Homemade Pizza Dough for Two Bases

I love pizza. I love everything about it. The thin crispy base, the cheesy, ozzy toppings, the smell, the chewy centre and the crisp edges – what’s not to love?

Since I met the Handsome One we have been making our own pizza bases, but most recipes are for at least half a dozen bases and even when you cut the recipe down, I’ve found them to be still quite thick.

I much prefer a thin base but one that can hold up with the influx of toppings I put on. I’m not shy with toppings and always think I’ll just have a couple, then get totally carried away, as you can see…

So if you like a thin base and only want the recipe for two bases, then look no further! It’s really easy to make and yes, it is a bit messy but isn’t that half the fun?

All you need is:

• 150ml of warm water
• 7g of dried yeast
• 225g of plain flour (or Tippo ’00 if you have it), plus extra for dusting
• 1 1/2 tsp of salt
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Toppings – passata, mozzarella, ricotta, olives, anchovies, chillies, onions, chicken, courgettes, pineapple, anything you fancy – it is your pizza afterall!

1. Put the water in a small bowl and then sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and whisk it with a fork. Leave it for about 15 minutes until it gets frothy on the surface.

2. Sift the flour into a large bowl along with the salt. Then make a well in the centre and pour your yeasty liquid in. Now this is important; coat your hands lightly in olive oil – it’ll stop the dough sticking to your hands and it’s such a good little trick, and then use your hands to slowly mix it together to make a dough.

3. Turn this out onto a floured board (don’t be shy with the flour) and make sure to get any of the mixture left on the sides of the bowl. Then start needing the dough for a minimum of five minutes (and a max of 10mins). The dough should change to a nice silky and pliable texture.

4. Using the large bowl, lightly oil the sides and then pop the dough in. Put the dough in a warm place for about an hour (but you can easily leave it for longer) and give it a quick knead. Tip the dough out onto a floured board, cut the dough in two and start rolling out your base.

5. Now the fun starts! Build your pizza to your liking – I get a bit excited and load it up. This time I had mussels, anchovies, jalapenos, olives, mozzarella, onion and courgettes. Sounds odd but was AMAZEBALLS. I say cook for a maximum of 12 minutes for this base.

Enjoy, preferably with a glass of red 🙂

A x