Recently I’ve been inspired with ‘home baking’. As I’ve previously mentioned I’ve always been put off as I’ve always thought it was too much phaff using precise measurements etc. but having met and purchased Rick Stein’s new cook book due to the simplicity of the recipes I now have a different view.

I’ve already cooked several dishes from this book. Without blowing my own trumpet, these have already become household favourites.

The process of making a pizza dough is so simple, then very rewarding once you’ve made your pizza using any topping you want. Basically you can use any leftovers in the fridge.

Dough ingredients-

500g of strong white flour, 7g sachet of fast acting yeast (available in all supermarkets in boxes of 6), 275ml of Luke warm water, 60ml of olive oil, 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of salt.

Method-

Place the flour and yeast in a mixing bowl. Create a well in the middle then add the salt, sugar, yeast and warm water.

Work the ingredients together in the bowl with your hands mixing well. You want to create a bowl of dough in the bowl.

Add some flour to a work surface. Remove the dough from the bowl and start to work it on your surface. You want to warm the yeast and work the flour. You want to work the dough for 5 minutes, back and forth stretching it out and forming the ball.

Grease your mixing bowl a little. Add the dough back to the bowl. Cover with a a slightly damp cloth in a warm place for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes your dough should have risen and doubled in size.

Divide this mixture into 4. Roll out on a slightly floured surface, add a little flour to your rolling pin to prevent it sticking.

I’m nice you have the size and shape you want add the pizza dough to the greased sheet of parchment paper. The dough should be a couple of millimetres thick.

At this point you can add any topping. Obviously start with tomato passata. Then build away!!!

Examples of pizza I’ve made below.

Base of passata, cheese, mozzarella, pepperoni slices, halopenos from a brilliant UK manufacturer and a hot sauce again from a brilliant UK producer called The Lazy Scientist.

I’ll share the brands below. Finished with fresh basil.

The one below has an Indian theme as I’ve used Indian paneer cheese. Again, used cheddar cheese, olives, basil, mushrooms and finished with hot sauce.

The beauty of homemade pizzas is you have no limits.

Thank you for reading my ramblings if you have!!!