Franco Manca Wimbledon

Our pizza is made from slow-rising sourdough and is baked in a wood-burning ‘Tuff’ brick oven made in Naples by a specialised artisan. This oven produces a heat of about 500°c (930°F). The slow levitation and blast cooking process lock in the flour’s natural aroma and moisture giving a soft and easily digestible crust. As a result, the edge (cornicione) is excellent and shouldn’t be discarded. This system was originally developed by the Greek settlers who, in the 5th century BC founded Neapolis (New Town). They adapted a pre-existing baking tradition to develop this new ‘Pita’, which through experimentation, luck and linguistic distortions, became pizza. This recipe has been developed under the leading light of Marco Parente and Giuseppe Mascoli.