Pillow of dreams

Italians love their Nutella. It’s a treat given to them in their childhood and many continue this love affair when they become adults. Nutella is now famous throughout the world, but its origins begin with Italian pastry maker, Pietro Ferrero, who created a chocolate bar cut with high-quality Piemontese hazelnut paste. That was in 1946 when chocolate was in short supply post-war. It became an instant success. Many loved having bread and chocolate for breakfast, so in 1951 a version with a creamy, spreadable consistency was invented called Supercrema. It was Pietro’s son Michele who rebranded it as Nutella in 1963 and it is now enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. This is Pizzaperta’s version of a Nutella pizza. When our chef, Gianluca Donzelli, created it he said it was ‘like a dream’. ‘A pillow of dreams,’ I said. Indeed it is.

250 g (9 oz) ball of basic pizza dough, shaped as you would a normal round pizza, but make it larger by not leaving a cornice on the edge (see here)

4 tablespoons Nutella

2 tablespoons flaked almonds

Icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting

1 scoop of vanilla gelato

2 strawberries, halved

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

1 sprig of fresh mint

TO ASSEMBLE / Place a large tile in your oven for the pizza, then preheat to full heat (without using any fan-forced function) for at least 20 minutes (see here). Cut the pizza base into as large a square as possible. Place a tablespoon of Nutella halfway between each corner and the middle of the square. Scatter the flaked almonds on top of each tablespoon of Nutella. Fold each of the corners of the dough into the centre over the filling, forming a smaller square, and seal by pinching the edges gently where the folds meet. Place the pizza in the oven for 3–5 minutes until cooked, turning to get an even colour. Once cooked, remove from the oven and place on a board. Sprinkle with a light dusting of icing sugar. Place on a serving plate. Add a scoop of vanilla gelato in the middle, a strawberry half in each corner and scatter the sliced mint on top. Finish with a mint sprig on the gelato.

Serves 4