Homemade Cheese Pizza For Beginners

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

1 cup (400g tin) Italian chopped tomatoes

Salt to taste

Optional: fresh basil and oregano

For the Dough: Yeast Mixture:

7g yeast

60ml warm water

Pinch of white sugar

The Rest:

430g all-purpose flour

10g white granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

30ml extra virgin olive oil

260ml room temperature water

Toppings:

Mozzarella cheese

A sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese

Rocket/arugula leaves (or basil, if available)

Method:

Yeast Activation:

In a small bowl, combine the yeast, pinch of sugar, and 60ml warm water. Mix and leave for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is bubbly.

Dough Preparation:

Pour the activated yeast into a large mixing bowl.

Add 260ml of water, olive oil, salt, and sugar. Mix well.

Gradually add the flour, stirring to combine. It will start to form a shaggy dough.

Kneading the Dough:

Lightly flour your work surface.

Turn the dough out onto it and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth.

First Rise:

Place the dough in a well-oiled glass bowl.

Cover with a towel or plastic wrap.

Leave in a warm place for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.

Shaping:

Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.

Cut into two pieces.

Preheat the oven to its highest setting (mine reaches 250°C).

Gently knead each piece for 1 minute to release some air bubbles.

Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough, breaking some of the bubbles.

Forming the Pizza Base:

Place the dough on a lightly floured pizza baking tray.

Gently stretch it out to the edges, taking a few minutes for this step.

Sauce Preparation:

Mix the crushed tomatoes and salt in a bowl.

Use an immersion blender to break down the tomatoes, pulsing a few times (not fully pureeing).

Adding Sauce and Toppings:

Spread some sauce over the pizza base (remember, less is more).

Apply mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

You can freeze the remaining sauce for next time.

Baking:

Bake for about 8-12 minutes, depending on how hot your oven is and your preference for golden crust.

Serving:

Serve the pizza with rocket/arugula leaves (or basil, if you have it).

Enjoy your homemade cheese pizza! 😊

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