There are benefits wanting to bake more savoury things. I had a portion of gammon joint left in the freezer from New Year’s Day lunch and a can of pineapple rings lurking in my cupboard and fancied a pizza. So off I went and made a pizza base from scratch!
Ingredients:
- 300g strong bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 7g yeast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 200g hot water
Directions:
I am using my trusty Kenwood Chef because my hands aren’t well today (oh the joy of recovering from carpal tunnel decompression surgery!) but this can be done by hand entirely!
In a bowl, place flour, yeast and salt (making sure the salt and yeast are on separate sides so that the salt doesn’t kill the yeast) and make a well in the middle. In the well, place the oil and water and mix. If using a mixer, on low speed, with a dough hook, mix the ingredients together. When fairly combined, scrape the sides of the bowl and, still using the dough hook, mix the dough on medium speed for 5 minutes or until elastic and smooth. The dough is going to be sticky so I add up to 3 heaping teaspoons of flour while the dough is kneaded. If kneading by hand, on a floured surface, knead for about 10 minutes. Turn the flour into a ball and cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 30-45 minutes until the dough has risen. You don’t really need to proof the dough if you’re making thin pizzas.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C (fan). Roll out the dough to your desired thickness (dough can be divided into 2 balls to make 2 10-inch thin crust pizzas).
Tip: I sprinkle a teaspoon of coarse semolina on the pan (which I line with baking parchment) so that the pizza dough doesn’t stick. The semolina also adds an interesting texture to the dough.
Top with whatever topping you wish. I recommend using a pre-heated baking pan or a pizza stone if you have one for a crisper base. Bake the pizza for 8-10 minutes until crisp.
When the timer buzzes, all you have to do is bring out the pizza, slice and enjoy!
Yellywelly 