Ingredients:

 For the pizza dough

(Makes 5-6 small/medium pizzas)
50g starter
10g table salt
280g water

400g ’00’ flour
30g finely grated Grana Padano Riserva 

Several turns of freshly ground black pepper

Toppings for x 5/6 pizzas - 

Several knobs - around 30g herb butter - or butter muddled with wild garlic.

60g Grana Padano Riserva - half lightly grated, half shaved

6 courgette flowers - roughly cut into strips

6 pickled chillies finely sliced

several turns of freshly ground black pepper

drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1.     Mix your starter with table salt and water then add in the flour, knead until fully combined then leave for 30 minutes

2.     Add the Grana Padano Riserva and slap and fold ten times

3.     Leave in bowl for 12-24hrs - cover with cling film

4.     Pour out on a lightly floured surface and rest for 30mins and cover with tea towel

5.     Divide into 6 balls, shape, place in parchment. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 2-4hrs before using

6.     Heat a large iron pan until it’s almost smoking hot. Add the flattened dough, dot over the wild garlic butter (around 1 tbsp per pizza) scatter over the Grana Padano Riserva, courgette flowers and pickled chillies then add seasoning, a drizzle of oil and your toppings. Cook for a minute or so until the base is crisp then transfer to a hot grill. Cook under the grill until bubbling and golden on the top. Repeat the process if you’re cooking more pizzette for family and friends.

This summer recipe marks the beginning of my partnership with Grana Padano (which I urge everyone to try). Over the next six months watch this space as I get creative with this heritage brand of completely delicious hard cheese.

For me one of life’s greatest pleasures (along with pasta) has to be a fresh, stone cooked, bubbling hot sourdough pizza. There truly isn’t anything that competes. It’s quality, simplistic food at its absolute best. The variety of toppings is endless, there’s something for everyone and even with very few ingredients you can still have something that's entirely magical and bursting with flavour. The coming together of pizza and garlic laden bread isn’t one to be missed.  The dough laced with lashings of Grana Padano Riserva and a hit of freshly ground black pepper means this dish has extra depth of flavour and that's before you get to add wild garlic butter, and even more luxurious shavings of Grana Padano Riserva (there can never be enough!). The courgette flowers add a nod to seasonality and a beautiful touch of vibrancy. 

Here I share my recipe for this delicious, appetiser or main course. Mix up your toppings, do as you will but above all give it a try!!!

Note – Grana Padano Riserva is my go-to ingredient for this recipe. It’s aged for over 20 months and the extra maturing time brings aromas of hay, butter and a slightly more intense flavour. A little more on the crumbly side and grainy in texture. I’d also advise simply snacking on chunks of the cheese while your pizzette cook. It’s that good!