It wasn’t very long ago that I realised that making pizza
dough is no rocket science! I used to steer clear from kneading any kind of
dough to avoid long hours of wait for it to rise and shine.
1.5 cups of warm water
Now simply combine water, sugar and yeast in a bowl and
allow it to froth for say 5-10 minutes. In a bigger bowl combine the flour and
salt and then add the worked up yeast and oil to it. You can use a fork or a
pizza cutter to mix all the ingredients together but eventually it’s the magic
of your hands that would bring the dough together. It will take about 10
minutes to smoothen the dough. I suggest you dust the surface with some flour
beforehand. Once done, tip this dough in another big bowl that has been brushed
with oil. Turn the dough around a bit so that it gets an even oil coat. Cover
with cling film and let it rest in a warm nook of the kitchen for 30 to 40
So here’s a quick way to make the most amazing pizza base
in just 45 minutes. An extra perk along with that is my favourite unique
toppings ideas :-)
Ingredients for the pizza base:
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| flour |
2 tsp of dried yeast
A pinch of sugar & salt
4 cups of plain flour (Maida)
¼ cup of cooking oil of your choice. I prefer olive or
grape seed
Method:
Method:
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| the risen dough balls |
minutes. You would notice that the dough has doubled in size.
Toppings:
Toppings:
Margherita pizza
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| pizza margherita tastes even better with mozzarella & thick crust |
During one of the food tours in Italy I discovered
that Pizza Margherita was a dedication to the three colours of the Italian
national flag. The basil represents green, cheese signifies white and tomato
translates to the third colour that is red.
For the tomato sauce cook some garlic in olive oil
until fragrant and pale. Now add 200ml tomato puree, basil leaves and a pinch
of salt and let it simmer until it thickens. This should take about half an
hour. Now add seasoning of salt and let it cool. Now place the dough on a
parchment sheet dusted with some flour. With a rolling pin, roll out the pizza
base into 14 inches diameter. Put together the pizza by first spreading the
tomato sauce, then crumbling soft cheddar cheese on top and then baking in a
pre-heated oven at 180 degree till such time that the cheese melts and turns
golden in some places. Serve hot with a further sprinkling of basil leaves on
top.
Goat’s cheese and caramelised onions
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| Goat's cheese and caramelized onions |
The husband’s favourite pizza topping. Fairly simple with
the most amazing goat’s cheese. Take 2 thinly sliced onions and leave them to
sweat on the stove with a good drizzle of olive oil. If the onions start to get
a little crisp, cover with a lid after adding a spoon of water. Once ready, add
a pinch of salt and pepper to them.
Now thin down the goat’s cheese by adding a little bit of
water so that it becomes spreadable. Now on the base first put goat’s cheese
spread, then the caramelised onions, then some sautéed spinach leaves and small
blobs of fresh goat’s cheese again. This beauty then goes straight into the
oven. Before serving throw on a few arugula leaves.
Chocolate pizza
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| fruit and chocolate pizza |
I am fascinated with pizza served as a dessert. When I was
young, Baskin Robbins had come up with the polar pizza my biggest go to dessert
every time I craved crispy dough and chocolate. This
one is my version of Chocolate pizza which is more of a Nutella pizza
On the pizza base, brush on a little bit of butter and bake
for about 20 minutes until its nice and golden. Smooth over the Nutella, some
bitter, sweet white and dark chocolate chunks and some toasted hazelnuts. You
can also add bananas, a few blueberries and strawberries if you wish. To
replicate the cheese, you can also use blobs of crème fraise.Delicioussss!
