Pizza with baked peppers

Ingredients:

Tomato sauce

• 1 can (800 g) canned whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Pepper Spread

• 1 Fresno pepper or red jalapeño
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pizza

• 1 pizza base, see recipe below
• 170 g fresh mozzarella (preferably buffalo), thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup Parmesan
• Torn oregano or basil leaves

Pizza base

• 4 cups of bread flour + a little for working with the dough
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon of instant yeast
• 0.5 cups extra-virgin olive oil + extra for greasing the bowl

Preparation:

1. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 260°C.
2. Prepare tomato sauce:
   
   Crush the tomatoes in a large bowl with your hands. Add olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt, and a few turns of the black pepper grinder.
   
   Make pepper spread:
   
   Grill the chili pepper and bell pepper over a gas burner (or in the oven on broiler mode), turning, until the skins are charred, 4 minutes for the chili and 6-8 minutes for the bell pepper. Place the peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Use your fingers to loosen the charred skin (it's best to wear gloves when handling the chili pepper). Halve the peppers and remove the seeds. Combine the garlic, anchovies, red pepper flakes, and oregano in a food processor. Whisk. Add the roasted peppers and pulse until almost smooth. Add the olive oil and pulse a few times. Season with salt to taste. The pepper spread can be made up to 4 days ahead. Cover and store in the refrigerator..
3. Assemble the pizza:
   
   Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread 3/4 cup to 1 cup of tomato sauce (you'll have some left over). Top with mozzarella and 1/2 cup of pepper spread. Sprinkle with half the Parmesan cheese. Place the baking sheet on the hot pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the pizza with the remaining Parmesan cheese and herbs. Season with salt to taste.
4. Pizza base:
   
   In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Add 2 cups of warm water (about 104°F/40°C) and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.
5. Using lightly floured hands, transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 1 minute (do not overwork). Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 260°C.
6. Grease two 12x18-inch (32x45 cm) baking sheets (not non-stick) with olive oil, 3 tablespoons per sheet. Place one piece of dough on each sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, then press firmly with your hands to fill the baking sheet.
7. Remove the plastic wrap and place the baking sheet on the hot pizza stone. Bake until the crust begins to darken, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully unroll the crust from the baking sheet. Top with the toppings and bake the pizza, or let the crust cool, wrap loosely in plastic wrap, and set aside for 8 hours.