What you need:
Pizza Dough 450g/1lb Odlums Strong White Flour 1 teaspoon Granulated Sugar Good pinch of Salt 1 x 7g sachet Fast Acting Yeast 300ml/½pt Warm Water (1 part boiling to 2 parts cold) 1 tablespoon Olive or Vegetable Oil Shamrock Semolina, for dusting if liked
Tomato Sauce 2 tablespoons Oil 1 x 400g tin Roma Chopped Tomatoes 1 Onion, finely chopped (optional) 1 Garlic Clove, crushed 1 teaspoon Fresh Herbs (Basil, Thyme, Parsley etc.) or ½ teaspoon Dried Mixed Herbs
Suggested Toppings Cheese (Mozzarella and/or Grated Cheddar) Slices of Pepperoni or Chorizo Shredded Cooked Chicken Sliced Ham Peppers Mushrooms Olives & Anchovies
How to:
Make the dough by putting the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into a large bowl. Add the oil to the warm water and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix together to form a dough. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 7 to 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. This can be done in half the time by using dough hooks in an electric mixer. Return to bowl and cover loosely with a tea towel. Leave in a warm enough place to prove until doubled in size. About 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the sauce: heat the oil in a pan, add the onions (if used) and gently fry until soft. Add the tomatoes, garlic and herbs and bring to the boil. For a smooth sauce this may be blitzed in a food processor. Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it needs thickening, bring it to the boil and reduce to thicken, this may take a few minutes. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. When dough is ready, dust a board with semolina if used, or flour and roll out to a round, size depends on the thickness and the number of pizzas you wish to make. Place pizzas on baking trays or baking stone. Spread with a little of the tomato sauce, then the cheese and the toppings of your choice. Bake for about 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the pizza, until the pizza is golden underneath and the topping is bubbling on top.
Pizza
