Basic Pizza Dough #1

Overview

This is a modern pizza dough recipe that is quick to make and creates a soft bread like crust.

The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to a week (although is best used within a day or two) or frozen.

Timeline

The dough is mixed together and kneaded, and will need to be left for at least an hour to rise.

While rising you can also prepare a pizza sauce.

Notes & Toppings

• Pizza must be cooked on a high heat, aiming to achieve a crispy base

• To achieve a consistent cheese topping, use a grated hard cheese (eg parmesan) and spread evenly over the base.

• To achieve nice pools of ‘fresh’ white cheese - use either a fresh mozerella\bocconcini or other fresh cheese and slice into small circles. Add these to the pizza either after cooking, or in the final 3 minutes of the cooking process. This will avoid the fresh cheese either burning or leaking too much water over the rest of the pizza.

• Bouquet of fresh herbs in sauce can be replaced by just adding dried herbs and mixing through

Ingredients - Dough

• 500g plain flour + Additional pinches to feed yeast & knead

• 1 tsp salt

• 60-90 ml olive oil

• 300ml warm water

• 1tsp instant yeast

• Pinch of sugar

Ingredients - Sauce

• Half a leak / an onion (thinly diced)

• 2 cloves of garlic (crushed\minced)

• 60 ml Olive Oil

• 30 ml tomato paste

• 4 fresh tomatoes (diced)

• 800 grams canned diced tomatoes

• Bouquet of fresh Basil, Marjoram, Oregano

• Salt, Peper, Sugar, Balsamic Vinegar (Additional Seasoning)

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Method - Dough Prep

Basic process is:

1. Revive the yeast by mixing 1 tsp yeast, 300 ml warm water with pinches of flour and sugar

2. Stir yeast mixture into the bulk of the flour, salt & olive oil until a soft but cohesive dough forms

3. Knead dough for approximately 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and springs back a little when pressed (If using a stand mixer\thermomix kneading may be completed in 5-7 minutes.)

4. Allow to rise for 1-2 hours (or until doubled), If leaving longer allow to rise in the fridge.

Method - Sauce Prep

1. Add Garlic and Onion to cold saucpan with olive oil and turn to low heat

2. Simmer saucepan on low heat until garlic and onion soften (15-30 minutes)

3. Add tomatoes and tomato paste to saucepan and stir

4. Add Additional Seasoning to saucepan and stir through (salt & pepper to taste, dash of balsamic, pinch of sugar)

5. Add Bouquet of Herbs and simmer on low with lid on for up to an hour (ensuring sauce does not dry out)

6. Finish sauce by pureeing with a stick blender

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Method - Dough to Pizza

1. Pre-heat oven as hot as it will go (typically 260-275c), with pizza stone in place (if using a pizza stone)

2. Knock back dough and divide into 3 equal dough balls

3. Press the balls into flat dough discs. If possible allow the dough disc to do a second rise, either on a pizza tray (if using trays) or baking paper (if using a stone) for approximately 15 minutes.

4. Apply your sauce and toppings to the disc

5. Cook the disc for 10 minutes (checking at 7 minutes) either by placing tray in the oven or sliding the baking paper onto the stone

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