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While a few books on the shelf have lost their spines over the years, one book has always been that way – Russell Norman’s Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts). Seeing it for the first time, when it was published in 2012, I remember thinking how daring it was to produce a book with a stripped-away spine, leaving its binding and pea-green stitching exposed. This choice was a practical one, however, because it allowed the book to open completely, meaning it lies (or leans) absolutely flat, which makes it feel like the most obliging book, with no threat whatsoever of it flipping closed at precisely the moment you need to check an instruction while your hands are covered with dough.
The page that didn’t flip closed last week was 62, Russell’s basic pizza or pizzette dough, which is a great and effective recipe that I have made on and off since 2012, and a recipe that not only survived the scrutiny of the cooking teacher Carla Tomasi, but was even endorsed by her. (Although she did apply her way of kneading the dough: working in the bowl with wet hands, rather than on a floured board, so as not to incorporate more flour, and using a series of folding pulls that create more elasticity.) Russell and Carla, stretching together.
The two also gave much the same advice on quick-to-make, quick-to-bake small pizzas and pizzette: you make them, you eat them, you get on with it. And you also top them however you want, although I highly recommend Russell’s combination of courgette, mozzarella, parmesan and mint.
Pizzette with courgette, mozzarella and mint
Makes 12
15g fresh yeast, or 7g fast-action dried yeast
500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
15g fine salt
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
200g well-drained mozzarella, thinly sliced
50g grated parmesan
24 mint leaves
1 courgette, thinly sliced (a mandoline is useful here)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Chilli flakes, to serve (optional)
Working in a bowl or jug, measure in 320g tepid water, then stir in the yeast and wait for a few minutes.
Put the flour, salt, the water and yeast mix and the olive oil in a large bowl and, using your hand like a dough hook, gradually bring it all together into a rough ball. Rub the dough from your hand, then rub both hands with a little water or oil. Still working in the bowl, knead the dough with a folding movement, bringing the edges up and over so the it smooths into a ball. Cover and rest in a warm place until it has doubled in size, which will take an hour or two, depending on room temperature.
Tip the risen dough on to a lightly floured work surface and cut it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then arrange on a lightly floured tray or tea towel, cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes. (The balls can also be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours, just remember to pull them out 30 minutes before baking.)
Heat the oven to 250C (230C fan)/490F/gas 9½, and put a flat baking tray inside. Working on lightly floured surface, roll the balls into discs about 20cm across. Working with a couple of pizzette at a time, top the dough first with a couple of bits of mozzarella and some parmesan, then a few bits of torn mint, and a few rounds of courgette. Sprinkle with salt, zigzag with olive oil, then use a pizza paddle or similar to lift the pizzette on to the hot baking tray. Bake for six to eight minutes, then serve topped with a bit more good olive oil and some red chilli flakes, if you like.
