Sourdough pizzas with aubergine, and harissa

Serves 4

Ingredients -

For the levain mix:

50g mature sourdough starter

50g 00 flour

50g whole grain flour

100g warm water

For the pizza mix:

425g 00 flour (plus more for dusting)

75g whole grain flour 

320g warm water

15g salt

200g levain

Olive oil

For the tomato Sauce and toppings:

400g tinned chopped tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Olive oil

1 aubergine

2 tbsp harissa paste

100g mozzarella

Fresh basil

Instructions-

Begin making the pizza the morning of the day before you want to cook pizza (eg. If you are eating Friday evening you need to begin Thursday morning) and make sure your starter is active and healthy. I always feed mine the night before to make sure it is lively. 

In the morning (I begin around 7.30am) combine the levain ingredients in a tall jar. Mix until fully incorporated. Cover and leave to sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours, or until doubled in size. Use a rubber band around the jar to measure progress. 

Once the levain mix is ready, it’s time to make the dough. In a large bowl, dissolve the salt into the water. Stir it until it’s completely dissolved. Add the 200 grams of levain mix, and stir until dissolved. Slowly add the flours, and mix together using your hands. Leave to rest on your kitchen countertop uncovered for 10 minutes.

Once rested, dust your work surface with flour and knead the dough for 10-15 minutes until it is bouncy and its shape bounces back after pressing with your fingers. Tighten up the dough into a ball and place into a large bowl rubbed in oil. Cover with a cloth or the lid, and leave to bulk ferment at room temperature for 3 hours. The dough is finished bulk fermenting when it’s at least doubled in size and has lots of air bubbles appearing under the surface.

Once risen, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Linea baking tray with parchment paper, and place the pizza dough balls on the tray. Cover with a cloth and place inside the fridge to cold prove overnight for 24 hours.

To make the tomato sauce, heat a good glug of olive oil ina  frying pan. Add the garlic and cook gently until soft. The add the tomatoes and cook for about 15 mins on a low heat until slightly thickened. Season to taste and allow to cool until ready to cook the pizza. 

Slice the aubergine lengthways as thin as you can. Brush with oil and cook on a griddle or frying pan until charred and cooked through. 

At least two horus before you want to cook the pizza bring the dough balls back up to room temperature. To cook the pizza, fire up your pizza oven, or oven to max temp. If using a pizza oven follow oven instructions. If using a conventional oven heat a pizza stone or oven tray within. Stretch the pizzas on a floured surface starting with the middle and then slowly lifting the dough and stretching. Top with a heaped tablespoon tomato sauce, then dot over a tsp of the harissa and tear over some mozzarella. Top with aubergine, drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt. Cook till the dough has puffed up and cooked. Garnish with fresh basil. 

Recipe by Alexandrea Dudley IG @alexandradudley