So, we're going through a phase right now of weekly pizza making. I have also been asked to share my secrets with those out there who would like to know them, however, as these things are I do a lot of this by instinct so perhaps I will attempt to take measurements next time for anyone who is interested.
There are essentially 3 parts to this:
1. the Base (which reminds me of this classic youtubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfeyUGZt8nk)
2. the Tomato Sauce
3. Rolling out the dough and adding the toppings
The Base
So, to make this you will need for the base: Flour; Oil, Yeast, Sugar; Tap Water and at least 3 hours.
I pour about 300g of flour into a large bowl, throw in some dry yeast, about 1 or 2 desert spoons (essentially the more yeast the quicker the rise), then I tip between 1/2 and 1 cup full of olive oil in and about a desert spoon of sugar.
Once that is all in your big mixing bowl (remember it is going to rise a lot), rub it all together and start adding hot water (not too hot or it will kill the yeast). The trick here is to add it slowly and mix it (I hold my mixing bowl by the tap and use one hand to stir), once the mixture is slightly wet but not runny you can start the full knead. I move the bowl to a stable surface and mush it up for about 2-3 minutes with both hands.
A word of advice, you should try to remember to take of any rings or accessories from your hand or they will (unsurprisingly) get doughy, another tip, remember where you put the aforementioned jewelry or your wife or husband may get mad at you for losing your wedding ring even if it is temporary.
Now you have your dough, all you do is cover it with cellophane or a kitchen cloth for a few hours. I make my dough in the morning before going out to buy my other ingredients.
The Sauce
So, you've come back from the shops and your ready to prepare your pizza. You now need to make an amazing tomato sauce. For this use Tomatoes and what ever you like (garlic, herbs, celery, chili, onion etc.). I usually add grated carrot and garlic and salt and pepper. We have been fortunate enough to have had 6 tomato plants that have provided kilos of lovely tomatoes, otherwise I would use tinned but you could buy them from a store. At this point it is worth remembering to be careful where you get your tomatoes (http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/1033179/scandal_of_the_tomato_slaves_harvesting_crop_exported_to_uk.html)
So, with about 8-10 quartered tomatoes or 2 tins place them in a deep saucepan and let them to a light simmer. If you use fresh tomatoes this will take a bit longer to boil off the excess water. Once they get to boiling and you have reduced it to a simmer I add garlic and some salt and pepper then use the hand-mixer to get my sauce to a nice consistency. I then add grated carrot and continue to simmer until it gets to a decent level of thickness to spread.
Building Your Pizza
Finally, your ready to build. First step is to oil your pizza tray. I use an ovenproof, cast iron, Le Creuset frying pan and add a generous covering of oil to the bottom. I find the frying pan gets the base really crispy and rises better as a tray will allow the dough to expand sideways as it rises in the oven. As you can see in the picture, the frying pan forces the dough to rise up. Remember that the handle will be very, very, very hot and you will burn yourself eventually when you foolishly try and pick it up by the scalding handle (I think the pizza is worth it though).
So, now to the dough. Your dough should have sat for at least a few hours and have raised to be double its original size. I use a big cutting board, I coat it in olive oil and lightly dust with flour, I find if you use too much flour you may mess up your dough. Place enough dough for 1 pizza on the board, flatten it out and add some salt then you need to knead! (this video probably shows you how if you don't know how (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWj8oHMPFm0). I like my pizza thick so once I've rolled mine out it has a height of approximately 2cm.
You now have kneaded and rolled out your dough, you place it on your tray (pan) and can smother it in a layer of tomato sauce and place shredded mozzarella cheese and toppings to your hearts content. I usually add the cheese first then have olives, pepperoni, green pepper, onion and mushroom. I cook at about 180 degrees Celsius in a fan assisted oven for about 15-20 minutes until the cheese is slightly browning. Once it is cooked and I've taken it out of the oven I add a freshly chopped basil and a bit of pepper and then, well then I bloody eat it don't I!
