Pizza dough

Making your own pizzas can be a perfect social meal. Everyone gets to pick their favourite toppings, and the taste is out of this world. Invite friends around and get into this great recipe.

PIZZA DOUGH

Ingredients

• 7g (1 sachet) of dried yeast
• 350ml / 1⅓ cups of warm water (reduce to 300ml if hand kneading)
• 500g / 3 cups of plain flour
• 1 tsp of caster sugar
• 1 tsp of salt
• semolina or polenta for dusting pizza trays

Topping suggestions

• tomato passata, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves
• tomato passata, mushrooms, olives, ham, anchovies
• tomato passata, pork & fennel sausage, green capsicum/pepper, parmesan

Method

1. Combine the yeast and the warm water in a jug, and set aside for 5 minutes while yeast activates.
2. Mix together the flour, sugar and salt.
3. If using an electric mixer with a dough hook, add the yeast water mixture to the flour mixture, then mix on low for 5 minutes.
4. If hand kneading, combine the flour and yeast mixtures together. Dust a surface with flour, then knead the dough for 10–15 minutes.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic film, then place in a warm sport until it doubles in size. Proving temperature is around 27ºC. If your oven can be set to low temperatures, it is an ideal place to proof dough.
6. Once it has doubled in size, ‘knock back’ i.e. punch the dough, fold the dough in on all sides, then cover again and proof for a further 10–20 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 250ºC / 450ºF / Gas mark 6.
8. Divide the dough into 2 for large pizzas, or four for medium pizzas, and then roll out into desired shape. Dust the pizza tray with semolina or polenta if using, and then place the pizza dough onto the tray. Leave to settle for a few minutes before adding the desired topping.
9. Top with tomato passata for tomato-based toppings, and oil and garlic for white pizzas, along with other toppings.
10. Cook for 10–15 minutes or until cooked to your liking.

TIP
If you have a coffee machine, turn it on then place the dough in a bowl to proof the dough on top of the machine. The heat is a perfect proofing temperature. You can par cook your pizzas in advance with just the tomato passata which speeds up the cooking once fully topped.