Homemade Pizza

For the Pizza Dough (enough for two 12 inch bases):
• 550g of strong white flour
• 7g of dried yeast (usually one sachet)
• 1 tsp of table salt
• 1 tsp of caster sugar
• 320ml of luke-warm water
• Pepper to season
• 2 tbsp of olive oil

For the Pizza Base Sauce:
• Tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of tomato puree
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pepper to season
• Coarse salt to season
• 2 cloves of garlic (crushed or finely chopped)
• 1 tsp of basil
• 1 tsp of oregano
• 1 tsp Thyme

For the Toppings:
• Grated cheddar and mozzarella
• Toppings of your choice:
Sliced red onions
Sliced mushrooms
Black olives – pitted
Anchovies
Pepperoni
Roasted peppers

STEP 1 Sieve the strong white flour into a large mixing bowl, and add salt and pepper to it.
STEP 2 Add the water, yeast, sugar and olive oil into a jug and leave for 3 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
STEP 3 Pour the wet mixture into the bowl while stirring with a wooden spoon until things are roughly mixed. Then, use your hands to keep mixing and working the dough until it's stretchy and a bit sticky.
STEP 4 Place the dough in the mixing bowl and cover with cling film. Then place the bowl in the oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
STEP 5 Take the dough and knead it for a few minutes to take some of the air out. Divide it into two equal parts. Set the oven to rising function on 200 ̊C.
STEP 6 To make the sauce, add all the sauce ingredients to a blender, and blend for 30 seconds until you get a thick, pale red sauce.
STEP 7 Place the dough on a sheet of baking parchment paper on the counter, and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it's almost the size of the paper. Transfer the rolled pizza base onto a baking tray.
STEP 8 Brush the surface of the dough with olive oil and then spread an even amount of the sauce mixture to cover the surface. Sprinkle grated cheese or mozzarella, followed by the topping of your choice.
STEP 9  Bake the pizza in preheated oven at 200 ̊C for 10 minutes and then serve.