Everyone loves pizza and it is super simple and fun to make. So step away from the phone, grab your mixing bowl and you can have an authentic homemade pizza in under an hour. It will be free of preservatives, excess oil and it will taste much better than anything store bought or from the freezer!

While you can have just about anything on pizza’s the best rule is keep it simple. I like the classic combination of salami, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil… how could it go wrong?! And remember, this isn’t a butcher’s shop people so don’t try and fit a mixed grill on top! I have been to traditional pizza shops before where three toppings is the maximum so remember less is more.

Ingredients

Makes 2 large pizzas

• 500g 00 flour
• 2 x 7g packet of dried yeast
• 250ml luke warm water
• 1 tbs salt
• Pizza sauce – you can either make your own or purchase one from the store, I would recommend Leggos.
• 300g hot salami
• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes halved
• 3 handfuls of torn basil leaves
• 2 handfuls of fresh rockets leaves
• Mozzarella or pizza cheese

Method

1. Tip the yeast into a large mixing bowl, add a little of the water, a sprinkle of flour and mix until combined into a sticky ball.
2. Cover with a dry tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the yeast ball from the bowl, add the flour making a well in the middle, return the yeast ball to the centre of the well, add salt and top with water.
4. Combine the mixture until it pulls away from the edges of the bowl and forms a ball.
5. Tip the mixture onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 220C. Pop your pizza stones or trays into the oven as it heats, this will ensure you get a crispy base on the pizza as it cooks.
7. Ensuring your work surface is well floured, cut the dough into two and stretch or roll the dough to the rough size of your trays/stones.
8. Top the first pizza with a good amount of pizza sauce making sure ou spread it evenly and right to the edges, half the salami, half the cherry tomatoes, one handful of torn basil leaves and top with cheese. Repeat with the remaining pizza base.
9. Carefully transfer the pizza bases from the work surface to the trays/stones. If you have made the bases too big don’t worry. Simply fold the excess dough up on itself, you will see I have done this on the edge of the pizza. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese has turned golden and the base it firm to touch.
10. Place onto a serving board, I like to use a big cutting board, top each pizza with one handful of rocket leaves and half a handful or the remaining basil.

Enjoy!

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