Preparation

1. Crumble the yeast into the water and stir to dissolve. Whisk in about a third of the flour to make a loose slurry, add the salt, then work in the rest of the flour until you have a shaggy dough with no dry patches. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
2. Knead on an unfloured surface for 8 to 10 minutes, slapping and folding, until the dough is smooth and elastic and a stretched piece goes translucent before it tears. Cover and leave at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours — this long rise happens outside the stated preparation time.
3. Divide the cold dough into four 250 g balls, tucking each one tight and sealing the seam underneath. Space them in a covered box and leave at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, until visibly puffed and slack enough to spread slightly.
4. Put a baking steel or stone on the top shelf and heat the oven to its absolute maximum, 250 to 300 C, for a full 45 minutes. It needs that long to be properly saturated with heat.
5. Crush the tomatoes by hand into a bowl, season with a good pinch of salt and leave them raw — a cooked sauce goes jammy in the oven. Tear the drained mozzarella into rough pieces.
6. On a floured board press one ball from the centre outwards with your fingertips, driving the gas into the outer 2 cm and never touching that rim. Stretch it over your knuckles to about 28 cm. Spread three tablespoons of tomato to within 2 cm of the edge, scatter the mozzarella, add a few basil leaves and a thin drizzle of oil.
7. Slide it onto the steel and bake 6 to 8 minutes, switching to the overhead grill for the last minute, until the rim is puffed with dark leopard spots and the base lifts stiff off the peel. Eat it before you make the next one.