Homemade Pizza

Pizza has always been one of my favorite snacks, ever since I was little. And to add to that, both my boys love pizza too! My mom always baked us homemade pizza when we were growing up, so I make sure my boys have the same experience, irrespective of how many times we order a takeaway. Here is my pizza recipe from scratch. Feel free to vary the toppings with whatever you like!

Ingredients:

Pizza Base:

4 cups flour

1 1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
Oil for the baking tray

Pizza Sauce:

1/2 kg ripe tomatoes
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp tomato paste (can also use 2 tbsp ketchup instead)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic paste (can use minced garlic)
Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:

250g mozzarella cheese, grated
20 olives, pitted and sliced
1 bell peppers, sliced or finely chopped (capsicum)
1 cup sweet corn
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, sliced (optional)
2 carrots, grated (optional)
2 sausages, sliced

50g butter, grated

Method:

Pizza Base:

Mix the yeast, sugar, salt, milk, and water, and let the mixture sit till the yeast blooms.

Add the flour and the oil, and knead well.

Spread some oil on a 16-inch baking tray or two 8-inch trays.

Spread the dough on the baking trays, and allow it to rise for about 1 1/2 hr.

Pizza Sauce:

To easily peel the tomatoes, take about 3-4 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. 

Put the tomatoes into the pan and allow to boil for about 30 seconds.

Take the tomatoes out and put them into a bowl of cold water.

Peel the tomatoes, cut them lengthwise into four parts, and remove the seeds.

Once the seeds have been removed, chop them up and put them in a blender.

Add the sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic and blend into a coarse paste. I usually prefer if there are small chunks of tomatoes.

Pour the mixture into a non-stick pan with the oil and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes, till the sauce thickens and the liquid is reduced.

Turn the heat off and allow it to cool down.

Assembly:

When the pizza dough in the baking tray has risen and is fluffy, poke holes into it using a fork and top it with the pizza sauce.

Add all the toppings, starting with the onions, carrots, corn, bell peppers, and tomatoes.

Add the olives and the sausage slices, and top off with the mozzarella cheese and butter.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or gas mark 5 for about 15-20 minutes.