Spinach & Egg Pizza Recipe

To make the base, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and crumble in the sea salt. Make a well in the flour, then add the dried yeast and the tablespoon of oil. Next, pour in the water a little at a time, stirring it in as you go, until you have a smooth dough. Tip the dough out on to a floured worksurface and knead it with your hands for a few minutes, stretching and folding the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Use a piece of kitchen paper to wipe the inside of a clean bowl with a little olive oil, then lift the dough into the bowl and cover the top of the bowl with clingfilm or a clean tea towel. Place the bowl somewhere warm (e.g. a sunny windowsill or an airing cupboard) and leave it for about 50 minutes, or until the dough has risen to twice its original size.

When the dough has risen, switch your oven on to 220°C (Gas Mark 7) to preheat. Take a round pizza tray or a baking sheet (ideally one without sides) large enough to hold the rolled-out pizza, and oil it lightly with a little more olive oil. Tip the dough out of its bowl on to your floured worksurface and knead it quickly to knock out any large air bubbles. Put the dough on to your tray, then roll it out into a circle of about 25cm (or larger, if you prefer a thinner crust on your pizza).

To make the topping, put the spinach into a large pan – together with any water still clinging to the leaves – and put the lid on the pan, then place it over a medium-high for a couple of minutes, until the spinach leaves have wilted. Drain the spinach in a colander or sieve, pressing it down firmly with the back of a spoon to remove as much water as you can. Next, spread the passata thinly over the prepared pizza base, then scatter the cooked spinach and the garlic slices evenly over the passata and arrange the pepper slices on top. Season the pizza with salt and pepper, then use the back of a tablespoon to make two fairly deep indents into the spinach topping, positioning them so that each serving of half a pizza will include one egg. Crack an egg into each indent, then tear the mozzarella into small pieces and scatter over the rest of the pizza. Put the pizza into the hot oven and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the base is golden and crisp and the eggs are baked through. Carefully transfer the hot pizza to a serving plate, then serve straight away.