Pizza Marinara is the oldest pizza in the world, predating Margherita by centuries. Named after the fishermen (marinai) whose wives prepared it, it has no cheese — just San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, oregano and a generous pour of olive oil. Do not mistake simplicity for lack of flavour: a perfectly made Marinara with a well-fermented Neapolitan crust is one of the greatest things you can eat.
Combine flour, yeast, salt and water. Mix until smooth. Knead 8–10 minutes until elastic. Cold ferment 24–72h for the best flavour — the crust is everything on a Marinara.
Crush San Marzano tomatoes by hand into a bowl. Season with salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. The sauce should be chunky and raw — do not cook it. Taste for seasoning.
Peel garlic cloves and slice very thin. In a good Marinara, the garlic is distributed generously across the whole pizza, not just dotted around it.
Flatten each ball from the centre outward using your fingertips. Never use a rolling pin. Stretch to 28–30cm, keeping a thick border for the cornicione.
Spread tomato sauce thinly but evenly, right up close to the edge. Scatter sliced garlic all over. Finish with dried oregano — be generous. Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake on a preheated stone or steel at maximum temperature (250°C+) for 8–10 minutes, or 60–90 seconds in a wood-fired oven at 450°C. The edges should be charred and blistered.
Drizzle a little more olive oil directly from the bottle as soon as it comes out of the oven. Add fresh basil if using. Eat immediately.
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