Pizza Romana (Scrocchiarella)

Roman pizza is the crispy, crackly cousin of Neapolitan - stretched thinner, baked at a lower temperature, and finished with a satisfying crunch in every bite. 'Scrocchiarella' literally means 'crunchy' in Roman dialect, and that's exactly what you're after. The base should shatter slightly when you bite through it. Your pizza oven is ideal here because you can let it cool slightly from full Neapolitan heat and bake at 300-350°C for a few minutes longer.

Ingredients

• 1 pizza dough ball (about 280g - a touch more than Neapolitan, stretched thinner)
• 80g San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 100g fior di latte mozzarella, torn
• Fresh basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Method

1. Let your pizza oven cool slightly to 300-350°C. Roman pizza needs a lower, steadier heat than Neapolitan.
2. Stretch your dough to an oval shape - longer and thinner than a round Neapolitan base. Aim for about 14 inches long and very thin, almost translucent in places.
3. Transfer to a well-floured peel. Spread the crushed tomato evenly across the surface.
4. Scatter the torn mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
5. Slide into your oven and bake for 3-5 minutes, turning once for even cooking. The base should be golden and crisp right through - not soft in the centre.
6. Tear fresh basil over the top and drizzle with a little more olive oil before serving.