Recipe
The best pizza you can make at home
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You know what they say, there's nothing like homemade meals and that's especially true for baking the 'best' pizza your way - crafted with love.
By Justin Narayan
I wanted to put this recipe in the book because I feel like we over-romanticise pizza. It feels like the minimal-topping, thin-base Neapolitan pizza has become the pinnacle of pizza, the only pizza that can or should be made. That makes it so complicated for the home cook. Don’t get me wrong, Neapolitan pizzas are epic. They’re a real art form, but you need so much time, effort and an actual pizza oven to make a good one. The first Neapolitan pizza I threw into the oven was a mess.
The pan pizza we grew up with is the best pizza you can make in a domestic kitchen. It has a thick-ish base, the dough is soft and chewy with a crispy bottom and sides; the edges have that crisped, caramelised, kind of burnt cheese; and it’s very heavy on the toppings. It's nostalgic, it’s delicious, it’s easy, it’s what Pizza Hut could have been.Double or triple the recipe for more pizzas and more fun!
Makes 1 (for 2 people) × active time 20 minutes × Total time 35 minutes+ 2 hours-overnight proofing and 2 hours resting.
Ingredients to make the best pizza
PIZZA DOUGH
250 g (9 oz)plain (all-purpose) flour
½ teaspoon (2 g) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
150 ml (5 fl oz) warm water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
SAUCE
½ × 400 g (14 oz)can whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano or whole peeled Roma best)
1 garlic clove
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
TOPPINGS
300 g (10½ oz)pizza cheese blend, mozzarella or tasty cheese
OPTION 1: hot honey and pepperoni
OPTION 2: leftover chicken curry garnished with Coriander, Mint andYoghurt Chutney (page 224) and fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
OPTION 3: whatever you like Fresh herb leaves
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How to make the best pizza
To make the dough, mix the flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Add the water and oil. Knead until everything comes together nicely, about 5–10minutes.
Grease a bowl with a little extra oil, then add the dough.
Form into a rough ball. Cover the dough in some plastic wrap and, with the seam side of the dough facing down, put it in the fridge to proof overnight.
(Overnight will develop the best flavour but if you’re short on time, proof it at room temperature until it’s doubled in size, around 2–4 hours.) Grease a cast iron frying pan with a good coating of extra oil, around 1–2 tablespoons.
(If you don't have a cast iron pan, a baking tray will do. You’ll just have a more square pizza.)
Place the dough in the pan. (If you scaled the recipe up for more than one pizza, divide the dough into as many dough balls as you’re going to make and lay them out on oiled plates). Oil your fingers and spread the dough.
(The dough won’t get to the edge of the pan yet.) Cover the pan with a damp tea (dish) towel and rest in a warm environment for 1–2 hours.
(To check it's done, try pushing the dough to the edge of the pan. If it doesn’t stay, proof for a bit longer.)
Meanwhile, make the sauce by blitzing all the sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth. Adjust the seasoning if you need (go a bit easier on the salt as the toppings can be quite salty).
Preheat the oven to 240°C (465°F). After the dough has rested, push the dough to the edge of the pan. Top with the sauce, most of the cheese and your toppings option, then the remaining cheese on top. (Make sure you get the cheese to the edge of the dough.)
Bake until the cheese is golden brown, about 12–15 minutes.
Take the pizza out and, using a butter knife to get under the edge of the pizza, check the bottom. It should be golden brown and crispy.
If it’s looking a bit blonde or anaemic, place it on the stove over medium–high heat for 2–3 minutes. Finish by adding fresh herbs.
Citro food tip
Make your pizza stand out by adding fresh herbs like basil or oregano and experiment with various types of cheese such as parmesan or goat cheese for a more unique taste.
Images and text from Everything Is Indian by Justin Narayan, photography by Rob Palmer. Murdoch Books RRP $39.99.
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