So tonight on the menu the Kiwi himself has decided to make a pizza.. and boy was it a pizza!
Since being here in The Alps I have had many baking disasters!! Nearly every bit of baking has been enjoyed by the bin.. biscuits have come out as bricks and cookies as cakes! Something I have always found pleasure in at home and could do with my eyes shut has become a dreaded nightmare!! Seriously I blame the flour! Yeah yeah "a bad workman blames his tools" but I stand by it and will keep pointing the finger of blame! The thing is that here there are so many different types of flour that I'm stood in the supermarket completely baffled!! Hundreds of variations and number types! At home I'm a simple plain or self-raising girl! Confused doesn't even cut it!
So on a mission for a winner, the Kiwi and I were chatting to a local chef and he recommended type 55 for breads and pizza bases and type 45 for cakes, biscuits and cookies!! The success of the chocolate chip love cookies are still to be determined but as for the pizza base it couldn't have been more perfect!!
If you like thin & crispy pizzas then i defy you to find a better recipe!
FOR THE BASE (makes 8 bases)1 kg of Type 55 Flour (or plain flour)
20g yeast
400ml water
200ml olive oil
pinch of salt
We made up a large batch of dough and divided it into 8 individual bases, wrapped each one in clingfilm and froze them for when the urge of a night in with a pizza and a beer overcomes us! Not only is this much more quick and convenient, it also makes life a whole lot easier when it comes to putting the correct amount of yeast in!
We used Fala Yeast cubes, I am fully converted to how wonderful these cubes are, compact little cubes that do not leave that nasty yeasty taste! I am not sure whether these are available in the UK or if there is an equivalent, but as soon as I am home I will be ordering them online!Dissolve the yeast (aprox half a cube) in the water , then mix in with the flour, olive oil and salt. Work into a good dough and leave wrapped in a damp tea towel to rise for half an hour!!
Once risen.. give it a quick little punch down and cut into individual sections and wrap and freeze the unwanted dough! One section was enough to feed the Kiwi and I! Roll your dough into a pizza shape, and as thinly as possible!! Ours was a few millimetres thick!!
Place onto some baking paper on a large baking tray and now comes the fun toppings!! We couldn't decide what we wanted so opted for a half and half pizza!!
On the left we wanted something a little different so went for a creme fraiche base, grated emmental cheese, cut up little pieces of ham and then covered with slices and crumblings of goats cheese..all finished off with a generous drizzle of runny honey all over the toppings!! Please try this before you decide its not for you! It's delicious!!
And on the right we decided a bit of spice to complement the soft creaminess of the other half! Salami, chorizo, merguez and onions with a homemade simple tomato sauce. Cut the salami and chorizo and onion into small slices. The merguez needs to be sizzled in a pan for a few mins, so while thats on you can make your sauce. 2 tomatoes chopped up and chucked in a saucepan with some olive oil, garlic and chilli flakes. Add a teaspoonful of tomato puree and some mixed Italian herbs or fresh basil if you have it. Cook the tomatoes down until soft and saucey for aprox 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper and a little pinch of sugar. Give it a little squash with your wooden spoon to get rid of any big chunks that are still left and then you are ready to spread on your base. Sprinkle with the grated emmental, cut your merguez into bitesize pieces and arrange with the rest of the toppings. Place your pizza on a low shelf of a pre-heated oven at 225degrees for about 10-15mins. This will ensure a nice crispy base.
And then hey presto... perfect pizza pronto!
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