Pizza Dough & Basic Tomato Sauce

Cooped up at home with the kids? Take this time to get your hands moving by whipping up a whole pizza from scratch. While it certainly makes a fun activity for the family, this will also pave the way for more exciting pizza topping ideas to come. The possibilities are endless!

Yield: Makes 2
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 60 mins
Difficulty Level: 2/5

Ingredients

PIZZA DOUGH

• 2 tsps (7 g) dry yeast
• ½ tsp caster sugar
• ¾ cup (180 ml) warm water
• 2 cup (300 g) plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsps olive oil

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 clove garlic, crushed
• 410 g canned crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup (70 g) tomato paste
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• Salt and pepper

Steps

PIZZA DOUGH

01. Combine yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl; cover. Stand in a warm place about 10 mins, or until frothy.

02. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture and olive oil; mix to a soft dough. Bring the dough together with your hands. Add a little extra water, if necessary, to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.

03. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 mins, or until smooth and elastic. Push the dough with the heel of your hand, and give it a quarter turn each time. Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl; cover. Stand in a warm place about 1 hr, or until doubled in size.

04. “Punch” the dough down with your fist, then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll out as desired.

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

01. Heat olive oil in a medium pan; add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onion is soft.

02. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, caster sugar and oregano; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 mins or until the mixture is very thick.

03. Stir in basil; season to taste.

TIP

Makes one thick-crust or 2-3 thin-crust pizza bases. For a thick-crust pizza, use the whole quantity of dough or, for thinner crusts, make two or three pizzas from the one quantity of dough. Dough can be made several hours ahead; store in an oiled bowl, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator. Refrigeration will slow down the rising of the dough. Dough and sauce suitable to freeze.

Photo: bauersyndication.com.au