Pizza

 

 I think these days I am addicted to cooking. If I sit on computer I will go through food blogs and if I watch T.V  I would like to see food shows. Now the most popular food show here is Master Chef. Rather than food show it can be best described as food contest. Pradeep and I used to stick to T.V  daily from 7.30p.m to 8.30p.m like as though we don't care even the world fall apart also.Even though 90% of dishes they show are non vegetarian we did not miss a single episode because we are fascinated by cooking techniques they have shown, the difficulty of  making those dishes( particularly desserts) and uniqueness of every cuisine in the world.This is one of the recipe I got from the show and believe me its fail proof recipe.I have tried number of methods of making pizza dough but the pizza   I made today is even  better than Dominos and pizza hut's pizzas. For more recipes you can go through this site.


Pizza dough:
Ingredients:
Bread flour-3cups
Dry Yeast-3/4tsp (Dissolved in warm water)
Water-200ml
Sugar-1tbsp
Salt-3/4tbsp
Olive oil-30ml
Milk-25ml

Method:

1. After dissolving yeast in water add sugar to it and leave it for 10minutes(Yeast is a living organism and sugar, warm water help for its growth and activation)
2. Now pour this mixture into bread flour along with water and knead it for 5 minutes
3. Now add salt, olive oil and milk and knead it again for 5 more minutes.(The dough will be sticky. So dust the floor with 2tbsp of flour and knead)
4. Allow dough to prove for 10 minutes by covering it with a wet cloth.(Dough should rise than its original size)
5. After 10 minutes divide the dough into balls and allow them to prove for 30 minutes by covering it with wet cloth.(At this stage do not knead the dough)
6. Now dust the floor with mixture of sooji and plain flour.
7. Place one ball of dough, using your fingers starting in the middle press dough into 7 inch circle.
8. Repeat it with rest of dough.(With this dough I was able to make one thick crust pizza and one thin crust pizza)

Notes:

1. Yeast is a living organism and it requires warm environment for its activation. If the environment is not warm it may take longer time for rising of dough.
2. If you are not comfortable with stretching the dough into circle with hands use rolling pin.The dough will be very soft so you can just stretch it with rolling pin.
3. Do not substitute bread flour with plain flour. The taste will differ a lot.
4. Use sooji also for dusting as it makes easy to roll the dough and also gives good taste to pizza.

Pizza Sauce:
Ingredients:
Olive oil-30ml
Tomatoes-1can (400g)
Garlic-1clove crushed
Dried oregano-1/2tsp
Sugar-1/2tsp
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Heat olive oil in a pan add all the ingredients except salt and pepper. Turn heat low and simmer for 30 minutes.Blend it to puree and add salt and pepper. It can be prepared prior and will stay up to 1 week in refrigerator.(This sauce is enough for 5-6pizzas)

Topping:
Ingredients:
Onion-1small chopped
Tomato-1 small chopped
Spinach-few leaves chopped
Oil-1tbsp

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and sauté them till they are 50% done.
Note:You can use topping of your choice.

Assembling:

1. Preheat oven to 220 degree centigrade.
2. Spread good amount of pizza  sauce. Add toppings and cheese.
3. Bake it in the preheated oven till cheese melts and browns.

Notes:

1. Half cup of cheese is needed for this dough.You can use any kind of cheese but preferable is mozzarella.
2. Preheating of oven is mandatory foe baking pizza because the minute you keep it in oven it starts cooking.