THE PERFECT PIZZA BASE

In our November 2016 issue Jane Griffiths demonstrates how easy it is to grow your favourite pizza toppings right outside your kitchen door. Here’s her perfect pizza dough recipe to pull it all together

RELATED: How to grow garlic

INGREDIENTS

  •  ¾ cups lukewarm water
  • 1t instant yeast
  • 1½t salt
  • 2 cups Tipo 00 flour
  • olive oil, for greasing

METHOD

  1. Combine the water and yeast in a bowl and stir. Add the salt and flour and mix until combined.
  2. Turn the shaggy dough (and any loose flour) onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
  3. Shape the dough into a ball and place inside an olive oil greased bowl, turning so the dough is covered with oil. Cover and leave to rise for about an hour and a half, until doubled in size.
  4. Preheat the oven to the highest temperature.
  5. Place a pizza stone or baking tray in the lower middle part of the oven.
  6. Halve the dough with a dough scraper. Take one piece and form it into a large disc using your hands to pull, turn and stretch it. Place it on a 30cm piece of baking paper. If you want it even thinner, use a rolling pin. (It will stick to the paper, but when it bakes, the dough will release from the paper.) If the dough starts shrinking back, leave it to rest for five minutes before trying again. 6. Repeat with the second half of dough.
  7. Add your toppings and place the pizza (with the baking paper) in the oven. Bake for about five minutes then rotate the pizza, removing the paper as you do. Bake for a further 5 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

 Makes two 25cm pizzas