Makes: Two 12″ pizzas
Ingredients:
- Flour – 300 grams
- Yeast – 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
- Sugar – 1 teaspoon
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Butter/Olive oil – 2 tablespoons
- Warm water to knead the dough – 195 millilitres
Method:
- To ¼ cup of the warm water add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the yeast. Stir well, cover and wait for the yeast-water mix to froth up. Do this to ensure that the yeast is good, in other words: alive!
- Heap the flour on to the kitchen platform. Make a well in the centre, sprinkle the salt along the outer edges of the heap (you do not want the salt in direct contact with the yeast).
- Add the frothy yeast mix along with half the warm water in the well and start kneading the dough beginning with the flour toward the centre of the well. Add the rest of the warm water as you knead. You can add all the water into the well but careful to not let it run away
- Use the heel of your palm to knead the dough, stretching and rolling as you go along until you have a smooth, crack free dough. This takes about 5 minutes.
- Next knead the butter/olive oil into the dough, a little at a time, until all the butter/olive oil has been absorbed by the dough.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each into a ball, folded sides facing the centre, underneath the ball.
- Place them on a greased tray or in separate greased bowls and cover with a damp cloth.
- Leave to rise for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, using your hands gently spread each ball of dough by pushing and stretching it, on to 2 separate greased and dusted plates/trays. Lightly poke the dough all over the surface with your fingers.
- Spread Spicy Salsa or any other tomato sauce of your choice, a generous helping of grated cheese followed by cooked chicken/ mushroom/ veggies etc. seasoned with herbs, finely chopped garlic, fresh chopped chillies and salt. Generously sprinkle grated cheese, drizzle on some olive oil and bake in the centre of a preheated oven at 220°C for 20-25 minutes.
Note:
- To make the base and use the next day: After 2 hours, using your hands, gently spread each ball of dough onto 2 separate greased and dusted plates/ trays. Poke the dough all over the surface with your fingers. Bake as is in the middle rack of a preheated oven at 220°C for 15 minutes. Wrap in grease-proof paper and refrigerate until required. Keeps well for a day.
- Always check the yeast before you begin pulling out all your other ingredients. Bad yeast is an utter waste of time.
- To check if the dough is kneaded sufficiently: roll it into a sausage shape, hold one end and wack the loose end on to the kitchen counter. At this point, the dough should not break or form cracks. If it does, knead a little more.
- You can start making the dough in a bowl, but eventually, you will have to empty the contents on to a floured surface in order to knead it well.
- If you cannot be bothered with a round pizza, spread the dough directly onto your baking tray and make a tray pizza like the one shown below.
