PS. excuse the mouthful...

pizza

/ˈpiːtsə,ˈpɪtsə/
noun
a dish consisting of a flat round base of dough baked with a topping of tomatoes and cheese, typically with added meat, fish, or vegetables.

There is one thing that can fill my heart with joy, almost as well as pasta can... and that is Pizza!  I believe that anyone can create art in the kitchen.  Pizza is one of the easiest things to make, versatile in almost every sense of the word.  Thick base, thin base, stuffed crust, all meat, no meat, mozzarella (of coarse), cheese, vegetarian, seafood (tricky one) - the possibilities are endless. Whenever I knead a "pick me up", feel good experience I make this guilty pleasure.

We work, eat, sleep and repeat and just once in a while we have to relax, grab a slice and "chill".  This delectable oversized flat bread (topped with anything of your choice), is the perfect occasion making meal... Many times waking up with a hangover or a late night hang out with friends, or just a romantic meal for two (queue Italian romance music, ambient light and wine), pizza is perfect in any setting.

Once a week we have Pizza night at home, and this makes for the most exciting time of the week.  Planning for this usually happens two to three days in advance, depending on what we feel like having, or maybe new techniques I'd like to try.  For this post, I will pay homage to two different pizzas: the classic Margherita Pizza & Meat Lovers Festival.

PS. excuse the mouthful...

Pizza Base

Ingredients:

500g All Purpose Flour

10g  Instant Yeast

400 ml luke warm Water

1stp Salt

1tsp Sugar

Method

In a bowl, combine the yeast; sugar and water. 

Let the mixture stand until a foam forms (5 minutes).

Sift the flour in a separate bowl, combine with salt then add the liquid mixture (You can mix everything in a food processor, this would be great -  if not, this is not a train smash).

Mix until a dough starts to form.

Knead the dough for 10 minutes (on a flour dusted surface).

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl (this would prevent the dough from sticking to the sides).

Cover with cling wrap/ clean cloth, and let rise for 1 hour (the longer you let it rise, the better!).

On a floured surface, roll out the the dough to the desired thickness & size.
(The dough is enough for 2 pizzas)

Add the toppings of your choice and bake until golden brown.

Toppings (Margherita)

Ingredients:

1 can of whole Tomatoes

1 cup of Mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp Olive Oil

2 clove Garlic (roasted & chopped)

2 cups of Fresh Basil (I love to grow them, as this makes for a fresher supply)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 240'C

Place the tomatoes in a pan over a medium heat and reduce to a sauce.

Remove from the heat.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to your desired size and place on a baking tray.

Spread the tomato sauce evenly on the pizza base.

Place the mozzarella over this (the cheese can be grated, shredded or sliced - this doesn't matter).

Place the pizza into the oven, and bake 15-20 minutes.

Add the basil leaves for a finishing touch.

Do not add the basil leave on the pizza BEFORE baking, they will wilt and discolor! 

Toppings (Meat Lovers Festival)

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded Tenderized Steak

1/2 cup diced Bacon

1/2 cup Cheese Russians

1/2 cup Salami

Salt & Pepper to taste

Mixed herbs to taste

Origanum to taste

1 Onion diced

1 green & red Bell Pepper

2 crushed Garlic Cloves

60ml Tomato sauce  

30ml Worcester sauce

90ml Chutney

60ml Whiskey

2 cups Cheese (cheddar & mozzarella) 

Method:

Preheat oven to 240'C.

In an airtight container combine: tomato sauce; worcester sauce; chutney, whiskey, mixed herbs, origanum, garlic, salt and pepper.

Place the steak in the container and marinade in the fridge for 30 minutes.

In a sauce pan , saute the onion until golden brown.

Add the steak and all the sauce from the container and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Separate the steak from the sauce and keep the sauce aside (the sauce is you base sauce for the pizza).

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to your desired size and place on a baking tray.

Spread the sauce evenly over the base, and start to add all the meat toppings.

Grate and sprinkle the cheese over.

Place on a baking tray (I flipped mine over for more space).

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy, 

Tin_Tin