Making pizza dough and topping ideas
Two or three flavours are more than enough for pizza. You do need a very, very hot oven to get the base of the pizza crispy. Remember that they are traditionally baked in as little as 6 minutes in a woodfired oven, which builds up a heat far in excess of a domestic oven. A preheated pizza brick goes some of the way to helping the crispiness of the bottom of the pizza, but I hate most gadgets, so I just use an ordinary tin tray. I find the instant easy-blend yeast the least bother when making pizza. Fresh yeast is really the preferred option but easy-blend yeast is foolproof.
Pizza Dough
- 700g organic strong white bread flour
- 420ml hand-hot water
- 2 sachets instant easy-blend yeast
- 2 teaspoons table salt or Maldon sea salt ground in a pestle and mortar
- Extra virgin olive oil
Make sure the kitchen is warm and there are no draughts. Bread and pizza doughs like to be kept snug and cosy or they won't rise. Put the flour in a cool oven (150°C/300°F/Gas 2) to warm for a few minutes. Measure out the water. Hand-hot is a bit warmer than you would expect. It should be as hot as a really warm bath. The one that leaves your face pink! (Try 30°C/86°F in summer, 40°C/104°F in winter as a guide.) Mix the yeast and salt into the flour and, using the handle of a wooden spoon, stir in the warm water, mixing to make a dough that leaves the sides of the mixing bowl clean.
Knead the dough either by hand or in a food processor for about 10 minutes until it is silky and smooth. Put it snugly into the bowl, drizzle a little olive oil over the top and cover the bowl with cIingfilm. Put a damp tea-towel on top and leave the bowl in a warm draught-free place to let the dough rise and double in size. It is best to put the dough in an airing cupboard or in a cupboard in the kitchen; the dough will rise more successfully if there is no air movement. It should take about an hour.
Pizza Marinara
This is the original pizza topping, poor man's bread and tomato.
- 1 quantity pizza dough (as above)
- 1 x 400g tin Italian plum tomatoes or 400g ripe cherry tomatoes cut in half
- extra virgin olive oil
- Maldon sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- some freshly dried oregano
If you are using tinned tomatoes, chop them roughly, draining off some of the juice. Mix in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a good seasoning of sea salt. If you are using fresh cherry tomatoes, wash them, put them into a colander, squash them a little with your hands, and drain them, just to get rid of a little of their juice. Put them into a bowl with a little extra virgin olive oil and Maldon sea salt. When the dough is ready, preheat the oven. Be brave and set it to the highest setting (230-240°C/450-475°F/Gas 8-9). Give it at least 20 minutes to heat up. Put a baking tray in the oven so that there is a hot surface to put the pizza tray on.
Knock down the dough and flatten it out with your hands, pulling it into the shape you want. The dough will make two round pizzas or one large oblong one. Drizzle a little olive oil on to the trays you are using and put the dough on top. Use your fingers to press out the edges, easing the dough into submission.
Divide the tomato over the dough, spreading it with the back of a spoon, and leave about 2 cm clear around the edge. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and add a sprinkling of garlic slivers and freshly dried oregano. The pizza takes about 15 minutes to cook in a domestic oven. When it's cooked it should be crisp on the bottom, speckled brown at the edges and beautifully cooked and moist on top.
Pizza Margherita
Make the pizza in exactly the same way as above, but substitute the oregano with fresh basil leaves. Add 2-3 thin slices of buffalo mozzarella or 'fior di latte' to each pizza. The mozzarella melts into a delicious oozing moistness. Perfect!
Other Pizza Toppings
You can add any combination of toppings to a pizza that you fancy. The best flavours come from simple combinations, using the very best ingredients. Be inspired by what you see when you are shopping. Use either fresh basil or freshly dried oregano, not both together. Use tomatoes prepared as in the pizza marinara
Top of page
|
