated Parmesan
- 125g ricotta
- grated zest 1/2 unwaxed lemon
- 2 tablespoons good-quality extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1/2–1 medium courgette, halved lengthways and sliced into fine half-moons generous handful of freshly torn basil leaves, plus extra to serve
- 110g mozzarella (ideally buffalo), coarsely grated and drained on paper towels for 30 minutes
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to Make Italian Pizza Di Amalfitina
- Combine the flour, semolina, salt and yeast in a medium bowl.
- Make a well in the centre and add the lemon juice and olive oil. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the lukewarm water little by little. When you have a damp, crumbly dough, squeeze the crumbs together, then turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Knead for a good 10 minutes, after which time the dough should be smooth and soft like silk. Return the dough to a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Knock back the risen dough by gently punching it to release the air trapped inside. Turn out and knead again for 4–5 minutes. Cover the dough with a clean cloth and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C fan/245°C/450°F/gas 8. Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat up.
- For the topping, combine the garlic, Parmesan, ricotta, lemon zest and olive oil in a bowl, then season with salt and pepper.
- Cut the rested dough in half and roll each piece out to a rough 35-cm/14-in. circle (or 32-cm/13-in. square, if that’s easier).
- Sprinkle the baking sheet with semolina and put one pizza base on the hot sheet. Spread the base with half the topping, scatter over half the courgette slices, then half the basil and, finally, half the grated mozzarella.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes until golden and bubbling. Drizzle over a glug of extra virgin olive oil and serve topped with a few extra basil leaves. Repeat with the remaining base and topping.
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About the author
Ursula Ferrigno, a talented cook and food writer from Italy's Amalfi Coast, learned to cook from her grandmother. She writes for Taste Italia, American Gourmet, Olive, and BBC Good Food. Ursula also teaches baking, specializing in breads like ciabatta, focaccia, and stromboli.
