PIZZETTE BIANCHE

I've been on a mad hunt for firm, smoked ricotta for months and months, ever since I grated some into a sauce with nduja and homemade passata at work (that fella Francesco Mazzei won my heart from the first mouthful). I still haven't got my grubby hands on any - and that's because it's a very seasonal (and very shy) cheese.

I did find, to huge delight, a ball of sweet, creamy, woody smoked provola. This has completely eased the search - and, dare I say, possibly gazumped the smoked ricotta. Get some - it's total heaven. And put it on littles pizzas to share before dinner. 

PIZZETTE BIANCHE

with smoked provola and 'n'duja

(makes 8 little white pizzas for nibbling or 4 large ones)
Takes 15 minutes to make, plus proving, 10 minutes to cook

7g sachet of fast-action dried yeast

½ tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
300ml lukewarm water
500g Tipo '00' flour or strong white bread flour
1tsp fine sea salt
50g finely ground semolina flour

for the topping

1 x 250g ball of smoked buffalo provola (available from good Italian delis and Natoora)

few teaspoons of 'n'duja (as above)

grated lemon zest (optional)

parsley leaves to serve

1. Mix the yeast, sugar, oil and half the lukewarm water together and set aside for 10 minutes to fizz and froth. Combine the flours and salt together in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the yeast mix and the rest of the warm water into the well and gradually beat in the flour with a fork, until the dough starts to come together.  Knead in the bowl for 5-10 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour until almost doubled in size.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan160/gas 4. Knock the dough back on a lightly oiled surface and roll into 8 little balls (or 4 large ones). You can leave it in the fridge at this point for up to 3 hours, wrapped in clingfilm until ready to use or freeze it, tightly wrapped in clingfilm, for use another day.

3. Scatter the table with the semolina. Flatten each ball into a circle, pressing the dough out with your fingertips, and stretch with a rolling pin into 8 x 1/2cm thick circles. No need to be neat.

4. Place the rolled dough onto lightly oiled tin foil or a floured baking sheet. Tear on the scamorza to top the dough, then drop small dots of the nduja on top. Slide onto a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until the edges and base of the pizzas are crisp.

5. Remove from the oven and slice while still baking hot and the cheese is stringy. Top with lemon zest, if you like, and the parsley then season and serve on pretty wooden boards.

[THIS RECIPE IS A TWEAKED VERSION OF ONE THAT WILL APPEAR IN MY FIRST COOKBOOK THE RECIPE WHEEL (EBURY), AVAILABLE TO PREORDER ON AMAZON FOR RELEASE IN JULY]