Two-hour high-hydration pizza with spicy uncooked tomato sauce, garlic and garlic butter crust

Pour 320 ml of 105 degree water into a bowl; add 8 g yeast and a spoonful of the flour; stir to dissolve and stand five minutes until foamy with small bubbles (no foam means dead yeast).

Put 400 g flour and 8 g salt in a large mixing bowl; add the yeast mixture and mix vigorously by hand until no dry flour remains, about two minutes.

Cover with plastic wrap and rest 15 minutes so the flour starts hydrating.

With wet fingers, stretch and fold the dough over itself in the bowl, rotating 90 degrees each time.

Turn out and slap and fold on the counter about five minutes, until elastic and stretching further without tearing; check for a slightly translucent window before it tears, and keep going if it fails.

Return to the bowl, cover and rise 40 minutes, until close to but not quite doubled.

Drizzle a spoonful of oil over and work into a ball; divide into two 360 g portions and spin into taut balls. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and proof 30 minutes, until nearly doubled.

Meanwhile set a baking stone on the second-highest rack and preheat the oven to 550F on convection, or as high as it goes.

Sauce: soak two dried Calabrian chilies in hot water; blend 28 oz canned tomatoes, a pinch of salt, a drizzle of olive oil and the chilies in a food processor until smooth.

Thinly slice two garlic cloves. Stir a pinch of garlic powder into a tablespoon of melted butter.

On a well-floured surface press a ball out from the centre, keeping the rim thicker; at six to eight inches, lift and stretch, rotating 90 degrees each time, to 13 to 14 inches.

Transfer to a cornmeal-dusted peel and stretch to shape. Top with the sauce, mozzarella, sliced garlic and dried chili strips.

Slide onto the stone and bake about five minutes, until the cheese is melted and browning and the crust crisp and puffed (10 to 15 minutes in cast iron).

Grate fresh parmesan over and rub the garlic butter around the crust. Slice.