Wholemeal Pizza Base with Rustic Tomato Sauce and Asparagus Salad

Method

1. To prepare the pizza dough, mix 400g strong white bread flour and 100g wholemeal flour with a 7g sachet of dried yeast and 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in 325ml of lukewarm water. Combine the ingredients into a ball by hand, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth.
2. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in volume.
3. Gently punch down the dough to release the air, then divide it into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, cover again, and let them rest and rise for another hour.
4. Preheat your oven to its highest setting. Place pizza stones inside to heat up, or prepare two baking trays by dusting them with flour.
5. For the sauce, peel and thinly slice the 2 cloves of garlic and the fresh red chilli. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the garlic and chilli until they are lightly golden.
6. Add the 400g tin of plum tomatoes to the saucepan, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Season with sea salt and black pepper to your preference.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch each dough ball into a 20cm round to form the pizza bases.
8. Spread a layer of the tomato sauce evenly over each pizza base, then scatter some fresh basil leaves on top.
9. Carefully transfer the pizzas to the preheated oven, working in batches of two. Bake on the hot pizza stones or trays for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is golden and crisp. Repeat with the remaining pizzas.
10. While the pizzas bake, prepare the salad. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the 300g of asparagus spears into thin ribbons and place them in a large bowl. Add the 30g of grated Parmesan, 200g of rocket, and the remaining fresh basil leaves.
11. Dress the salad with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Toss gently to combine.
12. Once the pizzas are baked, top each one with a generous portion of the asparagus salad. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.