HOMEMADE PIZZA TOOLS RECIPES

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a bowl, then stir in the yeast and 1 tsp salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in 200ml warm water (make sure it’s not too hot) along with the oil. Stir together with a wooden spoon until you have a soft, fairly wet dough.
• Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for an hour or so or until the dough has puffed up and doubled in size. You can also leave the rough, unkneaded dough in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave in the fridge overnight and the dough will continue to prove on its own.
• Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Put the oil in a small pan and fry the garlic briefly (don’t let it brown), then add the passata and simmer everything until the sauce thickens a little. Leave to cool.
• Once the dough has risen, knead it quickly in the bowl to knock it back, then tip out onto a lightly floured surface and cut into two balls. Roll out each ball into a large teardrop that is very thin and about 25cm across (teardrop shapes fit baking sheets more easily than rounds).
• Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/ gas 9 with a large baking sheet inside. Lift one of the bases onto another floured baking sheet. Smooth the sauce over the base with the back of a spoon, scatter over half the mozzarella, drizzle with olive oil and season. Put the pizza, still on its baking sheet, on top of the hot sheet in the oven and bake for 8-10 mins until crisp.

Steps:

• To make the dough, put both flours into a large bowl, then stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well, pour in 400ml warm water and the olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon until you have a soft, fairly wet dough. Bring together with a light knead in the bowl then turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside. Leave the dough to rise if you have time but it’s not essential for a thin crust.
• To make the sauce, blitz the tomatoes, garlic and thyme and a little seasoning, either in a food processor or using a hand blender.
• Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 8. Get the toppings ready in bowls so that your children can decorate their own.
• If the dough has had time to rise, give it a little knead in the bowl, then split into four balls. On a floured surface, roll out two of the balls into wide circles using a rolling pin. The dough needs to be very thin as it will rise in the oven. Lift these onto two floured baking sheets or pizza trays.
• Smooth sauce over bases with a spoon. Scatter with cheese, then start making the faces. Courgette rounds make great eyes or cheeks, halved courgette rounds can be used for ears and spiralised courgette for hair. Strips of pepper are good for eyebrows and mouths while olives and halved cherry tomatoes make great eyes or earrings. Sweetcorn can be used for teeth or freckles. Let their imagination go wild.
• Cook for around 10-15 mins until crisp. You’ll want to swap the pizzas to a lower shelf halfway through the cooking time.
• Repeat for the second two pizzas or freeze the balls of dough in two separate freezer bags, plus any remaining sauce in a sealed container.