To make the pizza dough, begin by mixing the yeast well into the warm water with sugar and letting it proof for 5 minutes or so.

Then put the flour in the bowl of a standing mixer, turn the mixer on to a moderately slow speed with the dough paddle attached. Add the yeast mixture and then a splash of olive oil. When those have been incorporated, start adding tepid water until a dough is formed; the exact quantity is not really possible to say, because there are so many variables, including the weather! The dough you want will be quite elastic but quite soft, even somewhat 'wet'—much more so than, say, pasta dough—but it needs to be firm enough so you can work with it manageably.

Now switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for a good 5 minutes or so. If you find that the dough is so wet it is not forming the proverbial 'ball', add more flour, bit by bit.

After kneading, remove the dough from the bowl, plop it onto a lightly floured spianatoia or other surface, and knead it some more by hand, to make sure it has the right, springy consistency. Here's the test: if you stick your finger into it, the dough should spring back, leaving no trace of your finger.

[In the alternative, if you don't have a mixer or just prefer to do it by hand, pile the flour on a surface, making a well in the middle of it (which is called a fontana or "fountain" in Italian). Add the yeast and oil into the middle and begin to incorporate flour by cupping your hands and drawing some of the flour from the sides into the 'fountain' and mixing. Add more water, a bit at a time, and incorporate more flour, until you have formed a dough, then knead by hand for a good 10-15 minutes.]

Take your dough ball and let it rest in a deep bowl, covered with a cloth towel, for about 2 hours. (Lightly flouring or greasing the dough helps it to rise and prevents it from sticking to the sides of the bowl.) The dough should have risen quite a bit, doubling or even trebling in volume. The dough is now ready to use, although you can punch it down and let it rise a number of times if you like. The longer you let it rise, the tastier it will be. One of our favorite pizzerie in Rome, Dar Poeta in Trastevere, was famous for letting their doughs rise for 24 hours.

To assemble and bake the pizza: Oil a baking dish generously with olive oil. Place the dough in the dish and spread it out with your fingers so it covers the entire bottom of the pan. Cover again with a towel and allow the dough to rise once more for about an hour.

Angelina's Pizza Casareccia

Now top the dough with crushed tomatoes that you will have drained in a sieve to remove the excess liquid or whole canned tomatoes that you will have passed through a food mill. Spread the tomatoes across the top gently with a spoon or spatula, leaving a rather thin coating.

You can add whatever extra toppings that you like: anchovies (as pictured), capers, olives, etc.

Finally, sprinkle the surface of the pizza with just a bit of oregano if you like (please, not too much, just a pinch) and drizzle generously with olive oil.

Bake in a hot (200C/400F) oven for about 30-45 minutes. The dough should puff up but don't allow the top to brown too much. To make sure it is cooked through, slip a small knife into it to see if it comes out clean and the dough feels 'dry'. If in doubt, you can try a piece—the texture should be a bit chewy but not at all 'doughy'—and put it back in the oven for a few more minutes. Allow the pizza to cool before eating; slightly warm or at room temperature, it's delicious!