Homemade pizza
Make your own homemade pizza with your choice of toppings. Simon Rimmer shows you how to make pizza bases at home for a delicious and easy dinner.
Ingredients
For the base
- 500g/1lb 2oz strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 10g/½oz fresh yeast (or 1 tsp dried yeast)
- 2 tsp salt
For the topping
- 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes, well drained
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- small handful thyme leaves, optional
- 200g/7oz buffalo mozzarella cheese, torn up
- small handful pitted black olives, optional
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- small handful fresh basil leaves
Method
For the base, put the flour into a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the yeast with 300ml/10fl oz lukewarm water until it begins to bubble slightly. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the yeast mixture. Mix with your hands to form a dough. Don't worry if it's sticky, the water will be absorbed. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave to rest for five minutes.
Add the salt to the dough, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about ten minutes until smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and let it prove for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to its highest setting and add preheat a pizza stone or 2 baking trays.
Press the dough out very thinly to make two circles about 40cm/16in across, leaving the edges slightly thicker, like the edge of a plate. Place the dough circles onto the hot baking trays.
For the topping, season the tomatoes with salt and freshly ground black pepper and spread over each dough base (you probably won't need the whole tin). Sprinkle over the thyme leaves, if using, and mozzarella, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle over some oil. Scatter over the olives, if using.
Place the pizzas into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the base is crisp and the cheese is bubbling. Top with basil leaves, if using.
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