Servings:

4 to 6 adults

Level of difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

Base
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or Vegetable oil
4 cups strong white bread flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
25g fresh yeast or equivalent dried yeast
2 crushed and pulped cloves of garlic

Tomato paste
small tin/packet tomato frito or puree 150 - 200g
1 small clove of garlic
75g or half a medium onion
75g or half a small pepper
2 or 3 mushrooms cleaned
salt and pepper


Topping(s)
anything you prefer but
grated cheese - mixed strong cheese and mozzarella grated
sliced mushrooms
small strips of your favourite bacon
American pepperoni (Tesco)
peperami sliced
slivers of pepper
sliced onions

Method

Method

Base
Put the water and sugar in a jug add the yeast and allow to activate
If using a bread machine follow the makers suggested ingredient order and use on dough only, adjust the water as needed.
Or in a bowl mix all the ingredients together and add the yeast mix adjust the water until you get a dough mix which is not sticking to your hands and has all the flour mixed well into it.
Kneed for 10 minutes stretching and folding as you go place in a bowl and cover leave to rise.
Remove from the bowl after about half an hour and kneed for 1 minute and return to the bowl when the size has about doubled its ready to use (half an hour or so depending on the temperature).

Tomato paste
In a food blender add the ingredients and blitz
Frito should be Ok but puree will need a bit of loosening add a little water of some olive oil to make the base spreadable
For a twist you can add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce or Soy sauce

When the dough mix has risen again set your oven to 220 -225 prepare 2 or 3 large pizza pans (35cm). If using ceramic pans you will need to add to the cooking time- oil the base lightly

Cut the dough into 2 or 3 pieces depending on your preferred base thickness
On a floured surface roll out with a pin to approximately the size of your pizza dish and lay in the pan(s)
One of my daughters prefers the base just to be spread with cheese at this point and cooked like that


Divide the tomato base between them and spread with the back of a large spoon until the base is coated.


Then cover the tomato with a good layer of cheese then arrange the rest of the topping to your choice.

Place on top of the oven and leave to rise if you want a thick base or into the oven if you don't want it to rise too much

Depending on your pan it will take about 15 to 20 minutes the exposed bread edges should be crispy and the topping cooked and hot and bubbling. Take from the oven and cut into portions - serve with a ready washed salad and/or a jacket potato

Depending on your topping it freezes quite well, reheat in a hot oven and make sure it hot right through.