Do you make your own pizza?
Perhaps the thought of kneading together all that flour, letting the yeast become active and rolling it out etc. etc. lead you more often towards buying pizza. Or just buying the pizza base to assemble your own ingredients upon.
Could I tempt you to simplify by mixing flour, some rising agent and water, then pressing into a tin or tray?
Yes?
All right then.
Follow me...
Sift together 1½ cups wholemeal spelt flour with 1 teaspoon cream of tartar and ½ teaspoon bicarb soda. Add ½ cup of water to the bowl and combine. When the dough comes together (it doesn't 'knead' to be worked a lot. In fact it would prefer you to treat it somewhat delicately), press it into a tray. The rectangle one I use measures 24x30cm.
Now top it with your favourite ingredients. I used:
Caramelised capsicum because it was a Christmas gift sitting in the pantry, begging to be used when I found no tomato paste.
Kangaroo Mettwurst - thankfully quite low in fat
Ham from my Christmas leg.
Delicious Kalamata olives from our favourite estate - Verdale.
Portobello Mushrooms
Capsicum
Italian Mozzarella
My own cherry tomatos, picked just few minutes before being pizzified.
Just keep in mind a thin, crusty pizza with minimal toppings. It won't cook beautifully if you crowd the base with too much food.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes.
I top the cooked pizza with fresh basil picked from my garden.
My littluns don't eat everything I place on the pizza yet they never complain. In fact, they often request this meal, especially during the summer months. This suits me very well as it goes down beautifully with a fresh green salad.
This recipe has been a long time arriving here, but if you have tried to photograph pizza then you will realise why;) I am still not 100% happy with my pizza shots showing slightly shrivelled baked olives covered in melted cheese. Don't let that put you off, it tastes delicious and is a very simple meal. Considering photography of this pizza, I don't think I've done too badly - just needed that bottle of wine. It's not often seen at my lunch table with two little girls!
Now tell me, how are you going to adorn your pizza?
11 comments:
I think your pizza photos look fabulous Cee. Oh, how I love a good homemade pizza, it's so, so much nicer than store bought. This summer we've been talking about building a pizza oven outside - friends of ours have a mud brick one and they also use it to cook roasts etc.. So far though, we've only been talking (and spending a lot of time searching online for pizza oven tips!)
Pizza crust without yeast? Now that has piqued my interest because I'm supposed to avoid food with yeast! And I've never tried pizza dough with whole grain spelt!
I don't suppose I'll use kangaroo meat--might be too expensive for my budget, and goodness knows where I would find something like that here! :-D I'd substitute ground beef--I buy only organic or naturally raised--that I'd spiced up with some Italian seasonings and red pepper.
I might add some sun-dried tomatoes or sliced fresh tomatoes, and of course Kalamata olives, green peppers, or maybe a red or yellow one, and some sliced green onions. I've never heard of caramelised capsicum before. Sounds interesting--but I'd probably stick to tomato paste/sauce, and of course Mozzarella. A sprig of fresh basil on top adds a wonderful touch!
I just had dinner, but this sounds so good my mouth is watering for it!
Thankyou Mel, glad you like the pics enough to comment on! :) My mum-in-law has a pizza oven which they made from plans they found on the internet. It has a floating slab. They cook their pizzas and then use the residual heat to roast chooks etc. Sounds ideal, but I have to use my indoor oven, which works beautifully with this recipe.
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HS Mama your pizza sounds delicious as well. Did you know our capsicums are what you call peppers? That might help you picture it! A bit like caramelised onions.
Dear Cee,
we often make our own Pizza, too.
I just don't really like Pizza which is bought at a "take away" or even restaurant. I must admit I like the one from the supermarket better than the ones from take aways.
But making our own one ist the best. The kids just like it, helping to prepare it and the tall girl is putting all the things on it. Bought ones they don't like at all.
We will have to make one very soon, thank you for the reminder and the pictures look tasty..
big hug, Nina
I agree Nina. We only buy from private cellar doors/olive groves where the pizzas are made on the spot and put into the woodfired oven. We often buy Pizza at Verdale estate and might sometimes be their only patrons it is so quiet. Not a reflection on quality yet perhaps their distance out of Adelaide.
Ess usually helps me put the toppings on, yet this time it was Eee who faithfully placed each slice of mettwurst onto the pizza. So engaged!
Hugs to you also.
Cee
I love to make my own pizza, at least once a week, much to the joy of the kids. But never tried it without yeast....the combination of powders you used, is the same as baking powder, right?
Thanks for the idea, you just made me hungry again....
Shandora you could use baking powder - just beware of some additives you might not want in baking powder such as aluminium and gluten.
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008/10/why_you_should_use_aluminum-free.html
Hi,
We are looking forward to making these pizzas for our family night tomorrow night! Jude P
Hi Cee,
The pizzas were fabulous. 3yr old J absolutely loved his first pizza in about 6 mths since he went off regular wheat. We couldn't believe Mr Oh So Fussy ate oh so much. We will be doing it all again this Friday night and hopefully remembering all the ingredients so we don't do two last minute shopping trips- left the pineapple at the register. Oops! Jude P
Did you line the trays? Our second batch stuck to the trays a little. I did spray them with olive oil spray. Jude
Hi there Jude. Good to hear from you. Glad the pizzas were a hit with your growing little man. I don't line the trays and find that they do stick occasionally. It really just depends on the consistency of the dough. So you'll get used to when it is right and it won't stick. Perhaps you could flour it a little if the dough seems a bit sticky. It'll all come together with trial and error.
Are you trying them again this week?
Hope you are well. Things are tough for us as you'll read in my latest post. It's nice to hear of your normal everyday activities.
Cee..xx
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