Homemade Pizza (Scratch)

This recipe is ideal if you’re looking to make a pizza from scratch without any fancy equipment! These days I make my dough in a bread maker by throwing in the ingredients and waiting 1 hr 15 mins. This recipe does however make much more dough and of course, you don’t need a break maker!
The base and sauce are (accidentally) vegan, and how you choose to top it is up to you.

Ingredients (base):

• 800g strong white bread flour (plus extra for rolling later)
• 1 level tablespoon of fine sea salt
• 2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast
• 1 tablespoon of golden caster sugar
• 650ml lukewarm water

Ingredients (tomato sauce):

• 2 chopped cloves of garlic (or more, since garlic is the bomb)
• bunch of fresh basil leaves
• olive oil
• 400g chopped or plum tinned tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• additional herbs (I use mixed Italian herbs)

Image above: Homemade base & sauce with vegan cheese and plant based ‘chicken’.

Method:
Making the dough:

1. Grab the largest mixing bowl you have (if you don’t have a large one use two small ones and half the recipe, dividing between the two)
2. Add the flour and salt into the bowl and make a well in the middle.
3. Add the lukewarm water to a separate bowl, as well as the caster sugar and mix the two until combined.
4. Add in the yeast into the liquid and mix with a fork until combined, then leave for 2 minutes.
5. Pour the liquid mix into the well of your flour in the large bowl.
6. Grab a fork and slowly combine the flour into the well in the centre by mixing in the centre, and slowly moving outward, allowing the flour to mix with the liquid.
7. Once a dough is formed tip it onto a floured surface. It may be quite wet so use plenty of extra flour here.
8. Here you will knead the dough by pushing and pulling dough at the same time (push away with right hand and pull towards you with left.) Keep doing this until the dough is tough and it’s hard to work. (5+ mins)
9. Grease a large bowl (largest again or two smaller bowls) with some oil and add your dough to the bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for at least 45 minutes. (Keep somewhere neutral in temperature or warm.)

Making the sauce:

1. Heat a pan and add a glug of olive oil.
2. Add chopped/pressed garlic to the pan.
3. When the garlic is sizzling, add in torn or finely chopped basil leaves, salt and pepper and combine.
4. Once these ingredients are simmering nicely (make sure not to brown/burn the garlic) tip in your tinned tomatoes.
5. Add salt and pepper, any Italian season you wish, combine, and keep on a low heat .
6. Cook the sauce until the tomatoes are soft and the sauce has thickened.
7. Leave to cool, and then mash sauce with a fork, potato masher, or alternatively blend in a food processor or smoothie blender for a smoother sauce.

Preparing your pizza:

1. Once your dough has risen, tip it out of your bowl, grab a section the size of a tennis ball. Shape it with your hands into a nice even ball, and flatten slightly.
2. Place on a floured surface and roll out into your pizza base. Ensure you are rolling out each side evenly to get a nice round pizza base (but it’s going to taste so good, perfection isn’t what we’re going for, so don’t worry too much about how the base looks.)
3. The thickness of the base is up to you, whether you want a deep thick pan pizza, or an Italian thin base. I tend to keep a thin base for quicker cook time, and I love thin pizzas! When rolled out you should be able to pick up and manage dough easily as it should be ‘toughened’ from your kneading earlier and it shouldn’t be too thin. I cook the pizza on a hot pan and then transfer it under the grill to cook from both sides. If you would rather use an oven than a grill, turn on the oven now.
4. Have a hot frying pan or gridle ready and oiled, then carefully (and quickly) transfer your rolled out base onto the hot pan. I slide my right arm under the base so it’s sitting on the back of my hand/wrist and hold it with my left hand for 2-3 seconds while transferring it.
5. While the pan is cooking your pizza from the base, spoon your tomato sauce onto your pizza, leaving a gap around the edge for your crust. Reduce the heat of the pan, and turn on your grill (if you aren’t using the oven.)
6. Here you can add a variety of toppings that you wish. My favourites are sun dried tomatoes, pesto, peppers, spinach leaves, vegan meat alternatives like Linda McCartney sausages, vegan pastrami, and spiced tofu ‘chicken’ and tofu ‘bacon’.
7. Check that the base isn’t burning by using a spatula to lift up the edges and have a peek.
8. Sprinkle your cheese on top (I like to use Violife pizza mozzarella cheese), and add a drizzle of olive oil or even better, basil oil, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush the crust lightly with oil too.
9. Transfer pizza to the grill or oven when the base has gone golden brown, and allow toppings to cook, cheese to melt, and crust to go golden brown.
10. Keep an eye on your pizza, particularly if you’re using the grill as it doesn’t take long for it to cook!
11. Transfer to board and slice up with pizza cutter.
    
    Tip: I like to grab some vegan mayo, add in some garlic, mixed Italian herbs, and have a tasty dip with my pizza.