(serves at least four generously, with three large pizzas)
800 grams strong bread flour
1/2 tbsp each dried thyme, dried basil
pinch salt
2 packets dried yeast
500 ml tepid water
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 extra tbsp olive oil
tomato sauce:
2 tbsps olive oil
1 large can whole Italian plum peeled tomatoes
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsps Italian seasoning
handful whole basil leaves
toppings:
1 packet Simply Sausages
1 70-gram bag rocket leaves
1 red onion, sliced thin
500 grams pizza mozzarella (less liquid than ordinary), shredded
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
Piri-piri oil to drizzle
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan to scatter over top
This is something to make when you have a fair amount of time, to allow for the dough to rise, and a fair amount of energy, to make the sauce and prepare the toppings. The results will make you throw away your order-out-pizza menus and will leave you wanting to make it all over again, the next night.
For the dough, mix all the dry ingredients well with a fork, in a large bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients in a measuring cup and pour slowly over the flour mixture, stirring with a fork just to absorb, then get your (clean) hands in there and knead the dough until nice and soft, slightly sticky. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky. When it’s nice and soft and not sticking to the bowl, take the dough out, oil the inside of the bowl with olive oil, roll the dough around to coat it too, and leave in a warm place till doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down, knead a bit, then leave to rise one more time. This is a very flexible process: the dough can rise to any amount over almost any period of time and still be punched down.
Separate the dough into three chunks and roll out with a rolling pin and plenty of flour shaken about to keep it from sticking to the rolling surfaces. Roll each chunk out to the size of your pizza stone, tin or cookie sheet, stretch it out to cover the surface and cover with clingfilm until ready to bake.
Place the porcini mushrooms in a dish and cover with boiling water, stirring a bit and letting them sit for at least 20 minutes, to rehydrate. Save the water when you’re finished because it makes a cracking addition to couscous, risotto, stock, pasta sauce, you name it.
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic gently, but don’t brown. Whizz the tomatoes in a food processor till smooth, then add to the garlic. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning and simmer for about 1/2 hour or until nicely reduced and slightly thickened. Add basil leaves and simmer until wilted.
For the toppings, use your imagination! You can either saute the sausages till cooked through and slice, or liberate them from their skins and saute as sausagemeat. Spoon sauce over the crust, scatter with toppings as you like, and bake in a VERY hot oven (450 F, 225 C) for perhaps 10 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and crisp.
DELICIOUS!
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