Method

Dough

Add all of the dough ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix until there is no dry flour. Cover with a lid and allow to prove at room temperature overnight or for at least 12 hours.

After the 12 hours, tip the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and portion into 4 equal pieces.

Take one piece of dough and pull it out slightly into a rough square shape. Pull the sides out and fold the right piece over the centre of the dough then do the same with the left piece. Now pull the top out and fold it over the centre and then do the same with the bottom piece so you have folded the dough 4 times.

Now flip the dough package over so the seam is on the bottom and shape it into a round shape. Place the dough ball onto a floured surface and repeat the process until you have 4 neat dough balls.

Cover with a clean tea towel until you are ready to shape the pizzas.

Lazy Tomato Sauce Base

Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 mins to reduce the sauce; you want it to reach a consistency that will allow you to spread it over the pizza bases. Set aside until ready to use.

To Assemble

Prep your salami and red pepper by cutting into heart shapes using different sized heart-shaped cookie cutters (optional).

For the salami, simply use the cookie cutter to strategically cut as many hearts out of one slice as possible. Tip: trim the heart shapes with a pair of kitchen scissors if necessary.

For the red pepper, slice off cheeks of the vegetable so that you have a flat surface area to work with i.e. slice lengthways downwards. It is easier to flip the red pepper over and press your cookie cutter into the inside of the cheek to cut the shapes. You can also trim using kitchen scissors if necessary.

Shaping the Pizza Dough

If you have a pizza stone, preheat it on the middle rack of the oven at max temperature for at least 30 minutes. While the stone is heating up you can shape your dough.

Stretch and shape your dough balls (one at a time) into a rough heart shape – make sure it will fit onto your stone or baking tray.

*Note: Try to create a definite/deliberate curve in the dough at the top-middle of the heart shape – the dough will puff up and you will lose some of the shape during cooking.

Place your heart-shaped pizza base onto a wooden board that has been generously sprinkled with semolina flour – this will stop it from sticking and will allow you to easily slide it off and onto the baking stone/baking tray.

Assembling your Pizza

Once you have your heart shape, add a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce to the base and spread evenly using the back of a spoon. The trick is not to add too much sauce, as you don’t want your pizza to be soggy. Also, leave about a 1cm border around the edge of the pizza base so that this can crisp up during cooking.

Top your heart pizza with handfuls of mixed mozzarella and cheddar cheese and dot with your heart-shaped salami and red pepper.

Roll your pizza off the board onto the preheated pizza stone or onto a baking tray and place into the oven. Close the oven door and immediately turn on the grill to full. Cook the pizza for 7-8 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling. Repeat with all four dough balls.