Pizza Napoletana

People generally fall into one of two camps on anchovies, you either love or hate them. If you are an anchovy lover, like me, then most probably you will love this pizza. I love the bold flavor of anchovies. These ingredients make 4 large pizzas.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 4 cups all-purpose  flour
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 ¼ cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

• 3 cans of peeled tomatoes (425g. / 15 oz. each)
• 6 salt-packed anchovies
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• A dash of cayenne powder
• A dash of salt
• 4 tablespoons capers in brine, drained
• 450g. /1 lb. mozzarella cheese grated
• Some fresh basil leaves

Directions:

For the dough:

1. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and oil.
2. Add the warm water and knead with your hands until the dough comes together. Knead one more time, (the more you knead, the better the result).
3. Transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover with a kitchen cloth. Set aside for 1 hour or until it doubles in volume.
4. In the meantime, prepare the filling: Place the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and stir until translucent.
5. Add the garlic, salt and cayenne powder.
6. Add the tomatoes to the saucepan. Reduce heat to very low and allow the tomato sauce to simmer for 20 minutes. Mash the tomatoes with a potato masher every few minutes. Set aside to cool down.
7. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
8. Wash and drain the anchovies, cut each lengthwise to create 12 long slices.
9. When the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured counter. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Stretch each dough, with a rolling pin, to a 28 cm/11 inches circle.
10. Press each circle on a lightly greased pizza sheet.
11. Spoon the tomato sauce and spread with the back of spoon equally over the 4 bases.
12. Place 4 anchovy slices on top of each pizza.
13. Sprinkle the drained capers, spreading them out evenly over the 4 pizzas.
14. Generously sprinkle the grated mozzarella equally on top of the pizzas.
15. Bake each pizza about 12-15 minutes until the crust is crisp and golden.
16. Tear fresh basil leaves and sprinkle liberally on top. Enjoy!

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If you make this recipe, share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!Hashtag them #Hadia's Lebanese Cuisine