Steps

• To make our tasty spring pizza, we’ll need a round baking pan with a diameter of 11-12 inches at most.

  We start by making the pre-ferment (also known as starter) that will give the dough digestibility, flavor, and softness that we will also find the next day (if the pizza is left over).

  Crumble the fresh yeast into a not-too-large bowl. Add room temperature water and dissolve it with a fork or your fingers.

  Combine the sifted all-purpose flour and mix well until you get a soft dough. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and wait for it to rise, doubling its initial volume.

  Once the starter has doubled, transfer it to a bowl to prepare the actual pizza dough.

  Combine the sifted all-purpose flour and fine cornmeal, and start mixing everything.

  Gradually add half of the water (not all flours absorb liquids in the same quantities, and you may need a little more or less than the indicated amount, so it’s advisable to add it gradually to avoid ending up with doughs that are too hard or too soft and unmanageable), continuing to mix with your hands or the hook attachment of a mixer.

  When we notice that the starter dough has dissolved and combined with the flours, add the salt and the remaining water, still little by little, until you obtain a soft but workable dough, neither liquid nor hard.

  Continue kneading in the bowl; the dough is ready when it is elastic, smooth, and no longer sticky to your hands (I recommend working it in the bowl to avoid adding more flour to make it less sticky during the kneading phase). By hand, it may take 5 to 10 minutes at most.

  Seal the bowl and wait for the dough to double in volume (rising times are affected by room temperature; the colder it is, the longer it will take for the dough to rise, and vice versa).

  While the dough rises, we can focus on the cherry tomatoes, washing, drying, and cutting them into wedges. Place them in a bowl until ready to use, without adding oil, salt, or other seasonings.

  If using fresh oregano, wash and dry 10 leaves.

  Once well risen, grease the chosen baking pan, pour the dough gently inside, and, still gently, stretch it to cover the entire pan surface. Embed the sliced cherry tomatoes into the dough (remember, gently) and lightly rub the pizza’s surface with a few leaves of fresh or dried oregano. Place the pan in the turned-off oven and let it rise for the last time, approximately an hour (depending on whether the environment is cold or warm).

  After the time has passed, remove the pan from the oven and proceed to turn it on, setting it to the maximum temperature.

  Meanwhile, season the pizza with just a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a few grains of coarse salt, without overdoing it since the anchovies are already very salty.

  Bake the pizza in the hot oven, at mid-height, for about 10-12 minutes (depending on your oven and selected cooking mode, whether static, ventilated, or with simultaneous upper and lower cooking).

  When the pizza base appears golden, turn off the oven and take it out, topping it with anchovy fillets well-drained of excess oil (the amount will depend on your taste) and fresh oregano leaves.

  Bon appétit