Homemade pizza
With a crunchy bottom and gloriously cheesy on top, who wouldn't love pizza.
Ingredients
Pizza crust
- 450 gr plain flour
- 300 ml water lukewarm
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tsp instant yeast standard yeast packet
- 2 tsp sugar optional (helps yeast work faster)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp Mediterranean herbs of choice optional
Pizza sauce
- 500 gr tomato passata or tomato sauce
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1/2 tbsp Mediterranean herbs of choice
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg optional
Pizza toppings
- 200 gr grated cheese
- 1 ball Mozzarella
- some blue cheese or other cheese of choice optional
- some salami or chorizo slices optional
- some bacon bits optional
- some mushroom slices optional
- some diced vegetables like onion or paprika optional
- some slices of cherry tomatoes or olives optional
Instructions
Pizza crust
- In a large bowl, add in the flour and salt then mix these well. If you want to add the herbs as well then you can add them in at this point.
- For the yeast, you can either check if it's still viable by adding it into the measuring jug with the water and sugar or just go ahead and add it into the flour and salt mixture together with the sugar. Both give the same result, although I recommend the former if your yeast is particularly old.
- After stirring in your yeast and sugar, add in the oil and water. Combining everything with a spoon at first helps keep your hands cleaner, after which you turn the dough out onto your counter to be able to start kneading.
- After kneading for roughly 10 minutes the dough should be springy, or when you push your finger in slightly the dough should retake its shape.
- Let rise for 45 minutes to an hour or until doubled in size.
- After its initial rise, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape into round balls.
- To form round balls, grab a piece of dough and as if working around a clock, fold the outsides of the dough inwards, until the other side feels quite firm but springy. Then let it rest with the smooth side facing up.
- Let rise for another 15 to 30 minutes or until doubled. This tends to be when I start making the sauce.
Pizza sauce
- Finely dice the onion and grate the garlic, then add to a saucepan and let the onions sweat for a couple of minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients for the sauce, mix well and bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Set to the side until you're ready to top the pizzas.
Pizza assembly
- Roll out the dough or shape it by folding it over your arm while you turn it.
- Add one or two spoonfuls of sauce onto the middle of the pizza dough and smear to the sides in a circular motion.
- Sprinkle over the grated cheese and rip pieces of Mozzarella off and scatter over the pizza.
- Add additional toppings of your choice if you want to.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 250C for 10 to 15 minutes.
Notes
For a super crispy bottom, you will want to bake your pizza on a preheated oven stone but a good hot baking tray will also help.
Try to not add too much sauce or toppings to avoid having an overly filled pizza, which can make the bottom rather soggy.
You can have kids top their own pizza as a fun family cooking activity.
Or let your guests top their own pizzas and save yourself some time.
Or let your guests top their own pizzas and save yourself some time.