It’s no secret that Australia boasts some of the best pizzerias in the world, so you’ve got a great excuse if you ever need to tour the entire country one day. You’ll find no shortage of travel buddies, as who doesn’t love the idea of eating amazing pizza across the nation?
However, if you’ve already planned your holidays for this year or simply don’t have the budget to travel right now, then there is yet another way to eat tasty pizza… make it yourself at home!
When you buy all the ingredients and set aside a few hours, pizza is certainly an easy and affordable way to eat at home. Soon enough, you’ll find that cooking DIY pizza isn’t hard at all and you can feed your family and friends with delicious recipes all year round.
But, first things first, let us tell you how to make fantastic pizza at home using these simple tips.
Making the dough
You’ll want to aim for a thin, crispy base that is closer to the genuine Italian style rather than the giant, robust Americanised pizza. Remember that when it comes to cooking in the oven, preheating is one of the most important tasks with regard to your pizza.
- 150g of atta flour
- 500g of bread flour
- Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of dry yeast (or simply pick up a packet of yeast from your supermarket)
- 400ml of lukewarm water
To get your pizza dough started, perform these easy steps:
- Use a clean surface in your kitchen or a cutting board. Mix the flours and the yeast, and then form a well in the middle of your ingredients.
- Pour the salt and sugar into your water and mix
- Now, very slowly pour the water into the well created in the middle of your flour and yeast.
- Again, slowly push the flour and yeast into the water and begin mixing it all together using your clean hands (things will get messy)
- Start to knead the dough by pushing and pulling in rhythm, and once you start to see the dough taking on an elastic and smooth texture, then you’re almost done. If the dough feels too sticky, then sprinkle a bit of bread flour onto your surface and continue kneading until it feels soft.
- Grab a large bowl that has been lightly greased with olive oil, place the dough inside, and cover it with plastic wrap that has also been greased with olive oil.
- Place the bowl in a warm spot (windowsill is okay) without any draft until you can visibly see the dough doubling in size. It shouldn’t take more than an hour – around 30 minutes at most.
- Take the dough out of the bowl and cut into four equal shares, then roll these into balls and cover with plastic wrap (or a tea towel) in a bowl for another 30 minutes. These will equal four pizzas; so simply freeze any dough balls that you don’t require.
- Roll the dough out to flatten it to a pizza shape. Between 5 to 10mm is best for a thin crust. The pizza itself should be around 30cm in diameter.
Creating the sauce
- 1 cup of diced, canned tomatoes
- Tube of tomato paste
- Olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- Black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of both dried basil and oregano
Here’s how you make the tomato sauce for your scrumptious pizza:
- Take a large bowl and add the canned tomatoes, a tablespoon of tomato paste, dash of olive oil, salt, a touch of pepper, and your herbs.
- Grab a wooden spoon and slowly mash everything up until a thick sauce begins to emerge. Continue stirring until you have a liquid that is smooth but still looking dense.
The final stage
You’re so close to your pizza!
Simply get your wooden spoon and place a few dollops of sauce onto the middle of your pizza base. Slowly spread the sauce until it covers the base (but not until the end, leave around 1cm at the edge). Don’t go too wild with the sauce, otherwise, your pizza will be too soggy.
Add your toppings now. If you want something plain, just go for mozzarella cheese and a few herbs and spices of your choosing. But of course, feel free to add diced ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, or dare we say it… pineapple. It’s your pizza, so add what you like.
Ensure that your oven has been preheated to 250°C (or 230°C for fan-forced ovens) and cook for roughly 15 minutes. Check that the pizza is crispy and the cheese has melted, and you’re ready to enjoy your easy DIY pizza at home. Bon appétit!
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