Pizza Margherita from the pizza oven

How do you make a classic Pizza Margherita in the pizza oven?

1. Make the dough: dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the yeast water and the olive oil and knead everything by hand for 10 minutes until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough. The dough is ready when you pull off a piece and it becomes slightly translucent without tearing.
2. First rise: form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour at room temperature. Then put the bowl in the refrigerator for 12 hours for the second, slow rise. That cold fermentation gives the dough more flavor and makes it easier to shape.
3. Portion the dough: remove the dough from the fridge 2 hours before baking. Divide it into 4 equal balls of about 220 grams. Place them on a well-floured work surface, cover with a damp tea towel and bring to room temperature. This relaxes the gluten network so you can stretch the dough easily later.
4. Make the tomato sauce: put the peeled tomatoes in a bowl and crush them with your hand. Add a pinch of salt. That's all you need: the heat in the oven will cook the sauce further and concentrate the flavor by itself. An overworked sauce loses that fresh character.
5. Preheat the pizza oven to at least 430 degrees Celsius. This takes 15 to 25 minutes depending on your oven. Check the temperature of the stone with the built-in thermometer before you bake: a cold stone gives a limp, pale base.
6. Shape the pizza: generously flour your work surface and hands. Press a dough ball flat with your fingertips, keeping the rim intact. Then gently stretch the dough with the backs of your hands by draping it over them and slowly spreading it out. Aim for a disc of about 28 centimeters. Do not use a rolling pin: that squeezes the air out and the rim will stay flat.
7. Top the pizza: spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a 2 centimeter rim. Tear the mozzarella into pieces and distribute them on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with some sea salt. Less is more: too much topping makes the base soggy and the pizza will sag on the peel.
8. Bake the pizza: slide the pizza onto the pizza peel and quickly and confidently bring it into the oven onto the hot stone. Bake 60 to 90 seconds and rotate the pizza a quarter turn halfway through so it browns evenly. The base is done when it shows dark spots but isn't burned, and the rim is airy and puffed.
9. Finish and serve: take the pizza out of the oven, place it on a cutting board and immediately scatter the fresh basil leaves over it. They go on the hot pizza, not into the oven, because the heat would blacken them and make them bitter. Slice into wedges and serve right away.