Homemade Pizza

Making pizza from scratch is easier than you think and homemade pizza is a huge winner in our home. My kids love to help and add their toppings of choice.

For the pizza dough you will need:

• 2 cups of all purpose flour (sifted)
• 15g instant yeast
• 2ml sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 160ml warm water

Method:

(This recipe will make two to three large pizzas depending on how thick you make the crust. Also see our 2 ingredient pizza dough recipe)

Pour the lukewarm water into a large mixing bowl, add the salt, sugar and yeast and leave for one minute.

Add the sifted flour and knead the dough until the dough is soft and elastic. You may need a bit more water or a bit more flour to achieve the right consistency. The dough should not stick to your hands once kneaded.

Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or cling wrap and leave for about 45 min to rise.

For the sauce you will need:

(Note that my quantities for the sauce will be too much for the pizza recipe above, but I always make extra to keep for later as it also makes a great pasta sauce)

• 1.5kg tomatoes
• 3 large onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 red pepper
• 5ml mixed herbs (a mix of basil and parsley is great and even better if you use fresh herbs instead of dried)
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cloves
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 50 ml lemon juice
• 1 cup vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Remove the skins from the tomatoes, an easy way to do that is to leave them in boiling water for a few minutes and peel. Finely chop the tomatoes, onions, red pepper, and garlic, or use a food processor to chop and blend them.

Transfer to a large saucepan, add the ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves, herbs, salt, pepper, lemon juice and vinegar. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for about half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Add the sugar and simmer for about another 15min until the sauce is thick. Remove from heat and remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves.

If you used the full quantities in the recipe and want to store some for later, it will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. If you want to keep it for longer, you can seal it in sterilized jars and it will keep on your shelf for a few months. To sterilize jars, boil jars and lids in enough water to cover, for five to ten minutes. Remove and immediately fill with the hot sauce. Seal while hot.

Let the sauce to be used for your pizza cool.

In meanwhile, prepare the toppings of choice and grate the cheese.

Uncover the pizza dough and knockback. Knead for a minute or two and roll the dough on a flour sprinkled surface.

Lightly grease your pizza pans and cut the dough to size. Transfer to the pizza pan and spread a layer of sauce over the dough. Bake in a preheated (200 deg Celsius) oven for 7 minutes only.

Remove from oven, add the toppings, sprinkle a layer of cheese over the toppings, and bake until the cheese has melted. Enjoy your homemade pizza and sauce while still warm.

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