Home Made Pizza

Home made pizza is far better than anything you get from the takeaway, it is cheaper, you can control what goes into it, and you can make extra dough and sauce and freeze it so you always have a ready supply of delicious home made pizza.

After I first made home made pizza, that was it I was a convert, never again would I buy a pizza from a takeaway or a shop.

The cooked pizza

This post will show the stages of making the sauce, the dough and the resulting pizza.

This will make four large pizza's.

Making the Dough

Ingredients:

• 500g strong bread flour (although you can also use plain flour)
• 11/2 TSP sugar
• 8g of dried yeast
• 3/4 TSP of salt
• 300 ml of lukewarm water (2 parts cold to one part boiling)
• 1 1/4 TBLSP of olive oil

Method:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in the water (Fig 1), stir well and leave for 20 minutes (Fig 2) - Note if the yeast has not frothed up it has not activated, either because it is old or dead, by activating the yeast in water first you have lost nothing but time, just start this step again with another batch of yeast, sugar and water

Fig 1. The yeast added to the water and sugar

Fig 2. The yeast after 20 minutes

• Sift the flour, add the olive oil, salt and the yeast and water
• Knead well for 10 minutes

Fig 3. The kneaded dough before allowing to rise

• Let it sit for 1 hour (Fig 4)
• Knock it back until the air is removed (Fig 5)
• Knead again for 3 minutes
• Divide into four portions * (Fig 6)

 * If you are freezing the dough this is the stage to do it. Cut into portions, wrap loosely in cling film and store in freezer bags. To defrost either leave in the fridge overnight or on a work bench for three hours, knead briefly, roll and use.

Fig 4. The risen dough after an hour

Fig 5. The risen dough knocked back

Fig 6 - The dough divided into portions

Making the Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1 1/2 TSP of dried basil
• 1 TBLSP of Oregano
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Onion chopped
• 3 Cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 TBSLP of oil for frying

Method:

• In a pan, fry the garlic and onions until soft
• Add all the other ingredients bring to boil and then simmer on a very low heat with lid off for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (Fig 7). What you are after is most of the water to be evaporated, so you will end up with a thick paste after blending

Fig 7. The tomato sauce simmering

• Put into a blender and blend until smooth (Fig 8)

Fig 8 - The blended tomato sauce

• Taste and adjust seasoning if required
• Leave to cool
• Divide into portions in tubs, the sauce can then be frozen for later use if required

Assembly

As you can see if it worth making double the amount so you always have a supply of pizza in the freezer.

Before you start to assemble, you need to turn your oven on as high as it will go, for at least 30 minutes, before you are ready to bake your pizza.

On my pizza today I am having bacon as I had to use it up today (which I have already cooked and mozzarella cheese, but you could easily just use cheddar). Do not over do the topping otherwise your pizza will be soggy.

• Roll out the pastry on a floured surface
• Place on a baking tray lightly dusted with flour
• Spread the tomato sauce on top of the dough
• Add your toppings

The prepared pizza ready for baking

• Put in the oven and bake for 12 minutes

The cooked pizza

Enjoy !!