Autolyse pizza dough with five topped pizzas

Autolyse: mix flour and water until just combined and rest at least 20 minutes and up to 12 hours before adding yeast and salt and kneading.

In a stand mixer, mix 6 minutes.

By hand: make a well in the flour and add spring water gradually, without rushing. Kneading by hand takes approximately 20 minutes.

Do not overmix and do not add more flour at the sticky stage.

With the yeast and salt added, knead the dough 15 minutes.

Keep the dough temperature at no more than 77F / 25C, ideally around 73F / 23C.

Bulk ferment in the refrigerator overnight.

No-cook pizza sauce: pass peeled tomatoes through a food mill; add tomato paste, parmigiano, salt, pepper, sugar and garlic, basil, oregano infused olive oil.

Roast a couple of garlic heads in olive oil and herbs.

Semi-confit tomatoes: cut tomatoes into wedges, season with salt, sugar, pepper, herbs, crushed garlic and olive oil, and cook in the oven 3 hours at 250F / 120C.

Make pesto, with pine nuts or any other nuts; it keeps a couple of weeks refrigerated and freezes well.

Leave the dough out an hour, then on a floured surface divide into five 250 g portions for 11-inch, 28-cm pizzas.

Gently deflate and fold into balls, handling gently to keep the small bubbles.

Either store the balls in an oiled covered container in the refrigerator up to 24 hours, or cover and rest 15 minutes to relax.

Flour the top, press with the fingertips leaving a small border, and press out from the centre into an 11-inch, 28-cm circle; if it shrinks back, rest it longer. Finish stretching on parchment if freezing.

Heat the oven to 540F / 280C for a while with a pizza stone; par-bake the dough 3 minutes, add toppings and return to the oven.

variation: Pizza tartiflette with roasted onions, smoked bacon, cooked potatoes, Reblochon, heavy cream and herbs.

variation: Pesto and semi-confit tomato pizza baked straight, not par-baked; after two minutes crack an egg on it and bake less than 60 seconds more.

variation: On a par-baked base spread pesto, add drained sliced mozzarella di bufala, semi-confit tomatoes and Parmigiano Reggiano; bake about three minutes, rotating every so often.

variation: Pizza peperoni with pizza sauce, Parmigiano, mozzarella and spicy chorizo; finish with basil and a drizzle of spiced olive oil out of the oven.

variation: Brush a par-baked base with roasted garlic oil, add camembert slices, roasted garlic, honey, fresh figs and prosciutto; bake about three minutes and finish with crushed walnuts and seasoned arugula.

variation: Dessert pizza with leftover pastry cream, blueberry or black currant spread and fresh figs.