Homemade pizza
Tired of the standard large pizza with extra cheese? Try this very simple homemade pizza perfect for casual meal. Infact pizza made at home is more fresh, healthy and I am sure more tasty than from the local pizzeria.
What you'll need :
400 gm plain flour 1/2 tsp dried yeast 2 tbsp oil Semolina for dusting 1/2 tsp salt 2/3 cup warm water 1/2 tsp sugar Vegetables for pizza topping (I used zucchini, red onions, pickled onions, red & yellow bell pepper, pickled Jalapeño) 1 cup pizza cheese 1/4 cup pizza sauce
How to :
Add the yeast and sugar to the warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy.
Mix the flour, salt and the warm water in a big bowl. Roll it gently with your hands to bring the dough together in a bowl.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for until it is smooth and elastic. Add a drop of oil if needed. Place in the prepared bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes or until dough doubles in size.
Pre-heat the oven to 220C at uniform heat setting (Base and top of the oven should be at same temperature). Dust the baking tray with semolina and the work surface with flour. Cut the dough into 2 pieces. Knead each piece on the floured surface, using enough flour to stop the dough being sticky.
Using your hands flatten the pizza dough into a round shape. Place on the pizza tray. Make holes on the pizza base and allow to proof covered with a wet cloth for 10 more minutes.
Uniformly brush the pizza base with olive oil and then spread the pizza sauce evenly. Brushing the pizza top with oil will prevent the sauce from seeping into the wet dough. Top it with the vegetables of your choice and spread the grated pizza cheese uniformly over the pizza base. Make sure you place the raw vegetables as is on the pizza base. Do not add salt to season it as it might release water thus making the pizza soggy. If you have mushrooms, sauté it until the water dries of completely and then spread over the pizza.
Bake at 220 degrees for about 15 min (for a large pizza) until the crust is crisp. If the pizza is a small one like mine, 10 minutes should be enough.
PS : To make a perfect pizza, make sure you do not miss the steps which are in bold. It’s tried and tested and you will definitely get a perfect one :)