BBQ Autumn 2016 | Page 57

DOUGH

Ingredients

1kg of strong flour (00 Italian pizza flour if possible)

600-650ml luke warm water (dough doesn't want to be sticky when handled)

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

7g dried yeast

METHOD

Combine the water and yeast and give it a stir. Set aside for a few minutes to do its thing.

Combine the flour and salt. Add the yeasty water and oil to the flour and mix. Kneed till smooth and stretchy. A machine with dough hook is great for this.

Set aside in an oiled bowl with cling film placed loosely over the top. Let it rise till doubled in size.

Take the dough from the bowl. I find this quantity of dough nicely makes enough dough balls to create 8 thin 10"-12" pizzas, so divide into 8.

At this point, if you don't intend on using all of the dough balls, wrap any you're not going to use in cling film and pop in the freezer to use for quick, easy pizza some other time.

With the dough you're going to use, make it into nice round dough balls. The dough should be dry enough where you can handle it without the need for flour or oil. If it's mega sticky and all over your hands and work surface then it's too wet.

DOUGH BALLS

So, dough balls.... It's very important you get this stage correct. A round dough ball will make a round pizza. A wonky dough ball will make a wonky pizza. Don't use flour as you want the dough balls to come together on the underside and stick together to 'close' the ball. You also don't want to dry the surface of the dough as this will create a tough 'skin' which will stop it from rising properly and puffing up in the oven. This is a great video below to show you how to do it. I can't do it like this guy though! He's got skillz!

Making a pizza is easy once you've nailed it. As with most Italian cooking, a pizza consists of only a handful of ingredients. You can make an average dough, use average ingredients and shop bought sauce and you'll end up with an average pizza. Chances are though, if made fresh and cooked in a wood fired oven, it will still be a million times better than something you'd buy at Pizza Hut, Dominos or maybe even your local Italian pizzeria so don't think you have to be a master at the beginning. That will come with experience and experimentation.

However..... if you go the extra mile and make an exceptional dough and sauce, using great ingredients and add them to a hand stretched pizza base..... the result will be exceptional. So.... here we go:

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