Pizza Dough Recipe

Pizza Dough

So many times we order pizza from these big brands and it is an easy thing to do. However, making pizza at home is equally easy although it requires a little preparation beforehand. If you have your pizza dough and pizza sauce prepared and frozen, even that possibility is eliminated. This philosophy is inspired by Hubby Dearest and out recent trip to Venice where we saw the pizza being made from scratch in front of our eyes. Another chat with Mom and a little convincing by Hubby made me walk the path of pizza at home from scratch. It was not half as bad as I thought it to be. I did use tomato ketchup and chilli sauce instead of making my pizza sauce but you can go the extra mile in that department too.

Here I am discussing how to make pizza dough. It will be enough to make 3 thin crust 10” pizza bases.

Ingredients

2 cups + 1 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp oil

1 cup warm water

Mix dry yeast, sugar and a little water in a container till the yeast dissolves. Add the salt and 2 cups flour and remaining water to mix well till the dough comes together. If it looks sticky, add more flour. Cover the container and let the dough rise for 2 hours.

Pizza Dough – needs more flour

Once the dough has risen, take it out of the container and place it on a well dusted surface. Punch it to take out the air and knead it for 5 mins. If it is sticky, add more flour as required.

Place the dough in a well oiled container and spread some oil on the exposed surface of dough also. Cover it and place it in the fridge till further use.

When ready to make pizza, take out the dough on a well dusted surface. Divide it into three equal sized balls. Roll each one into a circle about 10” in diameter. The base is ready.

Rolled Pizza Base

Assemble Pizza

Assembling the pizza is the most fun part of the whole process. You can involve even children as they will enjoy making their own pizza.

Ingredients

1 Pizza base

1/2 cup Pizza sauce (or use tomato ketchup or ready made sauce)

1 cup chopped vegetables of your choice (onion, mixed peppers, sweet corn, paneer, jalapenos, olives)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Salt/Pepper/Seasoning of your choice

1 tsp oil

Ready to eat Pizza

Pre-heat the oven for 5 mins at 200 C.

Oil the pizza tray well with oil. Place the pizza base on the tray.

Spread the pizza sauce on the pizza base as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the veggies and the seasoning. Spread the mozzarella on top.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins at 200 C till the cheese has melted and is golden brown. The crust should be cooked through and will be deep golden brown at the edges and soft in the middle.

Cut the pizza into wedges and serve hot.

Tip: You can vary the pizza deep dish by making the base thicker. You can also make a stuffed pizza by baking  two bases separately for 5 mins and then placing them on top of the other with cheese or any stuffing of your choice in between.

Pizza@Home

Pizzas are yummy. Italians might have just invented the best take-away dinner/snack/lunch/breakfast ever. In my post-grad, every Thursday was Pizza Night for my roomie and I, chiefly because the mess food sucked most on that day. Then we discovered the onslaught of exams and late night studies and pizza ordering became the rule of the room. Thankfully, I passed that phase but Pizza still beckons on Fridays specially when I have hit the gym every single day for the past 5 days and the weekend is round the corner….so enjoy. But that yummy pizza just screws up every effort for the past 5 days and is not really healthy to say the least. Here is a home-made pizza recipe that I am sure you will love and that will watch your tyres round your tummy while you watch it go down your throat at break-neck speed.

Ingredients

2 Pizza Base (available at any bakery)

2 tblsp butter or ghee

½ cup tomato ketchup

1  cup processed cheese, grated

1 large onion

1 large tomato

1 capsicum

Salt and pepper to taste

Spread butter on pizza base. Then spread tomato ketchup on it. Chop tomato, onion and capsicum finely.  Sprinkle cheese on the pizza base. On top of that, sprinkle onion, tomato and capsicum. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in microwave oven till the cheese starts to bubble and the base turns golden brown. Cut into slices and serve.

 

Tip: The pizza can be toated in a closed grill also. The toppings can be varied according to personal choice.