Friday Night Pizza

Pizza is a very popular dish in many parts of the world. It is a flat circular bread topped with tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings of your own choice. Pizza is my personal favourite dish for a Friday night when you feel like kicking back and taking it easy.

Crispy home made pizza for Friday night

Pizza Base

Ingredients:

• 500g plain flour
• 1 sachet of dried yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 300ml tepid water
• 1/4 teaspoon of mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon of black powder

Ingredients for Pizza base

Method:

Sift flour into your mixing bowl and add in salt, sugar, mustard powder and black pepper. Mix together the olive oil and tepid water in a separate bowl or jug. Add the dried yeast and stir. Its is important that the water is tepid other wise you run the risk of killing the yeast.

Create a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and add in your liquid mixture.

All Pizza base ingredients ready to be mixed

Mix ingredients together  to form a dough in your mixer using the dough hook or if you don't have a mixer this can be done by hand. Allow your dough to proved for around an hour at room temperature, in this time it will double in size.

Pizza dough

Whilst your dough is being proved prepare your sauce and toppings using method described below. 

Ensure your board or work surface is floured along with your hands and take your dough from the bowl and separate into four equal pieces. If you don't wish to use all four pieces wrap in cling film and freeze until required. Take a piece of dough and knead until smooth.

Pizza dough on floured work surface - ready for a roll

Roll out the dough in a shape to fit your pizza pan or stone. Leave to rest  for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile pre-heat your oven at about 180 degrees Celsius.

Once the dough is ready spread your cooled sauce over on the base.

Pizza with tomato sauce

Add whatever toppings your wish - I used pineapple, ham, sweetcorn, cheese and green pepper.

Pizza with tomato sauce and toppings

Place your pizza into your pre-heated oven and cook for around 20 minutes or until dough becomes crispy. Slice and enjoy!

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 4 diced tomatoes
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• 1 onion
• 1 stick of celery
• 2 cloves of garlic
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• 1/4 of chilli powder
• dash of balsamic vinegar

Ingredients for Pizza tomato sauce

Method:

Place the onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and celery into the food processor and whiz until it is a pulp. Heat the olive oil in a pot and add your pulp mixture. Fry until onions are cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for around twenty minutes.

Pizza tomato sauce in a pot

Add salt and pepper to achieve your preferred taste.  Allow the sauce to cool before placing it on your dough. This sauce can be frozen if you don't require to use it straight away.