Put the lukewarm water in a large bowl and add the instant yeast, stirring until dissolved. Add half the flour and stir into a rough mix, then add the remaining flour and mix until roughly combined. Add the salt and mix again.

For this step: 500 g Caputo Pizzeria 00 flour, 300 g Water, 15 g Fine sea salt, 0.5 g Instant yeast

Turn the dough out onto a clean worksurface and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If you haven’t kneaded dough before, a short video demonstration will show the motion far more clearly than text can — look one up before starting if this is new to you.

Cover the dough with a towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Once rested, shape it into a tight ball: fold the edges of the dough into the centre, then turn it over so the seam is underneath, and use the sides of your hands to drag the dough in a circular motion against the worksurface, building surface tension across the top as you go. The ball should feel firm and springy, with a smooth, unbroken surface.

This is easier to see than to read — a short video of the technique will make the motion much clearer than a written description.

Place the shaped dough in an oiled plastic bowl or dough tray, cover, and leave to bulk ferment overnight.

The next morning, divide the dough into 4 even 200g pieces and shape each into a tight ball using the same method as before. Place spaced out in a dough tray with the lid on, or on a tray covered with clingfilm.

Leave to proof for 8 hours, ideally somewhere around 18–20°C. On a very hot day, keep them somewhere cool; on a very cold day, keep them somewhere warmer.

30 minutes before cooking, begin preheating the pizza oven on a high flame. See how to use a pizza oven for guidance on getting it up to temperature.

While it heats, blend the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, and salt until smooth and pour into a bowl with a ladle. Grate the low moisture mozzarella and tear the fresh mozzarella, placing the fresh mozzarella on kitchen paper to drain off as much moisture as possible. Prepare a bowl of semolina for opening the dough.

For this step: 400 g Tinned plum tomatoes, 50 g Tomato purée, 6 g Fine sea salt, 300 g Low moisture mozzarella, 100 g Fresh mozzarella

Once the pizza oven reads around 450°C (842°F) on the stone, dip a dough ball in the semolina and stretch it out on a semolina-dusted worksurface. Work from the centre outward, pressing with your fingertips to push air to the edges and leave a puffy rim, then gently stretch and open up the disc larger on the back of your hands. The finished base should have stretched to around 12 inch diameter. A video demonstration is worth far more than a written description for this step — watch a few before your first attempt.

Add a ladle of tomato sauce and spread it out, leaving a border of around 2cm of unsauced crust. Sprinkle over 75g of the low moisture mozzarella and a few chunks of the fresh mozzarella, keeping enough in reserve for the remaining pizzas. Cover generously with pepperoni.

For this step: 200 g Fine semolina, 120 g Pepperoni

Slide the topped dough onto a semolina-dusted peel and stretch it out slightly to reach the edges, rearranging any toppings quickly if needed. Work fast here — the dough will start to stick to the peel the longer it sits.

Lower the flame to medium-low and launch the pizza into the oven. Turn using the turning peel once the side nearest the flame begins to form leopard spots, rotating 180 degrees and letting the opposite side colour to match. Continue turning until the whole pizza is cooked to your liking — the full cook takes around 60–90 seconds. You’ll likely know your own oven’s habits better than any written guide, so adjust to how yours behaves.

Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle over the Parmesan. Drizzle with hot honey if using. Slice and serve immediately while hot.

Repeat for the remaining dough balls — and remember, the chef always eats last.

For this step: 50 g Parmesan, 50 g Hot honey