Measure the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a large bowl and stir to distribute everything evenly.
Add the olive oil and warm water and mix with a wooden spoon or dough scraper to give a shaggy dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. If it feels sticky, cover it with the upturned bowl and leave it for 5 minutes - you'll find it's then much more manageable.
Knead the dough by placing your the heel of your hand on top of it and pushing away from yourself, then folding it back on itself as you pull it towards you.
Repeat, alternating between hands, if you can, as is the method taught at Leiths for about 8 minutes in total.
As you knead, the dough will gradually become soft and smooth. Hold the dough in your hands and pinch it together underneath a few times while rotating to create a taut top. Press the top with the flat of your fingers and if it bounces back, the gluten in your dough is adequately developed and you can stop kneading.
Wipe and oil the bowl and return the dough to it. Cover with a cloth, cling film or a shower cap and place somewhere warm to rise until doubled in size.
Shape your pizza dough
Now that you're ready to shape your pizzas, it's time to turn the oven on. Turn it as hot as it will get - the hotter the better. Ours goes up to 230C.
Press your fist into the top of the dough to collapse the larger air bubbles. This is called 'knocking back'.
Gather the dough into a ball, kneading just briefly to remove any further large bubbles.
Divide the dough neatly in two - it's easiest to do this with a dough scraper or a knife rather than trying to tear it apart as the gluten will stretch and go ragged.
Working with one piece at a time on a floured surface, use your fingers to press out and stretch the dough a bit.
If you have the skill, you can continue to stretch the dough out with your fingers until you have a thin round dough about the size of a dinner plate. However, if you don't fear angering your Italian friends, you can grab a rolling pin and roll your pizza dough to size. I tend to go for a rectangular shape as it is easier to shape and fits a simple baking sheet more easily. Don't lose heart if your dough keeps shrinking back, just cover it with a tea towel and give it a rest for a couple of minutes. This will allow the gluten to relax and allow you to continue to gently roll and stretch it into shape.
Top and bake your pizza
Transfer your dough to a nonstick baking sheet. If it loses its shape, simply lift the corners and gently stretch the dough back into place.
Spread with the arrabbiata / pizza sauce. It's best to be sparing as too much sauce will overwhelm the thin crust.
Tear the mozzarella and dot it all over the top of the pizza. Or simply scatter over the top if you're using pre-shredded.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
You can now repeat the process for the second pizza, or bake the first while shaping the second.
To bake, place the pizza tray in the very hot oven and bake until the crust turns pale golden and the mozzarella just starts to caramelise at the edges. This will take somewhere between 4 and 12 minutes depending on how hot your oven is able to get.
When you remove the pizza from the oven, take great care as the metal tray will be very hot.
Transfer to a wooden board and scatter with fresh basil leaves. Slice and enjoy hot.