SUNDAY NIGHT PIZZA

Our family loves a Sunday night pizza. With lazy afternoons spent at home, Sunday is the perfect day to take a little extra time to create our pizza bases from scratch. These ones are made with a simple Margarita topping so are perfect for the whole family.

INGREDIENTS

- Makes 6-8 pizzas -

DOUGH

• 2 teaspoons of dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 500ml of warm water (38 degrees Celsius)
• 1 Kg bread/pizza flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

 TOMATO SAUCE

• 2 cloves of garlic
• finely diced red onion
• olive oil
• 1 bunch of fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 bunch of fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• 2 x 400g tins of diced tomatoes
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

TOPPINGS

• Fresh buffalo mozzarella
• Fresh basil leaves (torn)

1. Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
2. For the tomato sauce, crush the garlic and fry in a tablespoon of olive oil along with the diced red onion, once translucent add in the tins of diced tomatoes. Tear the basil leaves, then add to the pan with the tomatoes. Season to taste.
3. Bring the mixture to the boil, simmer for 15 minutes. Cook until it’s the perfect consistency for spreading on your pizza bases.
4. For the pizza dough, sieve the flour and salt into an electronic mixer with a dough hook attachment or onto a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. In a jug, mix the yeast, sugar into 650ml warm water and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well. Using a fork, bring the flour in gradually from the sides and swirl it into the liquid. When it all starts to come together, work the rest of the flour in with your clean hands. Knead until you have a smooth, springy dough. Place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl and cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm room for an hour until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it around a bit to push the air out. Divide the dough up into 6 to 8 balls.
6. When you’re ready to assemble your pizzas, remove a tray from the oven, put a pizza base on it and assemble it quickly – smear tomato sauce on the base and dot with Mozzarella and torn up basil leaves. Place in the oven immediately while you prepare the remaining pizzas. If you’re using a wood-fired oven the pizzas should cook in about 3 to 4 minutes. In a regular oven, they’ll take 8 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.