Basic Pizza Dough

This recipe is an excellent addition to your cookery knowledge, and should really be learnt so that you can make it without consulting the actual recipe. It is also, in my opinion, much better than a shop bought pizza base in terms of both taste and texture.


100g plain white flour
250g white bread flour
2 tsp salt
1tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
240ml warm water
2tsp dried yeast



Step 1
Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl and make a well in the centre of the mix. Add the yeast to the water, and add a bit of the flour mix then stir well. Cover the water and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes. Add the water to the flour and mix to a dough, first using your fingers and then the whole hand. wipe the bowl clean with the dough, adding more water for more dry bits, or more flour if the dough is too sticky. Knead the dough for at least 3 minutes, or until it develops a sheen.

Step 2
Return the dough to the bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm, and leave to rise for about an hour at room temperature or until doubled in size. Pre-heat the oven to 230°C along with a pizza stone or baking sheet. Tip the dough out onto a work surface sprinkled with flour to prevent it from sticking. Knock the air out of the dough and knead for a few seconds to shape into two or three balls. Dust a rolling pin and roll out the dough into shape. Finish stretching out the dough with your hands, working out from the centre to make a fairly thin-based pizza.

Step 3
Put toppings on the pizza, and bake on a high shelf in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown, then remove the pizza and serve hot.



Some good suggestions for the pizza topping are tomato sauce, either on its own or with other toppings, or garlic butter. Some suggestions for toppings with the tomato sauce are: chicken and peppers; four cheese; pepperami and salami; ham and pineapple; or even just the simple cheddar cheese option. The pizzas shown below are topped with the tomato sauce recipe, and courgette, chicken and cheese.

So fresh the lens is steaming up

Thin and crisp, perfect.

Just look at that crust, perfectly cooked