Friday pizza night is a bit of a tradition in my house. One that began about 4 years ago, when I was flatting with other pizza and beer enthusiasts. We'd each do our own toppings, and share to see who could come up with the best combination. Tonight was the best night to bring the tradition back to life, firstly because I finally have a new oven (YUSS!!) and secondly, the rugby's on.
I like to keep my base quite no frills, using the edmonds pizza base ratio, that way I let the toppings shine. The boys, both meatlovers, decided the broccoli was "all good!" and struggled to pick a favourite.
Base
- 1 tbsp Edmonds active yeast
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 cup of warm water - it should be body temperature, mix half a cup of boiled water with cold water
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups of plain flour
- 1 tbsp oil
Mix yeast, sugar and warm water in a bowl. Set aside, somewhere warm and draught free (a 35 degree oven works well for this if its a cold day) for about 15 minutes till yeast has become frothy. Meanwhile get started on making on the toppings, as below.
Mix in sifted flour, salt and oil. Combine with a knife till the dough starts to come together. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. You'll feel the dough become smooth and elastic.
Oil a large bowl, place the dough in and cover with a tea towel. Put back in the draught free warm place for about an hour till it's doubled in size.
Preheat your oven, and pizza stone to 220 degrees celsius Punch the dough down and knead again before splitting it in half (or quarters if you want smaller pizza's).
Roll gently, or press into 30cm pizza tray. Or if you have a pizza stone, roll the dough out on greaseproof baking paper - this makes it easier to get it off the bench and on the stone pre cooking.
Once rolled, oil the base.
Broccoli Feta and Red Onion Pizza
- 2 red onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- Oregano, salt and pepper
- 60g feta
Heat oil in a saucepan and on a low heat, sauté the onion, balsamic and garlic for about 10 minutes till softened, stirring often. Set aside
Prepare broccoli by lightly steaming or microwaving for 2 minutes
To assemble spread sautéed onion onto prepared base, sprinkle grated cheese and arrange broccoli florets over the top. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper.
Bake 15 - 20 minutes till golden. Remove from heat and crumble feta over top. Slice. Serve.
Spicy Chorizo and Mushroom Pizza
Tomato Base
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1/2 tin crushed tomatoes (or 6 fresh)
- 1/2 cup water or stock
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp each of dried marjoram, thyme, chilli flakes and pepper
- 1 tsp each of dried basil, oregano, and salt
Toppings
- 1 chorizo finely sliced
- 6 mushrooms, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- handful of jalapeños (optional)
- handful of marinated eggplant - artichoke, sun-dried tomato, olives or other antipasto veggies would also work well, just don't go overboard, simple is best.
To make the sauce heat oil in a saucepan, add herbs and spices till they start to sizzle, reduce heat and add garlic, celery and carrot. Sauté for 5 minutes till softened. Add tomatoes and water or stock, increase heat, and cook, stirring every couple of minutes till sauce is thick. You can puree it, or leave it chunky, I like it chunky to be honest.
Once base is ready, spread the sauce over, then half the grated cheese. Arrange mushrooms, chorizo, marinated veggies, and jalapeños on top. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes. Slice. Enjoy.
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