Pizza

June 10th, 2009

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Pizza has so many possibilities… so many gourmet, traditional and common combinations. I guess that’s what makes it so appealing. Make the base, cover in pizza sauce then go wild with your options.

What is your favourite pizza combination?

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For me… I can’t choose. This is where a lot of people come in handy, the more people, the more pizzas, the more combinations – yay for all! Everyone knows (and loves) the more common pizza toppings of supreme, meat lovers (finding as much variety of meat as possible and covering the pizza), vegetarian, Hawaiian (Ham and pineapple) and Margarita.

A few extra combinations for pizza toppings include the following: (Use tomato base and spread grated cheese on top of toppings)

Chorizo and Spinach
Slice 1 chorizo and fry in some oil until slightly brown on edges. Place on pizza with 12 or more baby spinach leaves.

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Roast Pumpkin, Feta and Caramelised Onion
Cut 1/8 of a jap pumpkin (300-400g) into small cubes. Place on baking tray with baking paper. Lightly brush with oil and bake for 20 minutes or more at 180C until soft in the middle and starting to caramelise. Slice half an onion and cook over medium heat in some oil until onions become translucent and caramelised, Cut 100g Feta into cubes and place caramelised onion, pumpkin and feta on the pizza.

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Bacon, Potato and Caramelised Onion
Peel 2 potatoes and cut into cubes. Roast in oven preheated to 180C for 10-30minute or until cooked through and slightly crispy. Remove fat and cut 2-3 slices of bacon into pieces. Cook in a pan over medium heat with removed bacon rind or a little olive oil. Slice half an onion and cook over medium heat in some oil until onions become translucent and caramelised.

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Tomato, Basil and Boconchinni
Slice 1 tomato (or cut 4-5 cherry tomatoes in half) and place on pizza with 8-12 basil leaves and small pieces (approx 4, each torn in half) boconchinni.

Pizza base
Serves: 4-8 (2-4 pizzas, depending on how thick you like your bases)

3 – 3 ½ cups plain flour, plus a little extra for kneading
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 x 7g sachets (2 tablespoons) dry yeast
300 ml warm water
½ tablespoon oil (to oil the pan)

¼ cups tomato puree mixed with dried herbs and salt (or 140g Ardmona pizza sauce) or Pizza Sauce (see below)
1 cup cheese, grated
Plus any other toppings

Combine 2 cups of flour, salt, sugar, oregano and dried yeast. Add warm water and beat 300 strokes by hand. Add the extra 1 – 1½ cups of flour and mix until smooth, knead lightly. Cover with a clean tea towel or cling wrap and prove for 10-20 minutes.

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Preheat oven to 180 – 190°C.

Grease pizza pan or tray with oil. Punch the dough, divide into two and roll out to fit the tray. Place the pizza on the oiled pans and spread pizza sauce over the two pizzas. Arrange toppings and then cover with grated cheese.

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Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Pizza Sauce
Makes: Enough for 2-3 pizzas

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
440g can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup red wine

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil then cook onion for 5-10 minutes, until the onion starts to become transparent. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Puree sauce and cool. Spread over pizza base.

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12 Comments

  1. i’ve never made my own bases but your pizzas looking very tasty.

  2. parita says:

    Pizza looks really delicious…i too recently made pizza from scratch

  3. I love vegetarian pizzas…olives, mushrooms, peppers…on a pesto base…yum!

  4. Pumpkin and fetta is a favourite of mine, and I like your idea of adding caramalised onion. My sister likes to use satay sauce instead of tomato on her bases, but I’m more of a traditionalist and I like tomato best. Did you really count to 300 while you made the dough?

  5. FFichiban says:

    Ooh home made pizza! I am loving on the bacon/potatoes/onions and the pumpkin/feta/onions.. so a combination of those would b perfect hee hee 😉

    I have a post but the pizzas are ugly and nowhere as good looking as yours haha

  6. ann says:

    Yummo! this looks super delish.

  7. Beta Gal says:

    My favourites are supreme with everything (anchovies and olives and pineapple too), and also a good marinara with extra garlic. I like to use lebanese bread as a base, but you shouldn’t overload it because it can get too soggy to support the topping.

  8. Forager says:

    Yum – these look pretty tasty! My favourite flavour would have to be a Puttanesca style pizza with mozzarella, olives, capers and of course anchovies. Yum! Although a Margarita done well is hard to beat!

  9. Jeena says:

    Pizzas look amazing they look like restaurant style pizza.

  10. Love the sounds of these combinations! I think my number one favourite would have to be plain pepperoni and cheese though but on a really thin base! 🙂

  11. Anita says:

    Thanks everyone for your great suggestions for toppings and pizza bases… I think it’s about time I have pizzas again 😛

  12. I’m trying your pizza base & sauce recipe tonight! Gonna give the bacon, potato, onion and the chorizo, spinach ones a go on my pizza stones. Gonna squeeze lime on my chorizo too – a little tip someone gave me recently. Will keep you posted as to how it goes. Getting hungry just thinking about it!!! 🙂

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