Gourmet pizza

Following my earlier post on pizzas, I made another attempt again the following Sunday using another recipe posted by Batter Baker. This time, I bought my ingredients days ahead so that I can be ready before the children's class ended. Somehow, the timing didn't work out and only two of the pizzas were churned out by then. Something must be seriously wrong with my time management ;-(

These gourmet pizzas were made after 'consultations' with the two men in my house, cos they would be the main customers anyway. They are 3-cheeses, portobello & basil, and italian sausage pizza. The pizza dough is by Jamie Oliver.

Overall, the customers were happier with the outcome of the pizzas this time.

Pizza Dough, by Jamie Oliver
(Doubled the recipe of Batter Baker's, and made 4 x 7" thin pizza)

260ml lukewarm water
1tsp sugar
2tsp instant yeast
2tbs extra virgin olive oil
400g bread flour
1tsp salt

1. Sprinkle sugar and yeast over water. Set aside for about 10 min till frothy.
2. Pour yeast mixture and oil into flour and salt.
3. Knead till smooth and springy (about 20 min by hand, 10 min by machine).
4. Place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl.
5. Proof for about 30 min or till it doubles in size.
6. While you wait, prepare the pizza topping.
7. Generously flour your work surface.
8. Tip out the dough and flour the top.
9. Press or roll out dough to a 7" circle. If dough keeps springing back on you, let it rest for a few minutes.
10. Prick the dough with a fork (so the dough won't balloon in the oven).
11. Brush the pizza base with little olive oil (this is to prevent the base from becoming soggy.)
12. Spread pasta sauce generously on the pizza base.
13. Place dough on a pizza stone sprinkled with bread crumbs or cornmeal, or on a greased and floured baking pan.
14. Bake at 220 deg C for about 10min.
15. Remove from oven and top with your favourite ingredients.

Pizza Toppings
(for 4 x 7" pizza)

250g mozarella cheese
200g pizza topping cheese
Pasta/ Spaghetti sauce

3-Cheeses
(a) Mozarella cheese
(b) Pizza topping cheese
(c) Gouda chese

Portobello mushroom & basil:
(a) 1 pkt portobello mushroom, sliced & sauteed
(b) 1 pkt basil leaves

Italian Sausage
(a) 2 italian sausages
(b) Yellow & green capsicum

1. Spread half of mozarella cheese and followed by the ingredients.
2. Add the balance mozarella & pizza topping cheese.
3. Put back to the oven and continue to bake for another 10 mins at 220 deg C, or till brown.
4. Slice and ready to serve.

Our Sunday lunch

After seeing batter baker's half & half pizza, my hands were itching to make them too! Originally intend to make it for the kids' snack after class, but I took too long to do my 'marketing' in the morning. By the time I reached home, the class had almost ended and making the pizza from scratch took a slow-motion me a 2.5 hours. Undoubtedly, we had late lunch again! As we had a movie to catch, we had to literally take our half-an-hour afternoon nap straight after our lunch. Me can't survive without afternoon naps, especially on Saturdays and Sundays!

I've copied batter baker's pizza base recipe for my future reference, and doubled her recipe as well to make 2 pizza.



Pizza Base
Recipe for 1 thin 12" (30cm) pizza base.
(Slight modifications on the baking steps.)

120ml lukewarm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp instant yeast
2 tsp olive oil
200g bread flour
1/2 tsp salt

1. Sprinkle sugar and yeast over water. Set aside for 10 min till frothy.
2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix till a dough forms.
3. Knead till smooth and springy (about 20 min by hand, 10 min by machine).
4. Place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl.
5. Proof for about 30 min or till it doubles in size.
6. While you wait, prepare the pizza topping.
7. Generously flour your work surface.
8. Tip out the dough and flour the top.
9. Press or roll out dough to a 12" circle. If dough keeps springing back on you, let it rest for a few minutes.
10. Prick the dough with a fork (so the dough won't balloon in the oven).
11. Place dough on a pizza stone sprinkled with bread crumbs or cornmeal, or on a greased and floured baking pan.
12. Bake at 220 deg C for about 10min.
13. Remove from oven and top with your favourite ingredients.

Pizza Toppings
(for two 12' pizza)

250g mozarella cheese
200g pizza topping cheese
Pasta sauce (can refer to batter baker's, but being lazy I use the usual spaghetti sauce)

1st half:
(a) 1 canned pineapples, drained & cubed
(b) 150g Pinic ham, cut into small squares
2nd half:
(a) 1 pkt Shitake mushroom, sliced & sauteed
(b) 1 pkt basil leaves

1. Brush the pizza base with little olive oil (this is to prevent the base from becoming soggy.)
2. Spread pasta sauce generously on the pizza base.
3. Next, spread half of mozarella cheese and followed by the ingredients.
4. Add the balance mozarella cheese and put back to the oven and continue to bake for another 10 mins at 220 deg C, or till brown.
5. Slice and ready to serve.

Pizza for lunch

Our second weekends that we are staying at home due to our little one's HFMD. Although the spots are cleared, we have not gotten the doctor to certify he's alright to return to school. Anyway, before heading back to school, we have to check whether there's any new cases in his school, better don't take anymore chances like what we did. I bet the happiest person is zak, of course! He's not excited at all to go to school, neither does he miss his friends or teachers. It's still tough getting him to school every morning, after 11 months!

Instead of porridge, instant noodles or fried mee tai mak which we had been cooking for our lunches, I made a pizza today! Pizza toppings are whatever we fancy, shitake mushrooms, pineapples, ham, cherry tomatoes, and of course, mozarella cheese (lots of them)! Cold Storage sells value shredded mozarella cheese at less than $3 for 150g, that's quite a bargain and no wastage if just making one pizza.

We fell on the late breakfast - very late lunch cycle, and by the time the pizza was ready we were all quite hungry. We almost gobbled down the 11" pizza in less than an hour. Don't we have a big appetite - 2 adults 1 toddler?

Ingredients/ Method:

Pizza base

250g bread flour, sifted

1 tsp instant yeast

1 tsp caster sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

150ml water

1. Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and with a dough hook, knead to form a soft pliable dough.

2. Leave covered with cling wrap and damp cloth till dough double in size.

3. Roll out dough to fit pizza pan. The dough fit nicely to my 11" ikea pie dish.

4. Bake dough in pre-heated oven at 220 deg C for 10 mins.

5. Remove from oven and prepare toppings.

Toppings

(*quantity depends on individual's preference)

Shitake mushroom, sliced & sauteed

Canned pineapples, cubed

Pinic ham, cut into small squares

Cherry tomatoes, diced

150g shredded mozarella cheese

Pasta sauce

1. Spread pasta sauce generously on the pizza base.

2. Next, spread half of mozarella cheese and followed by all ingredients.

3. Add the balance mozarella cheese and put back to the oven and continue to bake for another 10 mins at 220 deg C.

4. Slice and ready to serve.