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Some Of The Simplest Ingredients, To Life’s Simple Pleasures.
Flour, oil, salt & liquid. You wouldn’t think that these few ingredients can turn into some of our favourite everyday comforts. From bread, pasta, cakes, sauces, pancakes, pastries and that’s just the base.
With the weather being so cold and miserable outside, I thought I’d stay in doors and try making things from scratch, and one of the easiest things to make is pizza dough.
With only a few ingredients, a mixer and a little elbow work, you got yourself a fluffy or thin pizza base ready for your choice of toppings. Whether it be a simple tomato and basil, garlic and oil, nutella and strawberry, on pizza, is always a good idea.
Tips & Things To Note
Choice Of Flour
Surprisingly the choice of flour makes a big difference to the outcome of your pizza dough and being such a simple ingredient, you’d be surprised to know there’s at least over 10 types of different flour out there and that’s not including the gluten free stuff!
I love a pizza that is light and airy, with a lovely chewy crust. Seeing those burnt bits of air bubbles really gives an authentic look as well as flavour and this is all to do with the protein levels in the flour. The higher the protein, the more gluten you have to work with, resulting in a more robust, stretchy and airy dough. This is what gives the dough its air pockets effect.
Therefore you would want to pick a flour with a good amount of protein for a light fluffy texture. If you want to be a pro and really get those lovely bubbles in your pizza dough, I recommend “00” flour or bread flour to do the job, otherwise all purpose flour is fine.
One thing to note if using bread flour, due to its high protein level, it will require more water to get the consistency right. And for the best results, let the dough rest over night for easy stretching.
This leads me to tip No. 2
Let The Dough Rest
Giving the dough time to rest in the refrigerator, (preferably 24 hrs), gives the yeast & gluten time to work it’s magic. Doing this will add, more depth of flavour, texture as well as those bubbly browning crust effects… Mmmmm.
Kneading
This is the part where it all comes together and just as important. This is where the protein, combined with water works it’s magic, creating what is called gluten. As the dough is kneaded, gluten is released, giving you that stretchy, elastically quality to a good pizza dough.
A stand mixer, food processor and good old elbow grease, all works a treat in kneading the dough. I prefer to go old school and knead it by hand as I get a hands on feel of the consistency I want. If I’m in a rush or cooking for a crowd, then the food processor is my go to, as it does the job super quick. One thing to note is, if using a food processor, although it’s quick, it’s also very easy to overwork your dough, resulting in a sticky dough that won’t hold its shape. If you do decide to use a food processor, when the dough starts to form a ball and the bowl becomes clean, that means the dough is ready. So don’t blitz it any more!
Baking
If you can, use a baking stone. The stone will absorb the heat and help cook the pizza from the base up, creating a more evenly cooked pizza, so no more cooked toppings and soggy raw bases.
Another note is the temperature of the oven. Traditional wood fire ovens hold a lot of heat with those hot bricks and wood fires so to mimic that, you gotta crank your oven up…
I tried 280C (300F) and it cooked the pizza beautifully, giving those lovely seared bits and yet still soft and pillowy in the base.
Well there you have it, Now Go Make Some Dough…lol
Although it sounds like there’s a lot to consider, pizza dough is really simple and easy once you know the science behind it.
Taking less than 30 mins to prepare, 10-15 min to cook, sooooo much tastier and a whole lot of fun, even the kids can do it.
So have yourself some family night fun and make some pizza from scratch!
I’ve also got some home made pizza sauce as well as some tasty healthy cheese free topping ideas coming soon, so don’t forget to check them out.
Di x
Simple Fluffy Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 cup dairy free milk warmed
- 7 g Instant dried yeast ( 2 x 1/4 tsp)
- 3 cups Bread flour sifted
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
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Heat dairy free milk in the microwave till warm, not hot as it will kill the yeast.
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Sprinkle yeast on top and let it activate for 10 min. Yeast should smell strong and look foamy when ready
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In a food processor, combine, flour, salt, oil and yeast mixture and blend till ingredients have combined. Soft, bouncy and not sticky to touch.
A tell tell sign will be when dough forms a ball and bowl is clean.
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If dough is too wet, add a little more flour and vice verser if dough is too dry
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When dough is ready, place dough in a greased bowl and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
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Dough will make 2 regular size pizza base or 4 smaller pizza
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To roll, simply cut dough into 2 or 4
To Cook
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Pre heat oven to 280C (536F)
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Cook pizza with desired topping for 10-15 min pending qty of toppings
Recipe Notes
This recipe also works for hand or stand mixer. Just be mindful of time and consistency of dough. If dough is too wet, add a little more flour and vice verser if dough is too dry. Dough should be soft, bouncy and not sticky to touch.
Resting over night is preferred however, if you can't wait, you can roll dough straight away. It will mean the dough might not be as stretchy to roll and dense in texture.
This dough will puff up, so if you prefer a thinner base, be sure to roll your base really thin.
Cooking time is pending the amount of toppings layered onto base. The more topping, the more cooking time is required.
Keep it simple, less is more!
*Nutrition information is approximate and is meant as a guide only*
