DIY Pizza

We were not sure whether to list this under Recipes, or the more general Food and Drink. Ultimately we went for the latter, since its not so much a recipe as it is a story of the process... the basic ingredient (a wood-fired oven) is not something you get at the supermarket and the rest of the ingredients are pretty obvious.

In any case here goes - how you make a pizza in an oven in a little house in Noto Antica...

Step 1: A nice little house and a not too hot August day in Noto Antica - note the oven in the background

Step 2: A closer examination of the oven - not yet ready to cook anything right now.

Step 3: We need wood to burn - good thing we are in the mountains since there is plenty of it about.

Step 4: Break branches in more manageable pieces and build a nice appetite for the pizza in the meantime - place in oven and things start happening.

Step 5: Place more wood and stir (literally stir the ashes) until walls of oven become white. About 40 minutes later you are finally ready to get going on the pizzas.

Step 6: The pizzas are simple in our case -- we really just enjoy the process and the taste is always great in the mountains so no need for fancy toppings. The base made from farina di grano duro, olive oil, salt and water (q.b. - quanto basta). On top just add peeled tomatoes and this time we went for basil. Key point is that its not time for the mozzarella yet - that only comes in the last five minutes.

Step 7: Place in the oven -- gas mark: whatever you managed to get it to, just be carefully because you don't want it too hot. Our thermometer said two hundred, but that is a very, very approximate value.

Step 8: Place the pizzas in - careful its HOT - and try to plan the arrangement so as to make sure that it all actually fits :-)

Step 9: Wait about 30min and then add mozzarella. Another five minutes and they are ready to eat!

Step 10: To digest, pull out a chair, sit back and enjoy the view!