To start making our delicious pizza, take a large bowl and pour in the water, dissolving both the sugar and the salt. Add three-quarters of the flour and crumble the yeast with your hands, then begin kneading everything by hand. Gradually add the remaining flour while kneading, and once it is fully absorbed, add the olive oil.
Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and completely homogeneous. Lightly flour your work surface and place the dough on it, kneading thoroughly for about 20 minutes until it forms a smooth, round ball. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, knead the dough for a few more minutes, shape it into a ball, place it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 40 minutes. Once risen, divide the dough into portions of approximately 250–260 g each and shape each portion by rolling it on itself to trap the air inside.
Place the dough balls on a lightly oiled tray, leaving space between them, cover with plastic wrap, and let them rise for about 10 hours at room temperature during winter, or in the refrigerator during summer.
Prepare the topping:
Meanwhile, prepare the topping by placing the canned tomatoes in a large bowl and crushing them with a fork or your hands. Add salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh basil leaves, mixing everything well and tasting to adjust seasoning if needed.
Cut the fiordilatte mozzarella in half, then into thin slices, and finally into strips, neither too thick nor too thin. About 30 minutes before the dough balls have finished rising, preheat your oven to the highest temperature and place a pizza stone inside.
Take the first dough ball and lightly dust it with flour on both sides. Join your hands, overlapping your thumbs and index fingers to form a triangle, and start pressing gently from the center toward the edges to push the air toward the crust.
Repeat this three times, then flip the dough over and repeat the process. Place one hand in the center to hold the dough in place and use the other hand to gently stretch the edges. Move the dough to the other hand and repeat until the pizza is evenly stretched.
Top the pizza with the tomato sauce, leaving the outer crust free, then add the mozzarella and a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Transfer the pizza from the work surface to a pizza peel, stretch it slightly more if needed, and bake in the preheated oven at the highest temperature for 7–8 minutes. Once baked, remove the pizza from the oven, finish with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve immediately.