Pizza basics
A basic pizza recipe is a must. Pizza is a great way of feeding a crowd cheaply or using up leftovers. When it comes to making the tomato sauce for the base this recipe makes more than is necessary, but it freezes well and can be used to make a pizza at a later date or stirred into pasta as a quick dinner.
I always keep a few jars of olives, artichokes, roast peppers and sun dried tomatoes in the fridge - just a sprinkling of these on top of your chosen toppings really help to make a pizza just that little bit more special. Remember you don’t always need to use mozzarella just sprinkle on whatever cheese you have - there are no rules it’s your pizza!
Give this easy family recipe a try and see what pizzas you can create!
Pizza basics
Ingredients
- pizza dough -
- 300g bread flour
- ½ teaspoon fast action dried yeast
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- approx 170ml tepid water
- tomato sauce for pizza base -
- 1 small onion - finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - finely chopped.
- 2 heaped teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- toppings -
- 250g ball of mozzarella
Instructions
1. Note - if you have a bread machine - use it to mix & rise the dough on the pizza setting. If you don’t have a bread machine use the method below.
2. Put the yeast, bread flour, salt and olive oil into a bowl, slowly add the water whilst mixing to a pliable dough.
3. Tip out onto floured surface and knead well for 10 minutes.
4. Put back into the bowl - cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for an hour to rise.
5. Meanwhile make the tomato sauce -
6. Warm a splash of olive oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onions and garlic to soften them.
7. Add the tomatoes, oregano and season with salt & pepper.
8. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer lid off for around 30 minutes. After 30 minutes just turn off the heat and put to one side for use later.
9. After the pizza dough has risen - assemble the pizza -
10. Preheat the oven to 200C
11. Tip dough out onto floured surface, quickly knead for a few minutes, then divide the dough into two.
12. Roll out pizza dough - I roll them to approx. 30cm x 30cm - place on a baking sheet.
13. Spoon on some of the tomato sauce and spread thinly using the back of a spoon.
14. Top with pieces of torn mozzarella - I always add a little drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of dried oregano prior to baking.
15. Cook in the oven for around 10 minutes until the cheese is browning.
Notes
Suggestions for pizza toppings are: shredded roast meat & rocket, salami & roast pepper, sliced potatoes, feta, chilli and mint, roast root vegetables & cheddar, bacon & blue cheese, ham & pineapple, tuna & sweetcorn, grated beetroot and cheddar, egg and spinach.
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Wendy is the creator of Daisies & Pie, a UK food blog sharing easy meals and home lifestyle tips since 2012
