Home made Pizza

The days are getting colder in Melbourne - and a nice warm pizza with gooey melted cheese and spicy jalapenos - conjured up an attractive image.  So I started to google pizza recipes.  As usual, when I couldn't find the 00 flour, I just decided to use plain white flour that I had in the pantry.

COVID was really getting me into the kitchen to try and work on things I had never before attempted.  These pizzas do not look pretty - but they were so flavorsome and it was easy to make them!

To make Pizza: thank you, Jamie Oliver!

Ingredients:

400 gm plain white flour

100 gm fine semolina

1/2 teaspoon of salt

7 gm sachet dry yeast

1/2 tablespoon caster sugar

About 300 ml of lukewarm water.  

Method:

Take a wide mouthed platter and place the flours and salt in it.  Make a well. Take 200 ml of lukewarm water and dissolve the yeast and sugar in it.  Leave it aside for 5 - 10 minutes and then pour this liquid into the well.  Mix well, and keep adding water little by little to bring all the flour in - mix and knead well for about 10 minutes and make into a ball.  Place into a container that has been greased lightly with olive oil. Cover with a wet tea towel and place in a warm spot to proof.  

This will take 45 minutes to an hour for the dough to double in size.  Meanwhile make the pizza sauce.

Once the dough has risen to double its size, take it out and divide it into two balls. Flour them and keep them aside for another 15 minutes.

Next, roll out gently to about 1/2 cm thick and place on a pizza tray which is covered with an aluminium foil and lightly greased.  Prick all over with a fork.

Next add pizza sauce and spread it around.

Place cheese, toppings of your choice and more cheese and bake in a pre heated oven at 180 deg C.  It will take 10 - 15 minutes to bake depending on your oven.

For the Pizza sauce:

1 tin canned Italian tomatoes

1 handful of chopped basil

1 teaspoon of sugar

5-6 cloves of garlic, roasted and chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a saucepan, heat oil and add the roasted, chopped garlic and stems of basil if you have them.  After a couple of minutes, when the garlic releases the fragrance, add the tinned tomatoes and chopped basil leaves.  Mix well and leave to cook for about 10 minutes.  Make sure you mash the tomatoes with your spoon so you get a smooth sauce.  Add the sugar and dissolve in the sauce. Check the sauce for salt and pepper and add as needed.

Fragrant sauce for the pizza is now ready!

I made two pizzas - a plain pepperoni and a jalapeno one with pepperoni and capsicum.  We were pleased with our pizzas and my craving for the day was satisfied!