Home Made Pizza Recipe

I love pizza and I espeically love those dough balls that you get in certain pizza restaurants that they serve with garlic butter. All they are, are the off-cuts from the pizza dough, so I thought I'd try making some dough for myself. Much cheaper. Here is how I made this feast....

Ingredients:


For the dough...

• strong white flour 500g, plus extra for dusting the work surface




• 2 teaspoons of salt




• 2 teaspoons of easy-blend fast action yeast




• 2 tablespoons of olive oil




• 2 teaspoons of honey or sugar




• 300ml of warm water




• olive oil to grease the tin

Equipment: Large mixing bowl, tablespoon, teaspoon, measuring jug, wooden spoon, flat large baking tin, cling film or tea towel.

Directions:

1. Sieve the flour into the mixing bowl, add the salt and the yeast granules and stir with wooden spoon til they are all combined.




2. Spoon the olive oil and sugar/honey into the measuring jug, add the warm water and stir well.




3. A little at a time, add the water mixture to the flour mixture. Mix with spoon or hands, working the water into the flour and gradually bringing it all together into a mass of soft, slightly sticky dough. If the dough wont come together, then work in some more water. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.




4. Now you need to kneed the dough for around 15 mins. If you don't have strong arm muscles, you will by the time you've finished.




5. After kneeding your dough should have a slightly bouncy feel to it. It should not be too sticky or too dry. Put the mass of dough into bowl and cover with a slightly damp tea cloth and leave for 1 hour. (Do not put it in the fridge)




6. After an hour, the dough will have risen. Take it from the bowl and kneed a little more, to remove the air. It will be easier the second time round. Again cover and leave for an hour.




7. Remove dough from bowl and roll out to make pizza bases.

For the tomato sauce:

Ingredients:

• a generous helping of tomato puree (about 5 tablespoons)




• a few tablespoons of oilve oil for frying




• 1 can of tinned tomatoes




• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, use a sprinkle of salt to crush




• worcester sauce (a few of splashes)




• dried basil




• 1 medium finely chopped red or white onion




• black pepper

Directions for making the sauce, which will cover the pizza base:

1. Fry the onions in the olive oil until soft. Make sure there is plenty of oil in the pan, so that the mixture doesn't become too dry whilst frying (but not too much, or it will be too oily!)




2. Add the crushed garlic cloves a fry for another 2 mins.




3. Add the dried basil an black pepper and stir.




4. Then add the tomato puree and stir.




5. Now add the tinned tomatoes and stir further, with a few splashes of worcester sauce




6. Now, as your mixture is well stirred, you can cover the pan and simmer for approx 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally.




7. Allow the tomato sauce to cool down. Then spoon the mixture over the pizza bases and add your desired toppings.




8. Bake your pizzas in the oven at 190 degress on a baking sheet.

Topping suggestions:

• Tuna, sweetcorn, green peppers, sliced red onion.




• Sliced smoked sausage, pineapple chunks, red pepper thinly sliced




• Ham, pineapple, sweetcorn




• Pepperoni, black olives, red onion and green peppers




• Spinach, goats cheese, carmelised red onion




• Roasted peppers, corgette, fresh basil leaves, topped with shavings of parmesan and cracked black pepper

The dough balls:

Use the off-cuts of pizza dough and make small round balls, approx 1.5" in diameter. Bake on a greaseproof sheet for 6 mins.

The garlic butter:

Crush 1 clove of garlic with a little salt in a pestle and mortar or garlic crusher. Mix this with your butter in a small dish and add some chopped parsley. Serve dough balls with a small dish of garlic butter for dipping.

You could also try a few different dips for the dough balls, such as pesto or a cheese sauce.