Pizza really is simply a cheese and tomato sandwich on crispy flat bread but it is something that every one loves and is a perfect sharing food for a great meal with all the family, no matter what time of year!
Pizza is so easy to make but some people are put off by the thought of getting the yeast, proving the dough and all that. So here is a simple soda bread dough that you can make in five minutes and the cooking of the pizza then takes another 15 minutes! This is based on a traditional Irish Soda Scone Bread (with a wee twist) and it works perfectly every time.
As a traditional pizza oven reaches much higher temperatures, make sure you have your oven pre-heated to 200ºC before you put it in and don't open the door during the cooking or you lose all your heat and the pizza base will not be crispy.
Pizza is so easy to make but some people are put off by the thought of getting the yeast, proving the dough and all that. So here is a simple soda bread dough that you can make in five minutes and the cooking of the pizza then takes another 15 minutes! This is based on a traditional Irish Soda Scone Bread (with a wee twist) and it works perfectly every time.
As a traditional pizza oven reaches much higher temperatures, make sure you have your oven pre-heated to 200ºC before you put it in and don't open the door during the cooking or you lose all your heat and the pizza base will not be crispy.
My ingredients:
For the dough -makes two 10” pizzas
800g plain white flour
½ tspn baking powder
A few twists of ground black pepper
A few twists of ground sea salt
½ tspn mixed Herbs
½ tspn finely chopped garlic
½ tspn mixed Herbs
½ tspn finely chopped garlic
2 tbls olive or rapeseed oil
400ml cold water (approx)
400ml cold water (approx)
You can buy Pizza Trays in any hardware or discount shop.
My Method:
Heat your oven to 200ºC.
- Put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir with a whisk to mix well. Add the oil and stir.
- Now add ¾ of the cold water and with your hand pull the mix into a dough. Add a little more water if you need to. When the dough comes together in the centre dust it with a little flour and turn it out onto your table.
- Cut in half and roll out into two thin circles the size of your pizza trays. Place the circles on the trays and push it our to the edge to help create a thicker crust.
For the topping
1x jar of Tomato Bolognaise Sauce or similar (or make your own sauce)
Thinly sliced peppers, Salami, onions, olives, bacon or any other topping of your choice
Chopped fresh Basil
150g grated Mozzarella cheese
Grated Irish Cheddar or Goats cheese (optional)
My Method:
Spread the sauce on the pizza base. Place your sliced meats, vegetables & herbs on top and finish with the grated mozzarella and other cheeses. Pop into the hot oven for 15 minutes (dont open the door until 15 minutes is up) and serve immediately.
Experiment with toppings like prawns and cheese sauce, potato slices and chorizo, vegetables of all kinds (sliced very thin), bacon and blue cheese or anything else you like!
Experiment with toppings like prawns and cheese sauce, potato slices and chorizo, vegetables of all kinds (sliced very thin), bacon and blue cheese or anything else you like!
Zack