If you love pizza, why not try making your own from scratch? An excellent way to spend some quality time with your family or friends, pizza nights are great fun for kids and adults alike. Most importantly, you can customise your pizza precisely to your liking!
Starting with the most important part, the dough! Having the perfect base for your pizza is crucial.
Ingredients needed for two medium pizzas:
7g Yeast Sachet
250 ml Warm Water
450g Plain Flour
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Sugar
Step One: Put the yeast, flour, salt, and sugar into a bowl and mix
Step Two: Make a well in the centre and add the oil, then slowly start to add the water
Step Three: Put the dough on a floured surface and knead until it has a smooth, elastic feel
Step Four: Add to a well-oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise until it has doubled in size
Step Five: Knock back the dough, divide into two balls (or more if you want smaller pizzas), then cover again and leave to rise for another 30 minutes
Step Six: Preheat your oven to the hottest it will go
Step Seven: Roll out each ball on a floured surface into your pizza shape, ready to add the toppings
Whilst not essential, making your own sauce can be highly rewarding. Once it's made, it can also be used in other dishes or frozen for the next pizza night!
Ingredients needed:
2 x 400g Cans of Plum Tomatoes
3 Tbsp Tomato Puree
2 Tsp Dried Basil
2 Tsp Oregano
2 Tsp Garlic Granules
1tsp Onion Powder
1tsp Smoked Paprika
1tsp Sugar
Salt and Pepper
Step One: Add puree and plum tomatoes to a pan
Step Two: Bring to boil and add all seasonings whilst breaking up the tomatoes
Step Three: Leave to simmer until sauce thickens
Step Four: Add salt and pepper to taste
And that’s it! This super simple four-step recipe is completely customisable, you can add more or less of any of the seasonings to perfectly suit your liking.
Everyone has their pizza topping preference; some swear by Hawaiian, others hate the idea of pineapple on pizza, some like a classic margarita, and others like to cover their pizza in all the toppings possible. Here are a few quick suggestions if you’re struggling with ideas or want to try something new:
Four cheese: A fun and cheesy twist on the classic margarita, this pizza is ideal for all the fromage fanatics. You can choose your favourite cheese, but classic Quattro Formaggi is topped with mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmesan and ricotta (or another creamy cheese like stracchino or goat’s cheese). You can also add pepperoni to this if you fancy adding a meaty taste.
Meat feast: After adding your sauce and cheese, add some cooked chicken breast, cooked mince, pepperoni and prosciutto to create a pizza meat lovers won’t be able to resist. For a truly delicious combination, you can finish this with grated fresh mozzarella and olives.
Vegan: With a wide variety of vegan cheese, making a tasty plant-based pizza is easy. Sprinkle your favourite cheese alternative onto your sauce and then top with sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers, red onions, mushrooms and a few dollops of humous for a gorgeous, veggie-filled pizza.
