Tag: pizza

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Five Reasons to Make Your Own Pizza Recipes

homemade-pizza-on-rustic-table

Pizza used to be found in Italian neighborhoods only but is now a mainstream phenomenon all over the world. It is a comfort food and each country and culture has adapted the recipe to suit their tastes. Here are five reasons why making your own pizza is the best way to enjoy this delicious treat.

 

  1. It is easy to make pizza. You can make pizza dough recipes with basic kitchen tools and you can make whichever type of dough you prefer. Making a sauce and adding toppings are simple too. The hardest part of making your own pizza is cleaning up afterwards!

 

  1. Homemade pizza is good value. The price of making your own pizza is much less than visiting a pizzeria or ordering a pizza. You can buy ingredients in bulk and freeze what you do not use. You can also buy ingredients on sale and use them as toppings.

 

  1. Pizza is healthy and you can use top quality, fresh ingredients. Vegetables are great on pizza and you can use bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, corn, fresh garlic, tomatoes and more. You can make healthy pizza dough recipes too, which are usually thin and crispy and you can make whole-wheat dough if you want.

 

  1. It is a lot of fun to make pizza yourself. You can get the kids involved in saying what toppings go on the pizza, kneading the dough for the crust and arranging the toppings on the pizza. Older kids can help to slice and chop the topping ingredients. Even if you are only making pizza for yourself, it is still an enjoyable experience and you can get really creative with it.

 

  1. You can learn how to make pizza dough in stages. First of all, you can buy a readymade pizza crust and use that. Next, you can buy fresh dough from the bakery and work with that because you will gain experience in shaping your pizza and working with dough. Finally, you can make your own pizza dough recipe. But always remember that the secret for a perfect crust is using an proper pizza oven – if you like, check Californo for great options.

 

Making pizza gets easier every time you do it and very soon after starting, you will be making healthy pizza recipes for the family, having fun and saving money!

 

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A Light Vegetarian Pizza That’ll Satisfy Carnivores as Well

Pizza is a staple in most households and is a hit with kids with whom mealtimes are always a fight. Just switching up the toppings from the traditional tomatoes and mozzarella can create a brand new dish for supper and along with a fresh salad it makes a delicious and nutritious meal. It also tastes lovely when at room temperature, which makes it a good choice for a picnic meal as well.

 

Ingredients

Makes one thin-crust 12” pizza or fits a medium-sized roasting tin

For the pizza dough

  • 2 cups whole meal flour (plain flour can be used as well)
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 sachet active dry yeast
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the caramelised onions

  • 3 large brown onions, sliced finely
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the pesto

  • 2 cups fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup almonds
  • ½ cup Grana Padano
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. First prepare the dough. Put the dry ingredients in a food processor. Switch it on and add the oil and water until it combines and forms a ball. Remove and knead on a floured surface until smooth. Coat with olive oil and leave in a warm area to rise for about an hour.
  2. Heat some olive oil in a wide frying pan. Put in the chilli flakes and fry until fragrant. Add the onions and salt and cook until softened (but not caramelised yet). Now add the water and turn up the heat a bit. Stir at regular intervals until the water has evaporated and the onions are a rich brown.
  3. While the onions are cooking make the pesto. Combine all ingredients in a blender and whiz until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. If you prefer more garlic or a stronger cheese flavour add more of the required ingredient accordingly.
  4. Heat your pizza oven. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to fit a greased 12” pizza pan or a medium-sized roasting tin. Spread the pesto over the pizza base and top with the caramelised onions.
  5. Drop the oven’s heat before you put the pizza in. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the base is crisp and cooked through. Slice and serve immediately.

Variations

  • Grate some extra Grana Padano or top with fresh mozzarella slices before baking.
  • For a non-vegetarian twist shred some roasted chicken or anchovies over the caramelised onions.
  • When removed from the oven, garnish generously with fresh rocket or baby spinach leaves before serving.
  • If you want to check more vegetarian pizza recipes, click here and enjoy.